Ritsuko looks straight ahead, but at the very end of the cut she glances briefly to the side, at Ikari.
IBUKI (OFF):“1.0...
0.8...”
Kendrix: when you first watch the series, you think that Ritsuko is presented as Mrs. Competent/reason-oriented and are shocked when you finf out what a monster she is, but if you rewatch it, you notice all those jealous looks...
Additional Commentary
thewayneiac: Isn't "monster" more than a little harsh? She's ruthless and willing to do what it takes to get her job done. She goes off the deep end starting in Ep. 23 of course, but with good reason. But I can't really see her throttling a 4 year old child like her mother did.
Kendrix: I don't really dislike her because of the "harsh measures/doing her job" thing, everyone in NERV has their moments. But after that smile in ep 23, I couldn't help but feel creeped out. That's when I realized that the reasonable, somewhat cool and more or less nice person we got to see during the rest of the series helping her young assistant and worrying about the children and Misato was as fake as her hair color. It just creeped me out and her comments in 24 just made it worse... yes, she didn't kill any little girls, but Naoko at least showed some regret/killed herself afterwards - Ritsuko vents her Anger at the clones with a very, very uncanny smile on her face
Yes, in the end, she's just a sad and lonely person that got screwed over, but there's something about her I just can't help but feel disgusted by...
