Pop Culture Panda: Digimon TRI part one Reunion episode 3

We last left our Digidestined at the airport, wanting a lift and being creeped on by the unknown Digimon. One of them, anyway. Now they're in a car with the mysterious lady in a carpool that doesn't seem legal OR safe.

Admitedly, this is pretty cute. Patamon is sitting in Takeru's hat? Gatomon is in a food coma and Agumon has clearly stolen someone's sunglasses.

They discuss where Joe is and the fact that both they and the MIB seem to have lost Gomamon.
Koushiro is caught looking at Mimi and looks away blushing furiously. Mimi coyly calls him out on it but Koushiro quickly deflects the attention by reminding Mimi that Tai is supposed to pay for an airfare. Tai suffers a minor anxiety attack but Mimi just laughs as she's here for a while anyway. This causes the entire gang to have an anxiety attack.

While studying, Joe catches a news headline about the incident at the airport. A silent flashback shows that he shoved off the MIB and that's why he wasn't at the battle. Gomamon has somehow gotten to Joe's house without a car or the gang. Gee, good thing Joe hadn't moved house in however many years since Gomamon saw him last. Despite not wanting to get distracted from his study, Joe grabs Gomamon in an emotional hug while some asshole Digimon runs around outside.

The next morning everyone watches the news and are disturbed to see that everyone is treating the good Digimon as if they were the enemy. To be fair though, what would you think if you saw a bunch of massive beasts fighting and destroying stuff? Mrs Yagami does not shiv at all, and cheers up the companions by letting them know that they're just misunderstood.

Matt is waiting for Tai at school, wanting to discuss the news. They overhear a classmate's father was hospitalised as a result of the airport attack. They try to find Nishijima, to ask him some questions but instead find Mimi, who has enrolled in their school and 'forgotten' to tell them. Hi-jinks are bound to ensue here guys! She's with, but does not know, some random girl who sneezes and then runs away blushing. That's just going to garner you more attention, you weirdo. Next time, just say 'Bless me!'
It wasn't even as if it was a huge sneeze either.

Mimi asks Koushiro to escort her to their class, and Sora is left to drive an ice pick into some sore spots, telling both Tai and Matt that she heard the game and the concert were postponed. Uh.. really? You think? The boys are both like, uh, yeah, okay whatever and walk off. Sora's left there like whaaat? But I don't know what she expected, another double invite shenanigans?

Gross sneeze girl is in Tai and Sora's class and does the shy blushy run away thing again. Later on, Tai overhears someone say they wish the monsters would all die because they're irritating. Tai has to restrain Matt from wailing on them. It's normally the other way around and Matt is cranky and confused about this. Tai reiterates that there's no point in them getting upset and then stops the seniors from wailing on Matt. Sora is always watching and Sora is pissed about it.

Tai and Matt act like naughty school boys that have just been caught but try to play it off as 'nothing. It doesn't fly past Sora's bullshit radar and she calls a meeting. After school they all catch up by the lake and Mimi graces Joe with a exuberant hug (and obligatory gummi snacks).

Koushiro determines that the gate to the Digital World has been closed off, Takeru confirms his Digivice was malfunctioning. The radio disturbances and network issues are further proof that something's going down for real. Kari tunes Koushiro's rant out and asks Tai about his teacher. Mimi joins in and discusses the news. Matt says he will ask his dad to make a ... hahaha... complaint against the media.. hahahaha oh good one Matt. This isn't tabloid shit, they're actually just reporting the news this time.

Tai points this out and the gang look at him like he's taking crazy pills.

Well, except Koushiro who is still jabbering away. Poor Koushiro.

Mimi gets upset and yells out that it would have been worse if Agumon hadn't tried to stop them which is true but it's not what Tai was saying. Matt chimes in that Tai is blaming the good Digimon and it's wrong! Getting all up in Tai's grill about it and not letting him get a word in, perhaps trying to overcompensate for how wrong he was in just standing by when his friend's Digimon was being beaten to a pump and how Tai was nearly next.

Sora tries to play peacemaker but Matt just decides to bitch it out and walk his ass on out. Koushiro is still talking as all this goes on. Tai also leaves. Kari and Takero say they'll try to smooth it out with their respective brothers later on and the group is about to disband when Joe drops a bombshell. This gossip is so huge that even Koushiro reacts.

There follows a bizarre scene where Joe is then grilled about the girlfriend, but not in the usual way, and then the remainder of the group creepily monotone that 'sure, we believe you', which infuriates Joe to no end.

Look at the amount of casual behaviour right here. So legit.

Mimi shuts down talk of the Tai/Matt fight by asking Sora which one she'll choose as they're both so handsome now. Sora chokes on her food and ignores the topic. Their Digimon mock them with their own pretend conversation about types when Sora sees Mei (sneeze girl) walk past and jumps on the distraction.

Tai and Matt inadvertently meet back at school and locate Nishijima who is an Information Strategy Section, Information Management Office Grade 2 Management Officer. He reveals that the Digimon that are coming through are infected and that they got a lot of their information from someone called Gennai.

That 'it' had better just be knowledge, Nishijima.

Random interlude when we discover that Koushiro is buying his clothes online. No special reason. Maybe Mimi. Anyway, being Koushiro he's made his own dress up software.

That had better be online shopping you're talking about!

Which has an interesting definition for casual clothes, incorporating a Captain Jack Sparrow look, a Hogwarts outfit, Shakespearean ruffles and various animal onesies.

Matt can't play his harmonica because he's worried about Tai. Agumon can't enjoy the beach because Tai's pondering.

Matt wonders if they'll all change, Tai knows that Matt hasn't changed and understands why he's upset but confides to Agumon that he's scared. He's really afraid that he could kill someone without meaning too - a valid fear.

Most of the kids meet up at Koushiro's office, and Tentomon strong arms Biyomon and Agumon into a demonstration.

Seems a bit harsh, but last time Koushiro tried to explain something verbally everyone tuned out.

He's made a virtual network to stash the 'mons between jobs.

Verdict:

So they're still pushing the angst between Sora and the boys, and Tai and Matt themselves. This episode seemed to have a lot more to say about Joe but he got severely overlooked and made fun of. Tai is completely and utterly the sole voice of reason in this episode and that's scary. The other kids can't see the other point of view that the world at large is holding and apparently are fine with large amounts of destruction because our Digimon are good. Yes, but NO ONE OUTSIDE YOUR CIRCLE AND THE MIB KNOW THAT! Tai is the one who's been chased, attacked and forced to watch his buddy Agumon take a thrashing while his friends did nothing. Tai was there at nearly all the damaged sites and saw how close people came to death, how close HE came to death.
He's not lacking courage, he's just not sure what to do about the situation. I mean, if the next time your Digimon evolved to fight another monster - maybe someone dies. Maybe someone has died already in the previous attacks. How would you feel, given that some responsibility would weigh on you? Could you do it again? Issue the order for the battle and risk death or injury to others or sit back and do nothing, and still risk death or injury to others? Tai's in-between a rock and a hard place and the story seems to reflect that, and it's pretty thought provoking. It's just a shame that the story doesn't know how to handle the other kids - it gets pretty jumpy at times where it flciks to Takeru and Koushiro biking, then to someone else, then to the girls having a meal and Sora running out to see Mei but there's no follow up... it's very strange to watch, and I feel like there's an issue with the rest of the Digidestined in general because they all seem like apathetic ass-holes right now.