So, in this episode Taryn and Akbari have taken over Basra, and the show made their regime look positively Nazi. Don't want to use this term in vain, but the way their new guards burned down the scrolls and what-not can remind one of the Nazis in "Indiana Jones and the Holy Grail" when the Nazis did burn books, and Hitler was present there. Here, of course, it's Taryn who's the chief villain, revealing herself in the last quarter of the episode, with Akbari being nothing but her puppet.
Since Taryn is the most awesome villain in Sinbad, and Akbari gets killed by her in this episode, let's talk about them and their villainy, first. Akbari redeems himself before he dies, revealing that revenge and despair are not exactly evil and that evil itself is mostly straying oneself from goodness. The darkness and light connotations here are obvious but they also bring back the parable of the sheep lost in the wilderness; oh Gunnar, when will you let your Christian faith come into light? After all, when in the beginning of the episode you kicked the guards' ass, you were so the warrior monk that friar Tuck would be so proud of you!
Speaking of the beginning of the episode, Sinbad still proved himself to be the impulsive jackass that he was in the previous ep - always rushing-in behind thinking. However, by the end of the episode he proved himself to be the master of his emotions and finally freed himself of his curse, by learning how to bind his impulsive nature and how to master his whims - not to be mastered by them.
Nala, for her part, realized what she wants to do in her life - run an underground railroad from Basra to help those who want to escape now-Taryn's oppressive regime. Well, also selfish since Taryn's flaw is that she's willing to do any villainy to get what she wants, regardless of who gets caught underfoot. And since Nala is more level-headed than Sinbad is (or was?) she won't get caught until the next-to-last/last episode when Sinbad and his crew will arrive to rescue her and Basra.
Speaking of Basra, yes, I understand, that from this episode on Taryn's rule is going to be contrasted with the late Emir's more benevolent rule, until Sinbad comes to return Basra to normal. But, I honestly cannot imagine the deceased as a good lord (i.e. baron, if you will) - that bald buffoon was so obsessed with his dream that he didn't see what was going on under his nose until it was too late. Ah well, it all just means that Sinbad will look all the better once he'll ascend to the throne.
Speaking of looking better, Anwar has finally gotten his big boy pants when he rescued Rina - well, not exactly. Rina has rescued herself, but in this case it was the thought that counted because Anwar could've stayed at home and went back to the university, and generally collaborated with the regime until he got arrested or whatever. But he didn't - even though the life he talked about on the ship was all a lie - and now he may actually be winning Rina's heart (and hand in marriage, eventually). All he now needs to do is to prove to himself (and maybe to others) that yes, he is a doctor and to do that he has to cure somebody, or to dress their wounds, or something that medically important.
Finally, we get another clue that the Cook is magically/mystically tied to the ship: as his head turns left and right, so does the ship's figurehead. Does that make him some sort of a djinn or a spirit? Maybe the future episodes will reveal that.
So, Akbari is dead and the season's plot is half-way done; Taryn is in charge; Sinbad finally grew-up, and so did Anwar, but Anwar also now is beginning to have a relationship with Rina; Nala realized who she wants to be and is living her dream; Gunnar kicked ass and will probably become a monk; and the Cook is in a relationship with the ship, or is the ship, take your choice. All in all, this was a good episode and I enjoyed it.
PS: The props used at Akbari's coronation, etc, were very impressive and authentic-looking.
PPS: The shadow tentacle monster(s) wasn't that bad either.
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