Before Volume Two aired I said of Yang, “One day she’ll be broken,” around the same time I said such gems as, “Pyrrha’s probably doomed” and “Torchwick’s either going to outlive every other villain or be that villain turned weird uncle type” and while hey, two outta three ain’t bad, I’m starting to wish I’d predicted less heavy things to recap, like starving children or genocides or awkward Thanksgiving family dinners. Anyways, in this week’s recap, Blake finds herself in the middle of a Herman Melville novel, Taiyang nominates himself for several Parent Of The Year awards, and I swing for the fences with a The Mighty Boosh reference or two. Old recaps at the RECAP MASTERPOST, new recap below, let’s mosey.

So uh, it has been something of a two weeks since the last episode, huh? How’d y'all spend your RWBY-free week? Personally I’ve been waiting for Pokemon Sun/Moon to come out and save us from reality, all while recovering from the annual RT Extra Life hangover. ‘Cause goddamn those twenty-four hours were an adventure, as I’m sure most y'all know. Still hear the Wheel Of Destiny sirens in your dreams? Same. Michael and Lindsay’s announcement make you all smiley just thinkin’ about it? Everytime. Ready to do it again next year? Absofuckinglutely, but let’s be real I’ll need that long to recover from this one. And just like #2spooky, serious recapping only ahead, no more laughter, no more smiles, let’s go.

We begin with Blake, and Blake’s on a boat. She’s been on trains, she’s now on boats, she’s a wildcard, that one.

Where last we saw the back of Blake Belladonna, she was fleeing the scene of the crime as an accessory to Yang’s amputation on account of the amputator wanting to present an amputated limb to her as a romantic gesture. In the process she’s picked up six to eight months of guilt, a boatload of angst, and a spiffy new outfit.

It has been six to eight months since she got knocked up by Reese Clitoris…

Captain Phillips there comes along to break Blake from her thoughts and espouse all the shipboard luxuries: beautiful oceanic views (Unfortunately, ruined by pollution), local wildlife (Unfortunately, they’re all Grimm and eat-y), free shrimp cocktails (Unfortunately, Blake’s Jewish) and the ship’s onboard comedian (Unfortunately, is Michael Richards). Man, what a crappy ship. Still a better ship than Trump/Presidency, though.

Your English reports will thank me. So, Cap'n Nemo immediately figures Blake as one of those passengers with a story worth stealing and publishing his own self-insert version of to make billions, and, well, he’s not wrong. Blake ain’t having it, however.

She says she’s better off alone, and given how the harem anime that is her life is going so far, you can’t really blame her for thinking it. But it’s sad to see - the moment I saw Blake twitch at the sound of children’s laughter and reach for her sword when spooked, I knew this was gonna get Too Real (™). Blake Belladonna has been through some shit, and the vicious cycle is that she thinks she’s better off alone and then spends that alone time stewing in her thoughts, trapped in an endless swirling vortex of memories and regrets, a miasma of self-hatred and self-pity and petrified by the thought of leaving the haze, for she could only cause more pain if she did. Again, Too Real (™).

The old man from The Old Man And The Sea calls her paranoid, but it’s not paranoia if they’re actually out to get you. It’s called being a main character. And PTSD. Hooray for PTSD…

Robinson And Crusoe saunters off, leaving Blake to ponder the greater questions in life: Who invented the trombone, and why? Do the people who write shopping catalogues embed secret passive-aggressive notes for their competitors? What was Blake doing for six to eight months before she jumped on a boat? She doesn’t ponder long, because it’s time to say goodbye.

“Won’t be needing this,” she says, because Blake’s not going back to where she wore the bow, because the bow is Beacon and Yang and Ruby and Weiss and everyone else, because it’s failure and blood and tears, because the new animation engine loves playing with her kitty ears… As she does so, Blake is watched by a mysterious hooded figure (I wonder who it is? I wonder why this episode had “Stowaway” in the title? I wonder if they invented the saxophone before the trombone?), and there’s also a mysterious fin in the water…

We’ll get back to that. Let’s cheer ourselves up with a visit to Yang! I bet she’s already gotten over her own (literally) crippling problem and is back to storming clubs and beating up mooks, right?

… Oh. Guess not.

Midday television was already the worst - CCT down, air traffic in Vale banned, Judge Judy’s on but it’s a repeat, everything’s terrible - until Adam’s face showed up to remind Yang of his general existence, and, much like he would Blake, her own failures. Yang and Blake now share Adam as a spectre hanging over them, and not even the escape of television is safe from his shadow. Egads.

Yeah, Yang’s having a rough time of it. I’ve noted before that her arc this season is probably her feeling lost, without purpose or drive, and well, look at her. When once she slew monsters and pummelled bad guys, now she sits on the couch, flicks channels aimlessly with only the voice of Emmy-nominated Burnie Burns for company.

She’s also got Zwei for company, but, y'know, Zwei’s got his own issues, doesn’t really have the time, man…

(And, knowing Yang’s luck, her Netflix probably skipped over San Junipero entirely.)

Papa Taiyang’s brought with him a present for his little sun dragon. His sheer excitement contrasts harshly with the listless hesitance in her voice, as if she expects the box to explode and take off her other arm and maybe a leg or two, and his ramblings about the arm being state of the art sink in as much as anything else has. She does perk up when Ironwood’s name gets involved, because we all do. And yes, the idea of Irondaddy and Penisdaddy both knowing each other and being in contact makes my nethers all squishy, don’t worry.

Yep, it was Ironwood who went out on a limb there to have the arm made for her. D’aww… between this and his offer to Weiss, I like the idea of Ironwood awkwardly uncle-ing the main characters from a distance.

Ironwood also says Yang fought admirably, and that she should be proud of herself, but that immediate cut to Yang, down an arm, a team, and proper hair maintenance, and looking anything other than admirable, or proud, or brave or whatever other words they’d throw at her is enough to break even the hardest of hearts. One of the tallest in the cast, both physically and in personality, and she just looks so… small.

The art of horrible depression has been passed down the Xiao Long family for generations…

And yeah, some fan folk were surprised, even disappointed, that Yang getting a new arm wasn’t a more dramatic later moment, but this works way better to show where her headspace is: she could have a dozen arms, and it wouldn’t matter. It’s there if she wants it, but she’s not going to be ready to even consider wanting it for some time. Her funk is as much about her loss of an arm as it is also about how it happened, why it happened, what it means for her future, where the arm actually ended up because that’s still bugging her ever slightly like it didn’t get eaten or something did it? Did it? Although, even if the arm was eaten by the biggest Grimm in the world and then caused that Grimm to choke and die and then the arm was eaten again by the second biggest and then that one choked and died, it still wouldn’t be worth what losing it represents to her.

Oh Yang, you poor cherub, what are we going to do with you.

Taiyang’s been where she is in his own way, so he doesn’t push, doesn’t question her decision not to try the arm on yet, and lets her head off to her room with just a thank you. Poor guy’s probably worried sick over Ruby on top of this, so it’s lucky they have a big enough house for all that sadness…

We then move on to what feels like a sadder version of Farmy Farm McFarmerson Jr’s routine we saw a couple of weeks back (whatever happened to that kid, anyway…), as Yang goes about her daily activities.

She seems more at peace doing chores around the house than sitting on the couch, because they’re a routine, a new normalcy. And she’s had time to incorporate her disability, utilising the crook of her arm to great effect in such mundane things as holding a broom or the mail. The illusion is broken, however, by something as small as breaking a glass; Adam’s ghost pops out of the bushes to shout, “BOO!” like a right prick, and her arm gets taken from her all over again.

Yang is left fighting her panicked breaths and hating every moment of it, this inability to go through even one moment without having it tainted by her trauma, and Taiyang watches on, concerned and helpless. Again, seriously, Too Fuckin’ Real (™).

We leave the Fighting Xiao Longs there, on the brink of some kind of whacky Parent Trap-style plan on Taiyang’s part to reunite Yang and Blake, or Yang or Yang’s arm, or Yang with a basket of kittens, and return to the high seas. The sun is beginning to set, and the whole day Blake’s been as occupied in her thoughts as France has been occupied by Nazi Germany, but now it’s time for her to confront her mysterious hooded stalker.

She doesn’t get her chance, for the mysterious finned creature wants to get the big reveal, and hoo boy, what a reveal.

That is some seriously awesome design right there, guys. I know I’ve been anticipating some Sea Grimm for a while, and this easy Alolan Gyarados form joke is only just the beginning - krakens and hydras and Lovecraftian horrors dwelling neath the depths, here we come!

Captain Ahab and his crew rightly raise the alarm - “We got a Sea Grimm and we didn’t even have to do a beach episode!” - but Blake springs into action.

Like, without hesitation, and with a neat new trick with her semblance to boost herself. Good Blakey.

I could make some joke about Blake relying on herself to this absurd yet sad literal degree, but ehh. For now, we got bigger issues, like the fact that the Sea Grimm was a lie, and he’s actually a winged beast in disguise.

Man if the future Kraken Grimm does the same, that’s when you should really flip your tables.

With the cannons being as effective as France’s resistance to Nazi Germany’s occupation (EDIT: Why am I picking on France so much. Stop it, Matt.), Captain Englehorn and his crew prepare the heavy cannon to fire, fire the heavy cannon, miss with the heavy cannon, and nearly miss a heroic unhooding.

Yep, hooded guy was Sun. Shame, I was pulling for Aragorn myself. Ooh, or Luke Cage.

Sun hasn’t had an outfit change, perhaps because you can’t beat perfection, but the new model does de-sharpen the abs a bit, to the vaguely hilarious lament of everyone watching. Those abs are going to be a father, okay, give 'em a break.

He also hasn’t changed much, that Sunny D. With no horrific experiences under his belt, Sun comes into Volume Four riding a water dragon and faffing about with all the carefree whimsy of a marshmallow that refuses to burn, and it definitely brings an upbeat note to a pretty heavy episode so far.

Blake, while she does save his primate ass, isn’t happy to see him. He’s not supposed to be here anymore than Nazi Germany was meant to be in Poland (EDIT NOTE: Changed from France), but even Blake’s annoyance won’t deter him from Sunning himself.

The two wayward Faunus sons Tarzan over to the ship, and Captain Crunch comes out with the plan: clip the wings, draw the beast in, shooty shoots shoot it.

I said back in V4C1′s recap how cool it was to see Team RNJR doing Huntsmen-y things even while in the middle of their quest, and this fight evokes the same feeling. When Captain Singleton calls for Blake and Sun as Huntsmen, and they get to work, it’s just really neat to see. Especially with Blake, who’s paranoid and distrusting and broken, but still remembers that a Huntsman protects the people, and even first year dropouts like her and Sun can make a difference.

And hey, Sun’s clones doing the work to throw Blake up may just be symbolic of her still being able to accept help. We even get a new Jeff and Casey Williams song with this fight, first of the season outside the opening, and it sounds… hopeful, in a way.

Sun also gets in his chance to save Blake and her to not be for that at all, bless her heart.

It’s weird, but watching this made me realise I’d somewhat forgotten these two have fought together before? Side effect of the absence of Blake content in Volume Three, probably, and it has been like two years since Painting The Town, and Volume One finale before that. It’s not a bad tag team to watch in extended motion like this, either. Shame they don’t get the kill, but the straight-up ramming of the ship’s prow into the beastie’s side is so worth it.

Right around now, Moby Dick there is probably wishing he’d dropped the “Dick”, shaved his hair and gone into the music industry. His head asplode, everyone cheers, Blake gets in a probably well-deserved slap, smash cut to later that night.

Fresh from enjoying his moment in the himself, Sun gets to bantering and pretending he’s not about to get his balls ripped out by an angry cat person.

Sans bow, Blake’s ears do as much expression work as her face, showing the anger and apprehension and tiniest shame of being found, and she’s more stressed by this than she ever was fighting a big sea serpent. She thought leaving without a word would send a message to stay away, that she’s not worth it, but Sun’s one of those “Seen at 4:41PM” kinda guys, and tada, he’s here to help.

Blake left without a word, we know this. What she planned to do, we speculated, and her best Batman-esque rampage against the White Fang was one of those speculations, but just as Yang cannot bring herself to put on a new arm, Blake cannot go near the White Fang.

No matter the method, Sun’s intention for following Blake like Nazi Germany followed occupying Poland with France STOP IT MATT is purely him - to help her because she needs it, because he’s always had her back in White Fang-related shenanigans, and because “us Faunus got to stick together”. It’s a nice reminder that the White Fang’s dick moves kinda make it personal for a lot of Faunus hoping for equality, too.

But no, we’re not having a Tarantino-inspired roaring rampage of revenge. Yet. Blake’s got to sort through some things first. Sun asks why she can’t do the sorting with friends, but Blake can’t risk such a thing. Not again. Not after Yang. Yeah, she’s going to be holding herself responsible for that one for a while guys, sit tight.

Ironically, Sun abandoning his entire team (Elsewhere, Taiyang’s everything perk up.) might be the greatest thing he’s ever done to woo Blake. Finally, someone who understands!

Anyways, Blake’s destination, as shown in the opening, is home. Menagerie, a Faunus reservation first mentioned all the way back in V1. We’re getting a lot of people at home this season, calm before the storm. Rightly so, Sun points out how the White Fang’s orbit will no doubt revolve around Blake’s soon enough and bring the storm back, and, in his very “the power of my abs and cheeriness compel you” way, Sun gets himself a gig as sidekick. Just hopefully, y'know, not one of those sidekicks that dies horribly.

The free shrimp bar strikes again. The truth about P-Wozzles’s death is finally revealed… Meanwhile, back in the lair of the Wicked Witch and about three episodes before I thought we’d see them again:

Cinder is in the midst of her therapy - interesting and cool that we’re seeing her recovery process just as we’re seeing Blake and Yang’s - and struggling, probably because it involves these clicky tentacle balls.

Yeah, uh, what the actual fuck is that thing? Kinda looks like a Palantir crossed with a jellyfish, and is being used as a lie detector… Or it’s a volleyball! And they’re going to go play a game together!

The lie Salem’s trying to figure out? The mysterious mystery behind mysterious Ozpin’s mysterious death under mysterious circumstances.

Gee Salem, it’s almost like you don’t trust your hundreds of year old mortal enemy to die offscreen. Cinder seems to believe it enough, however, and her raspy yes satisfies the lava lamp Grimm.

And, to end on one more mystery, Salem issues her order for the Grimm to reinforce at Beacon, for the relic is there. The relic. What relic? Beats me. Consensus says Ozpin’s cane, since it was seen in Qrow’s possession at the end of last season and might be a thing, and more than a few think it could be something as mundane as one of his chess pieces. Not the coffee cup though. Let’s not get too silly.

I’m personally hoping the relic is the penis chair, but we’ll see… And on that note, recap goes down in the ninth, TKO.

Three down, nine to go. This ends the first little arc of the season, basically catching up with our battered and grieving gang and setting up the new status quo in the world of Remnant going forward. I imagine we’ll get to Blake’s home and onto the start of Taiyang’s plan to help Yang pretty quick-like, while Team RNJR continues to push to Haven, and Weiss does Schnee things. There’s a possibility that since they were mentioned we might just see Neptune, Sage and Scarlet pop up come Haven, and there’s some that Sun’s first trip to Menagerie being eye-opening for him going forward, but apart from that… How about this: we’re about to see Qrow again, real soon. Feel it coming in the slightly drunken air…

All right, I best sign out and prepare to mosey on to Alola already. Thanks all for reading/commenting/liking/suffering with me, hope you enjoyed, and I’ll see you next week!