WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Episode 23 of Attack on Titan: The Final Season, "Sunset," now streaming on Funimation, Crunchyroll & Hulu.
Chaos has fallen upon Paradis Island. The Jeagerists are taking control of the military, Annie has awoken from her sleep, Armin races to save Falco, and civilians everywhere are dying from the Rumbling. People are taking sides, causing division amongst the Elidan people, and somehow, Hange and Levi survived during all of this. What does all this mean for the final episodes of Attack on Titan?
The events of this episode were scattered, and for a good reason, it made the experience chaotic similar to what is happening in the show. In general, the show is seeing people choosing sides once again; for the Eldians on Paradis Island, they must decide to respect Eren's choice or hate him for the deaths he's caused. While in Marley, the lower class Eldians must fight back to survive or surrender to their Marleyan masters. Besides these events, a couple of sense is essential for setting up the final episodes.
"Sunset"
As mentioned before, so much happens during this episode, but there are still some key points to keep in mind. The first is that Annie has woken up due to Eren erasing all the hardening. Hitch is the one who finds Annie; after fighting for a bit, Hitch agrees to help Annie escape; in return, Annie won't transform. During their escape, Annie reveals that she could hear Armin and the others talking to her. She appreciated it, and the time spent allowed Annie to realize that she doesn't want to fight anymore. All she wants is to return to her adoptive father as she promised him.
While all this is happening, the Eldians in Marley plead with the guards to let them leave. There was no point in keeping them anymore because the Rumbling was coming. The soldiers believed this was a massive rebellion and started arresting all the Eldians. Only Annie's father remembers Annie's promise and fights back. Unsurprisingly it isn't just the Elidians creating a stir. The Jeagerits led by Floch are taking over the military and government.
Carefully avoiding Floch, Armin, and Gabi's race to save Falco, who has woken up with no memories of what has happened. Connie uses this to his advantage, taking Falco to his mother, hoping to turn her back into a human. So much seems lost; now, the Volunteers face the reality that their homes will be destroyed, Civilians are dying because of the Colossal Titans marching through the districts, and somehow Hange and Levi are alive. Instead of facing the Jeagerists, they are faced with Pieck and Magath.
Setting the Scene for the Final Act
The climax of this season is coming in fast, but before the groups can band together and stop the Rumbling, chaos must take over. This is a standard pattern for Attack on Titan; but with this being the final season will the group bounce back? It's hard to tell at the moment with so many of the main characters divided. For example, Armin is battling his worth in the world. He constantly compares himself to Erwin and what he would have done in this situation. No matter what, Armin believes that the wrong choice was made and that he shouldn't have been saved. Now he's attempting to fix this wrong by saving Falco. Of course, as mentioned by Armin himself, saving Falco would also mean that the other Titan shifters might agree for peace. This is hypothetical, but it might work if Gabi and Falco were on Armin's side.
Not all fans will agree with Armin's reasoning. Because Reiner spent years with the group and still betrayed them implies that their loyalties run more profound than what can be reasoned. Connie's mother doesn't deserve the fate that she has been dealt either. Who's to say which should live? Connie has been caring for his mother for years, and he finally has a chance to have her back. Doesn't he deserve to save her? It's a tough call because there is no right or wrong answer.
Taking a step away from Armin, the reintroduction of Annie should have major repercussions going forward. At first, when encountering Hitch, Annie acts like her old self. Then again, spending four years in a frozen dream-like state chances a person. Finally, being released from her cage, Annie wants one thing, and that's to return to her father. Before this, Annie's main goal was to complete her mission while surviving to return to her father. Now Annie seems to realize that the only thing that matters is her one connection, so the fighting, choosing sides, and Titans mean nothing to her. Sounds similar to how Annie was before, but now it would seem that Annie doesn't just want to survive but live to see her father one more time. Sadly, from the looks of things, she might not have that chance.
To re-watch previous episodes and to catch future episodes, fans can stream Attack on Titan on Crunchyroll, Hulu, and Funimation.