Episode 11

Episode Information
Episode #11
Title 1: {{{japanese_title_k}}} {{{japanese_title_r}}} {{{japanese_title_e}}} Title 2: In the Still Darkness
Written By	Hideaki Anno, Yoji Enokido
Directed By	Tetsuya Watanabe
First Aired	12-13-1995
Video Release Date	{{{video_release}}}
Angel Appearances	Matarael
Episode chronology
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"Episode 10"	"Episode 12"

Overview

When sabotage knocks out the power at Nerv HQ., the personnel must scramble to launch the Evas manually when an Angel appears. But will the pilots even arrive in time?

Synopsis

The episode opens as Ritsuko, Maya, and Shigeru Aoba, are doing their laundry. They then board a train and meet Vice Commander Fuyutsuki, who complains that he must meet with the city council that day, even though they are just figureheads and the Magi supercomputers make the actual decisions. He also mentions that Ritsuko will be conducting an activation test on Unit-00 that day.

At Nerv HQ, Misato boards an elevator. Kaji runs after her, and despite her pushing the "close" button, joins her. At this time Shinji calls Gendo to tell him that he needs a permission slip signed for a class function. Gendo starts to tell him that all those parental duties have been delegated to Misato when they are suddenly cut off. On the elevator, Misato and Kaji realize that there has been a power failure and speculate that Ritsuko might have caused it during the Unit-00 test. In the lab, Ritsuko denies responsibility. Fuyutsuki orders all the emergency power channeled to the Magi and Central Dogma.

Shinji, Asuka and Rei arrive at Nerv and find that their cards won't work to open the gate. Inside, Gendo and Fuyutsuki realize that the power must have been sabotaged. Just then, Matarael, the spider-like (but see link) 9th angel launches his attack.

The pilots try to call into HQ but are unsuccessful. Misato can't call out of the elevator as well. Meanwhile, a group of generals wonders why Nerv hasn't launched the Evas. Ritsuko and Maya must climb a maintenance ladder to get to the control room. Rei finally thinks to consult her emergency manual; the other pilots follow suit and they realize that they need to get to headquarters. Asuka declares herself leader and chooses Shinji to crank open the doors manually.

Hyuga, who had been picking up Misato's laundry, hears the evacuation order and confiscates a politician's loudspeaker van and heads to Nerv HQ. On the elevator, Kaji tries unsuccessfully to flirt with Misato. In the control room, Gendo, Fuyutsuki, and Ritsuko decide that the purpose behind the sabotage must have been to learn how they would react to it. Meanwhile, under Asuka's leadership, they pilots have got themselves lost. Hyuga passes above them in the van, informing everyone within earshot of the attack, but they are unable to get his attention. Rei points out a short cut and they begin crawling through an air vent. Shinji tries to speculate on the nature of the Angels, but Asuka thinks that the question is pointless; if they're attacking, they must be enemies. Asuka then leads them up the wrong path again, opens a door and has a face to face encounter with Matarael. Hyuga reaches the control room and informs them of the Angel's attack. Confident that the pilots will arrive on time, Gendo orders the Evas prepared for a manual launch.

Thanks to Rei, the pilots are on the right path once again. Asuka accuses Rei of being the favored pilot, which Rei denies. They begin crawling through a duct once again. Asuka orders Shinji not to look forward and gives him a swift kick to the face when he disobeys. They finally come crashing out of the vents into the Eva launch area. Shinji and Asuka landing in a heap, Rei nimbly landing on her feet. They find the Evas nearly ready for launch. Shinji looks on in awe as he sees a side of his father he has never seen before. Gendo is diligently working beside everyone else to insert the entry plugs by hand with a pulley.

The three pilots launch and craw into a large horizontal shaft to try to come underneath the Angel. But when they climb into the vertical shaft they realize that Matarael is trying to burn his way into Nerv with highly corrosive acid. They scramble into a side shaft, losing their guns in the process. Asuka comes up with a daring plan:

One Eva will be on defense and will block the acid and neutralize the Angel's A.T. Field. The backup Eva will drop to the bottom of the shaft and toss one of the guns to the offense Eva who will open fire as the defense Eva dodges back into the horizontal shaft. Rei volunteers for defense, but Asuka has reserved that role for herself and gives Rei the backup role. Shinji will be offense. The plan works perfectly and Matarael is destroyed. The power is restored, and Kaji and Misato, who had been trying to climb out of the elevator, fall into a heap, similar to Shinji and Asuka falling out of the shaft. As the episode ends, Shinji once again speculates about the Angels' motives; Asuka thinks that such speculation is meaningless.

Notes

• As Ritsuko, Maya and Aoba do their laundry at the same laundromat, it would seem that they live near each other.

• Blooper alert!! Watch for the shot of the general putting out his cigarette. It disappears before your very eyes.

• After two episodes of the red close, the blue close is back.

Analysis

• Curiously, when Fuyutsuki mentions the Magi, Maya replies, "You mean the three supercomputers?," as if they are something she's only heard of. Actually, she works with them every day.

Quotes

• Ritsuko Akagi: (After the power goes out while she's conducting a test) "...It wasn't me."
• Rei Ayanami: "Man fears the darkness, and so he scrapes away at the edges of it with fire."