Neon Genesis Evangelion: An Angel's Invasion / Liliputian Hitcher First Watch

July 10, 2019 6:52 PM - Season 1, Episode 13

During a simulation plug experiment, an Angel with the ability to mimic computer circuitry manages to invade the MAGI supercomputer system and trigger a self-destruct sequence. Ritsuko delves into the system's inner workings and leads a furious attempt to cancel the process.

Fly Me To The Moon - Episode 13 version

EvaGeeks episode entry (note: Spoilers!)

posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit (7 comments total)

I have no idea what Ritsuko actually did up in mom’s brain there, it was a pure technobabble exercise. The post-it notes were great, though.

Was this contamination with Angel nanomachines targeted or is it just ambient in the world now like bacteria? If it was targeted, do they have human accomplices?

I’m glad they did a lot less with the naked children than I might have feared, but weird that they had them take their clothes off in the first place since it seems to have had no bearing on the plot.
posted by rodlymight at 8:19 PM on July 10, 2019

There's so much about the plot of this episode that makes no sense, but I love it anyway? Angels can be computer viruses now, and we're only halfway through the show!
posted by tobascodagama at 5:19 AM on July 11, 2019 [1 favorite]

I love the worldbuilding in this show: The Magi are three supercomputers that control the city and have Ritsuko's mom's brain in them. What part of that don't you understand?

Also, like tobascogagama says, what even is an Angel? Seems like they needed to have one of those red ball cores, but I guess not now? Or is Angel kind of like "communist" or "terrorist" - a convenient label to apply to any threat?
posted by Rock Steady at 6:44 AM on July 11, 2019 [2 favorites]

Well, Angels are identified within the show as being Pattern Blue (roughly analogous to a blood type). I can't say much more or link to a site without spoiling some details. But when NERV does its initial analysis of a threat, the Blue pattern is what makes them sure that something is an Angel.
posted by fiercecupcake at 7:01 AM on July 11, 2019 [5 favorites]

I know there's all kinds of weird stuff with Ritsuko and her mom and what the show does with them, and the only three facets of a personality being 'mom', 'sexual being,' 'logical being' is whack when it's pretty backed up by the rest of the show's treatment of women and girls. THAT SAID, I love Ritsuko and her mom and have since I watched this as a teen, I don't understand this episode much but I love that she's not even a character yet and we get such a deep look at her through Ritsuko, I love how this show gets so deep into relationships between people and exploring a person through someone else's experience of them.
posted by gaybobbie at 11:25 AM on July 11, 2019 [6 favorites]

So a Pribnow box is a thing in genetics. But the one in Tokyo-3 contains three headless Eva simulacrum, is filled with a mixture of water and heavy water, and contains laser-wielding death robots. Plus whatever they're doing creeps the fuck out of some of the NERV staff.

I'm sure that'll be fine. Everything's fine here. This is fine.

Also, the Magi have gone from a weird off-hand reference to a thing the size of a small car with actual brains you can hack into with an angle grinder. What worldbuilding!
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 12:25 PM on July 11, 2019 [5 favorites]

It's the exciting hacking episode!!!! With micro machines! OK, not that kind, but that's the first thing that came to mind when Ritsuko called the nano-angels "micro machines" :)

Apaprently inspired by Michael Crichton's The Andromeda Strain, with extraterrestrial microorganisms.

The post-it notes were great, though.

Actual, physical coding comments!

According to EVA Geeks wiki (beware spoilers), the three Magi are:

Magi-1: Melchior: Dr. Naoko Akagi as a scientist;
Magi-2: Balthasar: Dr. Naoko Akagi as a mother;
Magi-3: Casper: Dr. Naoko Akagi as a woman.

Which is more mixed Christian imagery (Biblical Magi article on Wikipedia) -- but I can't tell if the three Magi relate specifically to Dr. Naoko Akagi's three selves for any specific reason.
posted by filthy light thief at 8:13 AM on July 12, 2019 [3 favorites]