Warning: this review contains full spoilers for the episode!

The fifth and final season of Samurai Jack continues to exceed all expectations, taking Jack into uncharted moral territory and delivering some of the most intense fight sequences on TV, animated or otherwise.

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Last episode was a game-changer with Jack taking his first human life, a heavy burden to bear for the noble samurai. Jack’s younger self has become a sort of recurring character, a talking nightmare that lays bare all of his doubts and insecurities, always tempting him to end the struggle by giving in to death. While the dialogue here was a tad too on-the-nose, like a thesis statement on a school paper, it hardly matters when the show demonstrates the willingness to tackle this kind of psychological trauma and mature themes in the first place.Jack’s moral quandary gives us a rare flashback to his childhood, showing his first encounter with the notion of taking a life in combat. With his family’s transport under attack by thugs, Jack’s father gives the attackers a chance to walk away before cutting them down with brutal efficiency. Jack’s very eyes are stained red with his father’s lethal action, yet their quiet moment together a bit later shows one can both be honorable and do what needs to be done to survive.Jack’s reflection back to this traumatic moment from his youth calms his conscience and steels his resolve to deal with the assassins. He gives them a chance to stand down, echoing his father’s words -- “The decisions you make and the actions that follow are a reflection of who you are.” -- but of course we know they were never going to back down because they were raised from birth to kill Samurai Jack. Jack shows no mercy from then on, quickly dispatching the group with one surprise kill after another.That we’re seeing Jack stalk a group of human assassins in the snow, impaling them with spears and throwing a sword so hard it pins them to a tree, is yet another stark reminder that Genndy Tartakovsky is fully embracing his license to kill.And while on one hand it is cool to see Jack go all Rambo on his pursuers, there is still a big question of whether the assassins actually have a choice in the matter. The women pause in the forest and we’re treated to an unexpectedly humorous display of their innocence. They’ve never seen wildlife before, or affection for that matter. They literally know nothing else but pain and death. So while Jack does offer them a chance to walk away, emphasizing his father’s words that it is one’s choices that decide who they are, you have to wonder if they even know what a choice is. They were raised from infancy as soldiers blindly dedicated to Aku, and it’s becoming more and more clear that they aren’t even aware there are other facets to life than what they were taught, things like peace, kindness and mercy.It’s hard to say where this is going, but given that it appears Ashi will survive (if Jack survives the fall then so should she), there’s a possibility we’ll see her given a second chance. That is, if Jack can somehow teach her empathy.But that we’re able to have an ethical discussion like this about an episode of Samurai Jack is a sign of just how far this show has grown and evolved.A few more thoughts before we go…It was a wonderful surprise to see that the white wolf held onto life just like Jack did. They’re two lone warriors surviving on sheer force of will. The use of red in this episode was brilliant, especially when the two blood-soaked warriors had their staredown. It was great to see them bonding in the cave because goodness knows Jack could use some warmth and kindness for once. I was surprised the wolf didn’t play a part in Jack’s attack on the assassins, so perhaps he still has a role to play. But given John Wick’s rise as the next big thing in the action movie genre, I can’t help but fear for the fate of Samurai Wolf.Jack’s takedown of the assassins was spectacular. The chase through the snowstorm allowed Tartakovsky and his team to create some visually stunning moments as the characters moved atop a snow-white canvas. That Jack lured them onto a narrow tree branch hanging over a cliff was a stroke of genius, knowing that he could easily dispatch them if they were forced to fight him one-on-one. That he voluntarily dropped the spiked club, luring them into a false sense of security, was beyond badass.The sound design of this episode was, once again, incredible. Dialogue is sparsely used, letting the sounds of the environment -- rushing water, insect chirps, pounding footsteps -- do all the talking. The music always kicks in at just the right moment, accenting the mood of any given scene.The strength of this show is clear when you consider how it takes you on an intense emotional rollercoaster, delivers insane action scenes, and leaves you covered in sweat dying to know what happens next... all in 22 minutes.