★★★★★

This is a TV series not a movie, but I wanted to write about this since I just finished a rewatch.

SAC has 26 episodes, some “stand alone” and some “complex.” The complex episodes follow a central story, the stand alone episodes are, well, stand alone stories. Here’s the cadence of these episodes:

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Three episodes to establish section 9, three episodes to establish the central plot, some alternating episodes follow as new information comes up naturally in the laughing man case, and then we the whole thing goes dead and we get a series of standalone episodes. Then, as if from nowhere, it all comes together in (my opinion) the greatest television finale of all time.

There are so many resonances here - The beginning, middle and ending of the case all flow through Togusa, the member of the team with the fewest mechanical body parts and the most to lose. He’s the only member of the team that has a life outside of work; the only one who is even arguably “alive” in a real sense. The laughing man, who sets the events of the central plot in motion, is a technology expert who is so skilled at hacking and faked reality that he knows the only truth can come from lived, organic experience. The two characters never meet each other directly, but the way they orbit each other forms the human core of the show, a counterpoint to all the technology that pervades their existence, the same technology that is slowly creeping into our own lives.

When the series of standalone episodes ends, there is no new information or reason why the case should be re-examined. But time has passed, lingering thoughts have time to fester, and Togusa finally understands an angle that nobody else has seen. The Major says that his “ghost is finally whispering to [him] too,” as if he’s finally on the same level as the rest of the team. But it’s clear in that moment that he was always thinking about this, even when the show took breaks to wander around the world and explore the themes of its universe.

Want to pause and say. I really hate cop shows, and I can’t stand copaganda. This show is a cop show, and has a lot of the same problems as any other. It’s slightly helpful that section 9 is essentially an internal affairs org, but of course there is plenty to criticize here. I do like that they make the CIA out to be the absolute monsters they are, and anytime they interact with the “American empire” they don’t hold back in saying who holds the power. As far as cop shows made inside the imperial core go, this is about as good as you can make it.

Anyways. Some of the stand alone episodes are not as masterfully crafted as the central story. But the overall pacing is just so extraordinary, that I really believe the sequence and interwoven stories is what elevates this show to a masterpiece. The stand alone episodes are not really stand alone - without them, you couldn’t see the stakes, the depth, or the character that permeates this existence. Time is still marching forwards during these episodes, and you can see revelations that echo throughout the rest of the show.

The original film is also fantastic, the arise OVAs are fine, but this season of the show has my heart. And don’t even bother with 2nd gig, you’ll just get angry.