Monthly Archive for January, 2006

Renton’s departure has caused a significant impact on the Gekko Go, and it’s felt most significantly by Eureka who’s had the closest relationship to him. Not only does she wear his old uniform, but she’s also taken over his task of restocking the shelves. It’s obvious that Holland has been troubled by Renton’s absence as well, but he’s so stubborn that he’ll never admit it to himself or anyone else for that matter. It’s only after receiving a scolding from Talho that he acknowledges that Eureka needs Renton more than anyone else at this point, and if he really wanted to help her, it should be his number one priority to return Renton to the Gekko Go. From the looks of it, Renton will most likely be returning to the ship on his own anyhow. It’s a shame that his ideal family life wasn’t meant to be. Not only did he make the mistake of revealing his famous family name to Charles, but he also revealed the fact that he was a member of the Gekko Go as well. Renton discovers that Ray and Charles were hired by the military to take down the Gekko Go and retrieve the TypeZERO, so he’s been essentially living with his enemies all this time. What a shock and disappointment it must have been for both parties. It doesn’t change the fact that Ray and Charles genuinely did love him as their own son and would like him to continue living with them, but Renton chooses to part with them because of his longing to see Eureka again. He needs her as much as she needs him, and it’s a nice touch at the end to see Holland deciding on his own to bring Renton back for Eureka’s sake. Let’s just hope that he won’t use Renton as his personal punching bag again.

I guess it just wasn’t meant to be for Renton to have a normal family life. While I’m glad that he’s returning to the Gekko Go, I enjoyed seeing him completely happy and content with Ray and Charles. I’m not particularly looking forward to seeing him having to fight his “Mama and Papa” because I’m sure it’ll put him in an awkward position. I really liked hearing the advice that Charles gave to Renton, though: “Freedom is something you have to fight for, rather than something you’re given. Being free means being prepared to carry that burden.” Perhaps that bit of information will help Renton to understand the insurmountable amount of pressure that Holland has to face on a daily basis to have the freedom to live the way he wants to. Apologies once again for another rushed entry! I am desperately trying to catch up to the recent episodes with the limited time that I have on the computer.

Renton gets his personal belongings stolen in the middle of the night while sleeping on a public bench, but his luck improves the next day when he meets Ray and Charles during a morning rave in the park. It’s true that Charles may very well have ulterior motives for befriending Renton, but at least he’s nice to him in the meantime, and Renton is truly grateful for the kindness. He’s so used to Holland beating him up and treating him like a second class citizen that he welcomes the warmth emanating from this gentleman who’s treating him like an actual human being. Their conversation is cut short, however, when a strong earthquake occurs and gigantic tree-like trunks spring up from the earth below. With nowhere else to go, Renton decides to stay with the two of them on their ship, and it’s a wise decision that he won’t regret. He learns from talking to Charles that he should think for himself and base his opinions on his own experiences rather than relying solely on biased information from magazines and other sources. Renton blindly believed in everything that was written in ray=out because he admired Holland and his accomplishments, but he’s since learned that his former idol isn’t such an admirable man after all and is learning to think highly of another male role model instead. Renton is clearly in seventh heaven when he gets to ride along with Charles in his LFO during an emergency delivery mission, and he’s simply amazed that his LFO doesn’t require a board to ride the Trapar waves. Charles tells him that with an LFO, it’s not whether you have a board, but whether or not you can ride. He brilliantly engages in battle with three enemy LFOs simultaneously and completes his mission unscathed. He’s clearly better than Holland, and Renton is obviously impressed with his amazing piloting skills.

Oh man, Ray picked an amazing catch of a man. Not only is a he an amazing pilot, but his confidence is undeniably sexy as well. I love his interaction with Renton because he treats him like his own son, and it’s so nice to see our young protagonist happy and smiling again. In fact, it’s the happiest he’s felt all his life because he finally has an opportunity to live with a complete family of his own. Remember that dream that he had in episode 16 where he dreamt of a happy family? I think his longing for a happy and loving family has finally come true, and it’s all he’s ever wanted in life. Since he couldn’t get the love and support he needed on the Gekko Go, he’s finally found it here with this fun-loving couple. I really hope that this happiness will last for Renton, but I have a sinking feeling that it won’t. It isn’t fifty episodes for nothing, and I’m sure he’ll be seeing a fuming Holland again in the near future. Also, it looks like something ominous may have happened to Grandpa Thurston. Why is his garage for sale, and why is Dominic investigating his property? Just what is hidden in there that is capturing the interest of the military? These episodes just keep getting better and better, and I’m not complaining one bit.