WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Episode 19 of Attack on Titan: The Final Season, "Two Brothers," now streaming on Funimation, Crunchyroll & Hulu.
Previously on Attack on Titan, Eren's friends make it out of the cellar, ready to help fight Marley. Having arrived in Beast Titan form, Zeke helped Eren fight the Armored and Jaw Titan. The battle appeared to lean in favor of Paradis, but no one expected Pieck's sneak attack. What does this mean for Eren and the others?
Fans can only assume that Eren will fight his way to his brother's fallen body, hoping to start the rumbling. Mikasa and the others watch while Eren crawls towards the Beast Titan, but Riener can't allow this to happen. Along with this worry is the question of what happened to Commander Hange and Captain Levi. Fans last saw them at the beginning of episode 17, where Hange tossed herself and Levi's body into the nearby river in order to escape the Jeagerists.
"Two Brothers"
The episode starts right after episode 18, with Porco biting Eren's leg, but this doesn't slow him down. Using his hardened fists, Eren crushes Porco, leaving Riener to hold Eren back. During this time, Zeke wakes up and realizes he needs to transform all the people he gave his spinal fluid to, but Colt pleads with Zeke to wait. To provide them with enough time to get Falco away so that he won't hear the scream.
Zeke is conflicted; he understands the need to protect a brother. In a way, he apologizes to Colt before screaming, transforming the infected soldiers around him. Colt holds Falco as he transforms in his final act as a brother. Zeke commands Falco to attack Reiner as a titan, but it's too late. With one last shot, Pieck shoots Zeke, forcing him out of his titan form. Prepared to die, with the threat of the rumbling stopped finally, Riener lets go of his hardening for Falco's Titan. Except for Porco steps in, unable to heal himself, Porco is eaten by Falco.
Angered, Reiner punches Eren only to grab his fist in his mouth and harden his body, trapping Reiner. This, of course, was a diversion for Eren to escape his titan form and grab Zeke's hand. All of Eren's friends fight to help clear the for him, but no one notices Gabi with the gun. In one shot, she shoots Eren's head from his body. Reaching out, Zeke grabs Eren's head, activating the Founding Titan power, transporting Eren and Zeke to the conversion, the place where all paths meet. Here the truth is revealed, Zeke and Eren never fully trusted each other. Zeke planned to use Eren just as much as he was using Zeke. The episode ends with the two facing each other, their wills fighting to control the Founder Titan's ability.
Memories and a Brother's Love
The beginning of this episode was packed with action, despair, and surprises. Fans once again get to see Reiners desire to die, still facing his imposter syndrome and guilt for losing Marcel. Yet every time he believes he has finished his mission, he is stopped. The world of Attack on Titan is cruel; could this mean that Riener's fate is to live with his despair, or will we see a change in him? It's hard to say this early in the season.
Otherwise, the most significant theme in this episode is brothers or, more importantly, brotherly love. The display of love Colt had for his younger brother was supposed to be compared to the relationship between Eren and Zeke. There is evidence that Zeke and Eren care for each other, but this only runs so far. Zeke craves the brotherly relationship he never had, believing his father deprived him of it. He even promises Eren to fix him when using the Founding Titan ability. On the other hand, Eren only sees Zeke as a means to an end. Zeke is the one with royal blood, meaning Eren has to go along with him to use the Founding Titan.
From the sneak, peek of the next episode, "Memories of the Future," fans will inevitably get to see more of this relationship. More so by replaying memories of the past and uncovering the future. Will the theory that all Titan shifters' memories are connected both past and future be revealed? Hopefully, and what happened to Hange and Levi, there is still no evidence or mention of what happened to them. Fans will probably have to wait until the end of the season to find out what happens to Hange and Levi. Everyone will have to wait until next Sunday to watch the new episode.
To rewatch previous episodes and to catch future episodes, fans can stream Attack on Titan on Crunchyroll, Hulu, and Funimation.
