Code Geass Episode 22.

I watched this twice; I think it didn’t sink in the first time. Because it was mad, and I had to pause and just breath. I'm still pretty speechless, so, uh. (Pictures in this post aren't mine, [except the last one] as I didn't really feel like taking screenshots myself. I found them here.)

It begins with Suzaku thanking Euphemia for what she's done.

They are holding a sort of ceremony to make the Special Administrative Zone of Japan official. Everyone is waiting for Zero to show up, since he and the Order of the Black Knights aim for this as well. He shows up in his Knightmare, together with C.C. who controls it for him.

 

"I won't. You will shoot me."

When he gets down he and Euphemia have a talk alone, where he tells her she's a big idiot for being so reckless. He initially plans to use the Geass on her and make him shoot her, so that when she does she will be deemed a traitor and therefore all the Japanese will once again turn against her and Britannia.

Outside, Suzaku sees C.C. and recognizes her. Walking up to her, he asks why she is with Zero. C.C. trails off while saying that, "Does this mean he is...?" (Gracious, he is what? What? The suspense is killing me.)

 

C.C. in the Knightmare, before Suzaku sees her.

In the course of this conversation, C.C. suffers from a sudden headache. Where he is, Lelouch also suffers from the same thing and he wards off Euphemia when she tries to help him.

 

Lelouch and Euphemia finally agree.

In the end Euphemia convinces Lelouch to cooperate with her anyway, and all is supposed to be well until Lelouch suddenly jokes about how she or anyone else won't be able to turn his command down if he's really serious about it. As if to prove his point, he tells her something along the lines of, "...Or I can even ask you to kill all the Japanese..."

And then all hell breaks loose.

His Geass has been activated without his knowing it, and Euphemia, acting upon the command, runs to the stage and asks all the Japanese to die - to commit suicide. But then she realizes it's impossible, so she tells all of the Britannian army close by to kill them. When they don't do as she orders, she shoots (with the ceramic gun that Lelouch was waving around while they were talking) at a random man in front of the audience and shows she means business.

 

Euphemia herself killing a Japanese.

(I found it creepy, actually.)

Of course the army at her command are very obedient, and they do as she says and kills every Japanese around.

Suzaku is incredulous that Euphemia could have ordered the murder of all the Japanese. Cornelia and Schneizer are equally shocked by the turned of events, and Cornelia decides to go to the battlefield herself.

Lelouch is horrified by what happened. He goes back to where C.C. is, and when she tells him he didn't expect for him to go so far, he tells her he didn't mean to do it. She seems surprised, carefully studying his expression and explanation.

 

C.C. looking at Lelouch.

Lelouch realizing the magnitude of holding the Geass at his command... 

or being held by the Geass at its command.

 

Lelouch giving the command to the Order of the Black Knights.

 

Back in the Knightmare, Lelouch once again assumes the role of Zero and orders the Order of the Black Knights to attact, as it turned out that Euphemia was an enemy.

I like the episode, despite the carnage in it. Although I knew something had to be done to turn everything to Lelouch's favor in the end, I didn't expect something like the Geass being permanent. I'm not too fond of the plot twist (Lelouch was just joking, c'mon), but I guess it worked, since they also showed a scene where Lelouch's father (where he exactly is, I have no idea) laughs as he watches the events unfold, commenting, "This kid has finally done it."

It seems like there's more to the Geass and C.C. than meets the eye. I wonder how everything will be wrapped up in three more episodes.