Cowboy Bebop 1.18

Speak Like a Child

Faye returns from an unsuccessful day spent gambling at a race track. Jet accepted a package for her while she was gone. It was sent COD with no return address. He wants her to pay up, because he paid for it. She thinks it might be from debt collectors, freaks out, and immediately leaves.

Spike opens the package. They aren't sure what to make of the contents until Ed identifies it as a 20th century Betamax video cassette. Faye has still not returned. She is at the dog track. Jet and Spike take the video cassette to a dealer. He tries playing it but when it looks like it isn't playing properly Spike starts kicking the video cassette player, until it breaks. The dealer is enraged. They leave, ignoring his demands for money for his broken equipment.

Ed does a little research and turns up a place on Earth, in Japan, where they might be able to find another Betamax player. They head to Earth, without Faye. Jet and Spike trek down to the 29th sub basement. There they find a room filled with all sorts of electronic equipment. The elevators aren't working so they make the trip rather haphazardly. They find a bunch of videocassette players but don't know which one to take. They take the biggest one they can find.

I'm not sure how they made their way back to the surface, 29 floors above with that player, but when they get back to the Bebop they discover that they goofed. What they picked up is a VHS player. It is about this time that Faye decides to return. She won a lot of money betting on dog races and then lost it all. Another delivery for her arrives just before she does. Jet pays for it. It is a Betamax player.

They put in the cassette and play the tape. It is a home movie. Young Faye, probably not more than 13 or 14 years old, speaks to her older self.  Faye is dumbfounded as she watches. She doesn't remember any of what she is seeing. It is like she is watching someone else but it is clearly her. I found this part to be very moving. That's where the episode ends.

I remember this episode very well. I was looking forward to seeing it again. The reveal at the end is shocking and is done without context. There is no explanation for where the video cassette or the player came from or who sent them. I don't recall if that information is ever revealed.

I didn't recall the inclusion of a couple of Japanese terms that relate back to Japanese folklore. Tamatebako is a treasure chest that comes from a story about Urashima Taro, a Japanese fisherman who is rewarded for helping a turtle. Ryuuguujou is an undersea palace that Urashima Taro visits with the help of the turtle. Both words are used in this episode but they are be easy to miss.

I really like this episode. I love where it goes in the end. It was an amusing romp up that point.