Episode 04

Episode Information
Episode #04
Title 1: {{{japanese_title_k}}} {{{japanese_title_r}}} {{{japanese_title_e}}} Title 2: {{{english_title}}}
Written By	Akio Satsukawa
Directed By	Tsuyoshi Kaga
First Aired	10-25-1995
Video Release Date	{{{video_release}}}
Angel Appearances	none
Episode chronology
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"Episode 3"	"Episode 5"

Synopsis

It's been five days since the battle with Shamshel, and Shinji still hasn't returned to school. Misato knocks on his bedroom door and tries to persuade him, only to find that he has run away. Concerned about his absence, Toji and Kensuke come to visit. Misato lies and tells them he is training at headquarters.

Shinji boards a local train and rides it all day, repeatedly listening to tracks 25 & 26 on his SDAT, leaving only when the train is taken out of service for the night. He tells himself, "I've got to go back", but instead attends a late-night showing of a movie about Second Impact. The few other people there seem to be either sleeping or making out. He spends the night in the theater's lobby. The next morning he leaves the theater, but hallucinates that the buildings are closing in on him. Thus he flees to the countryside.

Back at Nerv headquarters, Ritsuko is examing Rei. Misato is there and we learn that Shinji left after she upbraided him for disobeying her retreat order in episode 3.

Meanwhile, in a violation of the law of incredible coincidence, Shinji meets Kensuke, who is in the wilderness playing survivalist. Kensuke reveals that he is jealous, both because Shinji is living with a beautiful woman, and because he is an Eva pilot. When Kensuke expresses a desire to be a pilot as well, Shinji admonishes him that his mother would be worried. Kensuke reveals that like Shinji, he has none. Shinji camps out with Kensuke that night. The next morning, several men in black from Nerv arrive and take Shinji into custody. Back at school, Toji upbraids Kensuke for not doing anything about it (as if he could have).

Back at Nerv headquarters Misato confronts Shinji, telling him they don't need a pilot with his attitude. Shinji elects to resign. Gendo orders Unit-01 reconfigured for Rei. Two men in black take Shinji to the train station, where Toji and Kensuke see him off, as they have so many of their other classmates. Toji insists that Shinji hit him to make up for the beating he gave Shinji in Ep. 3. Shinji hits him surprisingly hard for Shinji. As he is being lead away, Shinji shouts that he (Shinji) is the one who should be hit, for being so weak and cowardly.

Misato finally realizes that the reason that Shinji agreed to live with her was because he was looking for a family, and rushes to the station, seemingly too late. But Shinji hasn't boarded the train. They greet each other with "I'm home", "welcome home".

Quotes

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