Ritsuko's breakdown

[AWinters]

Such a small detail, I know, but I'm really curious;
When Ritsuko had a mental breakdown about Rei being chosen over her, do you think Misato and Shinji knew who she was talking about?

She didn't mention his name and they didn't ask questions or look surprised when she made it apparent that it was about being scorned by a lover. They didn't even ask "wait, who chose a 14 year old over you?"

[Slowpokeking]

I doubt Misato knows it, not to say Shinji.

[Kendrix]

The dialogue itself is ambiguous (it only really becomes clear when Gendo goes to interrogate her jail) but I'd assume it would be apparent from context.
She says she couldn't win against Rei and Rei only talks to like three people, Ritsuko was probably not all jelly over Shinji or Touji.

Though this is all more about how Rei is, to Ritsuko, a symbol of Gendo's late wife & how he's doing everything to get her back.
Gendo himself gave her the name he'd picked out in case of a daughter; But he's not a very good parent in either case; He's undone by underestimating the human element (ppl getting dissatisfied & betraying him)

[AWinters]

That's some great input!
I don't know why I never thought of Rei as a representation of Yui to Ritsuko, only that she saw her as competition (and took that a bit further in the Manga).

I guess I'm curious because if I was in Misato's place, I'd be asking "who?"
Perhaps she did put 2+2 together and maybe that's partially why she called her a fool - because Gendo isn't worth feeling like that.

Shinji didn't appear to react, other than a changing his expression to a look of sorrow and empathy.
I know Shinji isn't the average teenage boy, but I'd expect some reaction to finding out that this woman he works with is messing around with his dad.
On the other hand, maybe it was a tall order to be surprised by anything after what he'd just witnessed with the dummy plug system.

[baldur]

Shinji didn't appear to react, other than a changing his expression to a look of sorrow and empathy.
I know Shinji isn't the average teenage boy, but I'd expect some reaction to finding out that this woman he works with is messing around with his dad.
On the other hand, maybe it was a tall order to be surprised by anything after what he'd just witnessed with the dummy plug system.

I agree with that last sentence. Shinji's already well aware by this point that his dad is a piece of shit. I imagine additional confirmation of that would make comparatively little impact immediately following Holy shit my friend is a manufactured clone and holy shit said clones are what the dummy plug system is composed of and holy shit the Evas are human because holy shit they're imbued with souls and holy shit my mom is Eva 01 and holy shit the clones are dead now and
...you get the point

[AWinters]

Shinji's already well aware by this point that his dad is a piece of shit.

I guess I was expecting a follow-up question, such as "wait.. you mean my father?" Up until this point he had been prompting confirmation about his father at every opportunity during conversations.

Real life 14 year olds are witty and would probably tell her she could do better

Maybe this was the final straw, the point he realised that his father was irredeemable and that it was time to give up on him, relinquishing his desire to ask about him any more and that it was pointless commenting at all.
After everything he witnessed, it looked like all he could feel was sorry for Ritsuko.

[Kendrix]

I think Shinji had been Done(tm) with him ever since Bardiel.

Though it is worth noting that Ritsuko doesn't come up when Shinji's wondering about his father's plans in ep 24 - he also seems to assume that Gendo got Yui trapped on purpose and that she's a victim to the same degree that Rei is - cf. "what are you doing with them?" - you'd think that if he'd made the connection that Gendo was screwing Ritsuko this might come up here. On the other hand Shinji was probably just numb from shock at this point. Everyone he knew was either dead, moved away, or having a breakdown. So perhaps at this point he cares more about what's going on with his mom & his friend than the random science lady.

The thing with Shinji is not that he's dumb or doesn't reflect on stuff (he has some contemplative moments in eps 7 and 11) it's that he doesn't want to investigate stuff that might have terrible answers - he's afraid of the responsibility but mostly doesn't feel he could do anything even if he knew.

[baldur]

I agree with the above thoughts from both of you. I think it makes sense for Shinji to be so numb by this point that all he can muster is an exhausted look of pity. Even if it's not 100% realistic to how a 14 year old would act I think it adds to scene.

[AWinters]

It's an interesting point that he didn't mention her while reflecting.
Maybe it went completely over his head and he thought she was having a breakdown over her involvement in creating an abomination that she was ashamed of under Gendo's orders.

Misato possibly thought the same.
I think if Misato had figured it out, then during instrumentality she wouldn't have manifested images of Ritsuko being so cruelly judgemental about her and Kaji.

[UrsusArctos]

Even if it's not 100% realistic to how a 14 year old would act I think it adds to scene.

Perhaps, but not all 14-year-olds would think or act like Shinji, would they? Given how Shinji in particular behaves, his refusal to even think about Ritsuko makes sense in a way it wouldn't for someone else.

I think Shinji might have landed up fully processing all the horrible information he was shown and started thinking about Ritsuko's relationship to Rei given enough time to let it sink in. But Kaworu showed up right afterwards, and we all know how horribly things went after his arrival...