Episode
                  46: Milliardo's Decision 
                  Airing Date
                  2000-05-08

            Hamlet had a problem making up his mind. Milliardo Peacecraft is 
            downright decisive. Our buddy who also goes by the moniker Zechs 
            Merquise has several choices in this riveting episode and none of 
            them are easy slam-dunkers. Yet Milliardo wastes no time in 
            rendering his decision. First he's faced with an incredible number 
            of Earth forces approaching the Space Fortress Libra, then he's held 
            at gunpoint by Heero Yuy, later still he's called out to a duel by 
            adversary Treize Khushreneda and finally those Earth forces attack 
            the Libra. Through it all, Zechs is The Man with the Plan. What's 
            the plan, you wonder? Oh, nothing too offbeat. Just wage an 
            intergalactic battle between the forces of Earth and outer space, 
            place the whole of humanity on the verge of extinction, all for the 
            hope of bringing about total pacifism. Say what? 
            His logic might not be terribly sound but you've got to give Zechs 
            credit -- at least he's confident in his wacky game plan. It's worth 
            noting that in an episode that's completely devoid of action scenes 
            -- which is a rarity in this series -- the tension is palpable and 
            the goings-on riveting. As usual, the only negative is the wooden 
            dialogue. "I fight because I love the earth." It's as if all the 
            characters speak in bumper sticker simplicity. "You are my sworn 
            enemy." "Honk if you like total pacifism." Whatever. In these last 
            few episodes leading to the conclusion, all the divergent characters 
            come together to either clash or join forces. The differing 
            plotlines line up and we hope (at the very least) we'll be offered 
            some closure to this massive canvas that's been carefully laid out 
            before us in the preceding forty plus episodes. 
            Also worth noting is the somewhat muted reunion between Heero and 
            Relena. For all the sighing that these two do when they think of 
            each other -- which seems to be all the time -- their reconciliation 
            is about as warm as a December afternoon in Anchorage. Later, while 
            Heero uses the information that Hildy stole from the Libra to locate 
            Zechs, they each take turns professing their admiration for each 
            other at the expense of themselves. Heero actually says, "I've said 
            it before. I am nothing compared to you." Maybe this is just me, but 
            when you want to impress a girl, maybe you could try complimenting 
            her shoes or something. Making yourself sound like a total loser 
            usually doesn't work for me. But then again, maybe the rules are 
            different for Gundam pilots. 

                  Honk if you like Gundam. 
            Finally, there's the little matter of Lady Une's remarkable 
            recovery. The chick jumps out of her coma, straps on a Mobile Suit 
            and zooms into outer space to save Treize from the Libra's main 
            laser cannon. The episode ends as the two reunite (with a good deal 
            more emotion than Heero and Relena) as the entire Earth forces move 
            in on the Libra. Perhaps the Earth forces will knock on the Libra's 
            outer hull with stinging lines like, "Our Leo Suits are nothing 
            compared to your laser cannon." In the After Colony years, 
            anything's possible. 

            --Ross Brooks, who is nothing compared to IGN's loyal readers.