Welcome all to another episode of Spice and Wolf Season 2! I’m a bit busy this week, writing a lot of reviews, but that’s no excuse. Let’s jump in!
This is an interesting week of Spice and Wolf for me. It does something completely new by having Lawrence and Holo try to completely avoid conflict, avoid trade! This is rather novel and it’s nice to see the pair interacting so much after the feud last arc. But at the same time they are avoiding conflict, avoiding trade, avoiding… action. And that leaves the arc in a strange place. It’s not boring, because Holo and Lawrence have a great back and forth, but its also not exciting or thrilling. There’s not any sort of arch or story to follow in this town. It just feels like a way point, a pit stop, onto greater things. Maybe that will change as they interact with Rigolo and Eve makes her move! But so far it’s moving just a tad to slowly for my taste.
As for what I did enjoy lets talk about Holo and Lawrence! Again their back and forth is great, yadda yadda, you’ve heard it before. I want to talk specifically about the alley way and how much it has to enjoy. There’s the obvious in their direct dialogue, mentions of “Your soul is tinged my color”, “Counting [men] as she sleeps” etc. It’s all very cleverly written but what makes really work for me is the subtext, the topic, of their conversation: Jealousy. How they are not only mature enough to openly talk about it but they tell each other how they feel through their witty retorts. Opening up about their insecurities, asking how such knowledge would make the other feel, questioning them via the split in the road, etc. I think it’s a really well put together scene and one of my favorites of the season so far.
This brings us to Rigolo, the “Mark” of this arc! I can only hope he’s half the man Mark is by the end. So far he seems rather nice! He enjoys talking to them, lends them books and doesn’t seem to have any kind of ulterior motive. He isn’t a doormat either, being perfectly willing to take shots and banter. If anything he just seems to want people to talk to about something other than trade! My hope for him is that as Holo and Lawrence’s research comes to the fore we get to spend more and more time inside his gorgeous home. Have a little game of him trying to find out who/what Holo is while they figure out where to go, etc. All in a good natured manner of course! I’d rather not have Rigolo become another Fermi, especially not with Eve filling that role already.
That’s right everyone, just as I expected Eve seems to be up to no good. It was rather obvious, what with the whole “Deal with the devil over an open fire” scene. But asking to buy Holo outright? Whether it be slavery or sex-trafficking, that’s a level I wasn’t prepared for. Maybe I’m misunderstanding things and we will learn more as we go. That she just wants Holo to pose for a statue or to help her sell them, something like that. But if so then Eve really needs to learn how start a conversation better! Whatever the case here, it’s clear that Eve is in town to make money and doesn’t care if she rips off Lawrence in the process. My main concern here though is the innkeeper. He seemed a trustworthy guy and hearing that he will be leaving with Eve… Makes me concerned for our leads safety.
All in all I would say that this episode was fine. I loved the alley scene, probably my favorite of the season like I said. But the stuff at Rigolo’s house, the inn, etc, none of it feels like its progressing anything. At least not yet. I expect that Spice and Wolf will elaborate on both Eve and Rigolo in the remaining 3 episodes. A slow burn if you will, exactly like last arc with Fermi was. Whether or not the payoff is worth it we will have to wait and see. Does that sound like a noncommittal judgement? I suppose it could be. I’m trying watch Spice and Wolf how it wants to be watched, a feel good show you sit down to when you want to, instead of the regular stuff I enjoy: Week-to-week action thrillers. Basically I’m trying to learn patience. Hopefully it pays off.
