Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 - Episode 4

For the past week, I've been on the edge of my seat waiting for the next instalment of Code Geass R2, hugely eager to see just how Lelouch manages to turn his predicament with Rollo around.

While the storyline doesn't disappoint in many ways, episode four of Code Geass R2 feels a little convoluted even by its own standards, with the Chinese Embassy situation getting a little complicated and Lelouch's ability to find out as much as he does about Rollo seemingly left not particularly well explained. On top of that, we once again see a tactic from the first series recycled, which takes a little sheen away from Lelouch's normal tactical genius - not that there's anything wrong with reusing tactics, mind you.

Overall then, this has perhaps been the weakest episode of Code Geass' return so far, although even so it would be harsh to label it as 'bad' per se. There's still a joy to be had from watching Zero's show boating and Lelouch's smart thinking as the episode progresses, and we also get an entire episode without any Kallen fan service at all. It's going to take a lot to stop me loving this show, and the plot progression in this episode has made things very interesting when it comes to seeing what happens next, but after the absolutely rip-roaring tension of episode three this week's instalment just felt a little bit flat.