While not as strong an outing as the previous episode, this episode does prove to be rather enjoyable in its own right. Unlike the other stories, the investigation here isn't really a top priority for the organization. On the contrary, Robin only finds it because she's assigned to go through some old files of unsolved cases that were unclear as to whether they were witches or not. As she's combing, she finds a case from four months before she arrived, when several murders took place in a park that she frequents.
This episode doesn't have the same X-Files vibe that the previous did, but a lot of emphasis is put on character and it is handled well. Robin seems to be getting along well with many of her co-workers and it is nice to see how they operate off the clock. On a random note, I do find the idea that Amon, the team's resident brooding loner, carpools to work rather hilarious.
I also can't help but wonder why the team never tries other resteraunts. It's not even the fact that the waiter was originally creepy, but it would make things more believable if they occasionally went somewhere else to eat. Even the characters in Friends and Seinfeld went to other places from time to time, despite having their regular hangout spot at a coffee shop.
Robin's poor aim shown in previous episodes is addressed here when Amon gives Robin a pair of glasses. She's perplexed by this as her vision is fine. This is even confirmed in a POV shot where we see that the glasses make things slightly more blurry. It seems to work, in any event, as she is able to hit her target when she puts them on.
This episode is lighter in tone compared to the previous one, but when it wants to be creepy, it succeeds in spades. I think in terms of creepiness, this one takes the cake, even if it wasn't as strong an episode overall. One could find it to be a case of mood whiplash, but I didn't mind it that much.
The antagonist isn't as clearly defined as the one in the previous episode. If it weren't for a couple of lines of dialogue at the end of the episode, we really would've had no knowledge of why she did what she did. Having her bond with Robin early on was an interesting plot point, though that doesn't become as relevant during the final fight as one might expect.
I really could've done without the "social commentary". At a couple of points throughout the episode, some characters pontificate on how some people are worse than witches and how we're not so different, yadda yadda yadda. It's a personal annoyance, I'll admit, but that trope just bugs me.
In any event, this is a rather strong episode. It wasn't pulled off quite as well as the one that came before, but it did a solid job and managed to bring some new material to the table.
Anime fans in the local Wichita area can purchase the series in its entirety on DVD at their local Best Buy or order it online through websites like Amazon.com.
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