Spice and Wolf II - Episode 12 (Completed)

Just as Lawrence's deal seemed to be going so swimmingly (for once), so everything suddenly threatened to fall apart in the climax to Spice and Wolf II's penultimate episode, with a revolt instigated by the town's fur traders in the wake of the announcement of the fifty-man meeting's results.

While blood is being spilled and fires burn all over, Fruhl is confident that the deal can still be done and so carries on as before; Lawrence on the other hand is still clearly having doubts on account of the true nature of the statue he saw last episode - Doubts that Horo quickly picks up on, but Lawrence point blank refuses to tell her about. Furthermore, his suggestion that she's in a win-win situation no matter what he does results in a (quite deserved if you ask me) slap from Horo... The beginning of a long episode of violence against our favourite merchant.


Once Horo is given away as insurance as that particular part of the deal, Lawrence confronts Fruhl and so the whole truth of the matter comes out, from her plans through to her reasoning for it. Come the end of it all, it seems that Lawrence is left alone and without any money, but Fruhl does at least come good on one part of her end of the deal, leaving him the deeds for the old man's inn.

So, does Lawrence accept those deeds gracefully and set up shop in town? Of course not... Instead, he uses the deeds to effectively buy back Horo, and despite some more physical violence against the hapless chap normal service is resumed come the end of the episode, and indeed the series. Well, not quite normal service, as Lawrence finally gets to voice his true feelings in some emotional scenes towards the end of the episode.

You know, at first glance I actually too sure what to make of this final instalment of Spice and Wolf II - Perhaps it's because I was actually nervous as to how it would all end, envisioning a tale of death and sorrow, but in the end such nerves were banished by a climax that leaves the door well and truly open for a third season; a result which I certainly have no qualms about. However, after sitting down for a few minutes and letting my memory of the episode wash over me, I'm starting to realise that it was in fact yet another brilliant example of Lawrence and Horo's relationship at work. To see Lawrence actually express (and arguably actually properly realise) his feelings was a great moment in itself, that was thrown into the mix in the kind of understated fashion you'd expect from him, while Horo's flustered and emotional responses before she eventually reigned herself in were priceless.

Perhaps this isnt the ending I'd have chosen personally (simply because I hadn't really thought of it working out this way for some reason), but overall it was a great end to an absolutely brilliant series, and anything which gives me hope of being regaled once again with the joys of Horo, Lawrence and some decidedly confusing economics can only be hailed as a good thing.