Thursday 20 March 2008

Spice and Wolf - Episode 12

So, here we already, at the penultimate episode of Spice and Wolf, a show which I wasn't expecting to become particularly engrossed in, but which has turned out to be highly engaging.

After so many really rather sedate episodes, we were really due a more action-packed episode, and that's exactly what episode eleven brings us, with Lawrence and Horo, with help from Nora the shepherd, enacting their cunning gold smuggling plan, taking a route which puts them in grave danger of being attacked by, of all things, wolves.

I mentioned last time around that it felt like there was far too much story to be squeezed in before the end of this series' thirteen episode run, and that may well explain why parts of this week's episode felt rather rushed - compared to the leisurely pace we've been used to with this show, there was certainly a determined effort to push on through to the important moments as quickly as possible to leave us with the inevitable cliffhanger. Sadly, this quickening of pace gives us less time to enjoy that wonderful relationship between Horo and Lawrence, although we do get to admire the former's verbal skills when it comes to tying Nora in knots.

Despite the fast pace of this episode, I still don't see how a satisfactory conclusion can be reached in just one more twenty-five minute episode, and I really hope we won't be left with a rushed ending of some kind. It seems almost inevitable now that the door will be left open for a second season of the show (which is certainly no bad thing in my book), but let's cross our fingers that they can give the current storyline an end that does this rather wonderful series justice.

No comments: