Ghost in the Shell: SAC 2045 Season 1 Episode 4 Recap – Sacrificial Pawn

Rescue

The Tachikoma shows Togusa the footage from GHOST’s arrest. He sees John Smith’s face and decides to kick the hornet’s nest. He asks the computer to post Smith’s data, but it gets wiped almost immediately.

Togusa then spots a car chasing him. They go into a wild chase across the LA neighborhood until he finds an empty parking lot. The men find his car and approach it, but he’s not there. He surprises one of them and takes his gun. Tachikoma subdues the other one.

John Smith appears and introduces himself. He’s one of the men responsible for the Sustainable war in America. He thinks it’s an elegant solution for economic growth. Smith asks Togusa what he wants–they already know about him. He came to meet the GHOST team.

Smith tells him he can’t help. Togusa asks if they’re alright. Smith explains that this is a government operation, further meddling will be dealt with accordingly. He thanks Togusa for showing up, as it gave them a lead to find information on the others.

Recon and Repair

Chief Arataka learns that it was the NSA who took GHOST. At least they’re not terrorists, perhaps they can make a bargain.

While heading to the plane for their Operation, GHOST meets with a heavily armed force to see them through. Batou thinks this op has too many moving parts. It’s not fun at all.

Togusa rides Tachikoma through the streets. He goes to a brothel that was once a Raider refuge. Their other Tachikoma comrade is held here, all beaten and broken. Togusa goes out to find parts for repair.

Aramaki meets with a Miss Byron, asking her if they have GHOST working under them. She confirms. The Chief asks if she can discharge them. She refuses, saying the mission will likely be scrubbed including them, and that theres nothing she can do. The mission is about national interest, and they are the best fit for the job. Only the President can help them.

Prime Minister Chris Teito meets with Chief Aramaki in a Japanese mansion. He reports that he’s working to rebuild Section 9, but there’s a hitch. Teito reveals that they don’t have to keep the same members, they only need to do it to meet America’s demands. Teito thinks Section 9 was a success due to the chief, but the chief says otherwise. He wants GHOST to come back alive.

Teito finds the proposition tricky, but he resolves to try his best. Aramaki postpones his handshake until the matter is settled.

Good one-percenter

Smith briefs GHOST on their drop off point and the target’s location. He warns them that there are penalties if they failed the mission. If they to abandon, it won’t do them good.

After deployment, Ishikawa and Batou try to determine their position. They’re in one of the gated towns in Beverly Hills, nearly the same location where they were captured. The missile launch was directed at Patrick Huge’s mansion. A monumental figure in the robotics industry and poster boy for the Sustainable War.

He’s probably the Good one-percenter who armed the Radiers. It’s not a rescue mission but an abduction. Clown thinks its impossible. Since he’s a law abiding citizen they’ll have to be extra careful. Major thinks there must be ulterior motives for this op.

Delta force is still monitoring them, but they’re left to do all the dirty work. Major commands the squad to go in and calls Tachikoma to reinforce them. Togusa wants to join in as they finish the repair of the broken unit.

Our thoughts:

The politics behind the op seems too contrived. I can’t buy that the Japanese PM can’t secure their own forces after a foreign agency basically abducts and blackmails GHOST. I rate this a 2/5.