Dr. Nick: Dolls are the central motif of this episode, and Asuka's hatred of doll-like behavior triggers a famous interaction that ultimately contributes to bringing down both Seele's and Gendo's plans.
UrsusArctos: Indeed, Asuka's hatred of doll-like behavior extends to a hatred of Rei. The spotlight on the broken doll looks like moonlight just like the moon opens this sequence. Combined with Rei's own lunar associations, we have both the objects of Asuka's hatred being invoked in one image. Ironically, Asuka's hated "doll" eventually states that she's no puppet and torpedoes Gendo's (and Seele's) plans too!
