Episode
                  4: The Victorian Nightmare 
                  Airing Date
                  2000-03-09

            Like a great race car that starts slowly to build toward its top 
            speed, Gundam Wing is finally beginning to rev its engines and show 
            us what it's capable of. "The Victorian Nightmare" slyly slips into 
            gear, takes a corner and hits the gas. It has great action, 
            intriguing politics, unrequited love and, best of all, very little 
            of Miss Relena and her petty (and inexplicable) infatuation with 
            Heero Yuy. We learn more about the machinations behind the 
            mysterious Romefeller Foundation and even get a peek behind the 
            proverbial mask that perpetually covers Zechs Merquise's face. 
            What's more, we're given the chance to see pure rage in Chang 
            Wufei's face as he takes on a pack of wild dogs -- or are they 
            wolves? -- and win. You don't get this kind of stuff with Pokemon, 
            do you? 
            In short order we're introduced to Lucrezia Noin, former classmate 
            of Zechs from the Lake Victoria Military Academy and now the head 
            trainer at the Lake Victoria Military Base. Noin also has a soft 
            spot in her cockpit for Mr. Merquise. She's even got a picture frame 
            filled with cut out photos of Zechs from their school days together. 
            Chang Wufei, he of the pulled back hair and angry stares, attacks 
            the Victoria base in order to destroy as many Taurus Space Mission 
            Mobile Suits as possible. He's successful, too. He even has the 
            opportunity to insult Miss Noin, telling her that women aren't equal 
            to the task of fighting him. Ouch. 
            Elsewhere, Defense Minister Dorlan argues that the Alliance has no 
            reason to assume that the five Gundams represent the wishes of the 
            populations of the Space Colonies. He's overruled, though, by the 
            military men who desire a prolonged conflict with the inhabitants of 
            space. Money and ego, it seems, still drive powerful men in the 
            future. Too bad. 
            Heero and Duo work to repair their respective Gundams. Heero 
            accomplishes his task, though, by taking replacement parts from 
            Duo's Gundam. He races off to destroy a shipment of Gundanium alloy. 
            Finally we witness a strange scene -- Quatre plays his violin, Trowa 
            joins him on the flute and together they play a nifty little disco 
            ditty. Oh yeah, Zechs invites Noin to work "beside him" to defeat 
            the Gundams. 

                  I can't see my motivation with this thing on. 
            What was cool about this episode was the fast pace and lack of long, 
            drawn out scenes where very little happens. Compared to the previous 
            episode, "5 Gundams Confirmed," this puppy felt like it took half 
            the time to get where it was going yet it delivered twice the 
            information. That we like. 
            So what was the deal with Wufei and those wolves? Who knows. Maybe 
            he's part wolf himself. It'd explain the fact that we've yet to see 
            him truly with anyone. Even Heero has nominally accepted Duo's help. 
            Wufei's as much a mystery as why these five young pilots don't know 
            each other when it appears their missions are the same. Perhaps the 
            next full moon will bring some answers to our many questions. Or 
            perhaps not. 

            --Ross Brooks is part sloth.