(Spoilers in this review) Summary: Dorothy and Beatrice is sent to infiltrate the morgue in order to fetch a cipher from a corpse that was planted by the Duke of Normandy’s team. It just so happens that Dorothy’s emotionally unstable father, who is in some major debt, has been bought out by the Duke. After he drunkenly tells Dorothy about his deal with the Duke, Beatrice and Dorothy find the cipher. Dorothy makes a copy of the cipher to prevent the Duke from finding out and to help out her father. After telling her to meet him at a local pub, Dorothy’s father ends up getting killed by Gazelle, the dark-skinned beauty who works for the Duke. After Dorothy beats up some thugs who had mistakenly thought that Dorothy’s father sold her to cover his debts, she is left waiting at the pub for a father who will never show up as Beatrice (along with a choir of drunken men) sings the song Dorothy and her father love.
Comments: I’m gonna just go with bullet points since I’ve got a few things to say.
- Given that this is now case 18, which is even further down the timeline compared to all the other episodes, it’s safe to say that the viewers have no idea how far will this series progress. It also (somewhat) quells the fear that Princess Principal may not have enough episodes to reach a satisfying conclusion.
- So it turns out that Dorothy’s real name is Daisy and that Dorothy is actually her mother’s name. So at least 3 out of the 5 girls in Team White Pigeon are operating under aliases. I’m going to keep referring to the girls by their codenames, I think.
- I know some viewers detest Beatrice, but she’s needed in this series. Without her, the group would only have Princess as a rookie (granted, Princess has her own special roles to play during missions) which would probably mean there would be little reason to overly explain things for the audience’s benefit. The way she (tried to) stick for Dorothy was valiant of her, too.
- Seeing Beatrice still struggle with mandatory spy things, like picking locks, was refreshing, as well, since it means she isn’t some prodigy who picks up everything willy-nilly.
- That being said, Dorothy’s choice of only bringing along Beatrice for this mission seems like a poor one since all Beatrice has to offer is a keen eye for detail. However, it’s revealed that Dorothy’s father was also abusive, much like Beatrice’s father. Since Dorothy’s father was very likely going to be interacting with them, Dorothy probably felt most comfortable bringing along someone who could understand should she try to explain his behavior. Dorothy’s attempts to make friends continue (see episode 1 with Chise).
- This also means that 3 out of the 5 girls in TWP have daddy issues. Yeah, I said it. Whatcha gonna do about it?
- It was great seeing Dorothy demonstrate that she can actually defend herself. We all know she’s a good shot, but she hasn’t really shown that she can physically defend herself like Chise or Ange can until now.
- I wonder if Gazelle was always planning on murdering Dorothy’s father. It’s telling that the Kingdom always opt to murder accomplices or enemies whereas the Commonwealth (aka TWP) have tried saving said individuals on several occasions (episode 2, episode 5, and episode 6). Everyone in this world is grey or black indeed. Dorothy doesn’t even like killing (or looting corpses), for that matter. Too bad she’s a spy.
- Near the beginning of the episode, Dorothy’s father is amazed that he ran into Dorothy again since he was convinced that she would never come back. At the end of the episode, Dorothy is left waiting for her father, unaware that he would never come back. What a poignant parallel. I can’t say I understand why Dorothy said that if she were a more decent person she would have stayed, however. The man was physically beating you! You did the right thing by leaving!
- The screen time for Ange and Princess was minimal this week, which is fine. We gotta flesh out the other girls, too! Where was Chise in this episode?
- I guess it could be argued that Princess Principal relies on clichés, but the execution of said well-trod storylines and developments serve to make each episode a treat to watch. That, coupled with its fine attention to detail, keeps the viewers engaged and interested.
The Lily Garden 