FINAL Updated NTV Preview Speculation? (Serious ideas only!)

[FreakyFilmFan4ever]

^ True, but as for Q and FINAL being two halves of one super-movie, Khara has always considered and announced that these were four separate films as far back as 2007. TV spots released by Khara during the preparation of Jo always announced these movies as having the 4 separate titles, "1.0," "2.0," "3.0," and "FINAL." So despite the rumors we heard before 3.0's release about the last two films being combined into one, it's doubtful that the filmmakers ever really considered one set of their movies more as part of a large super-movie than any other set of their movies. Especially by the time they got around to actually marketing and advertising a finished product.

[ElMariachi]

^
What I mean is that while Khara advertise for four movies (because well, there are four movies), the last two narratively works as two half of a story, Q being the prologue introducing us to this new world, the characters (both new and old who changed in the past 14 years) and the stakes, the same way 1.0 was the prologue for the whole universe of Eva, and FINAL being the part where the main action and conclusion will take place.

[FreakyFilmFan4ever]

Well, to be fair, none of the four movies are really capable of standing alone as a solitary film. They are all dependent on each other, and the entire series seems to be viewed best as a whole epic film rather than 4 stand-alone film.

Also, it seems rather strange to announce things for FINAL while showing clips to Q, all while specifying only the title for Q. The narration doesn’t suggest that Q is “Part 1 of 2” of an ending (like the last two Harry Potter or Twilight films did) or something like that. And honestly, as far as film ending go in the NTE series, Q has the least cliff-hanger like one of them all so far. It seems less dependent on FINAL than Jo, Ha, and Q depended on each other.

We’ve discussed in other threads how these titles refer to the traditional “Jo, Ha, Kyu” Japanese narrative structure, and the tone of the endings in these films so far seem to follow that really well, with “Final” being something extra at the end of it all.

[Sailor Star Dust]

The 3.0 trailers obviously implied Kaworu was Shinji's hope in 3.0. Kaworu being shown when Shinji ejected was either visual shorthand that Kaworu's soul = Eva-13, and/or, the parting of kindred spirits. Kaworu himself mentioned to Shinji they'll meet again. Which for FINAL is probably something metaphysical (or *maybe* a new clone which I doubt).

The original preview for FINAL mentioning a place of hope is probably whatever hope means in FINAL. I'd assume being shown humanity/Earth isn't as screwed as Shinji was led to believe. Maybe some kind of settlement, but that's fan speculation so far.

Would be interesting if the updated preview narration is the same, just new visuals?

[ElMariachi]

^
I doubt that the source of Shinji's hope will be Kaworu for both Q and FINAL: while in the 3.0 preview him "meeting hope" can be interpreted as meeting Kaworu (which is what happened), in the FINAL preview it's said that the place he'll end in will teach him hope, and Kaworu isn't a place, even if he's inside EVA-13, the way the phrase is turned, it looks more like the preview talk about the place Shinji will end once he, Asuka and Rei Q will be picked up by the Lilin, so I concur with SSD's theory that said hope will be Shinji seeing that humanity and/or Earth isn't as screwed as what he was led to believe.

[Chuckman]

The only hope he can find is in himself. Someone providing him with hope in any meaningful sense, and therefore handing him resolution, would run counter to the theme of the whole thing.

What is the riddle of watch?

[ElMariachi]

^
I'm not talking about someone giving him salvation on a platter like Kaworu tried to do, just him to see that the situation isn't as fucked up as what he thought, no need to have someone telling it to him, just him to see it with his own eyes, and hope will come back. Because frankly, if all he ever sees is sterile wastelands of core material, what would be the point to try to get up and move forward?

[obliterates]

I could see a lot of ways how the preview could turn out:

1. Worst case scenario #1 it's another draft clip of The Peaceful Times Shinji Asuka and Rei trek.
2. Worst case scenario #2 it's another upgraded CGI clip of Unit 02+08 battling giant AT Fields.
3. It could be a 15 second clip like the last times or it could be longer, since this is FINAL after all.
4. It could confirm whether or not Rei picked up the SDAT.
5. There's been recent speculation on Reddit, /cm/, and Tumblr ([url]http://www.reddit.com/r/evangelion/comments/2eh5xz/cainabel_speculation_for_final_aka_potential/[/url]) about a "Cain/Abel Theory" including Misato and Kaji's potential baby. So if this is true then it could be a preview of their child.

[Ray]

^
I'm not talking about someone giving him salvation on a platter like Kaworu tried to do, just him to see that the situation isn't as fucked up as what he thought.

Wouldn't that be a story copout? A 'Hail Mary Pass" as one user put it?

[Bagheera]

Cain/Abel doesn't make any sense at this point. Shinji needs to resolve his issues in Final, and an added source of angst isn't going to help with that (and that's to say nothing of the fact that the angel/lilin conflict is already Cain/Abel when you think about it -- children of Adam, children of Lilith . . . meh, close enough).

[pwhodges]

Well, it could make quite an interesting fanfic... but I'm sure not going there. Misato taking even the minimal time out to have a baby at that point in the story is just completely inconceivable.

[obliterates]

Shinji needs to resolve his issues in Final, and an added source of angst isn't going to help with that (and that's to say nothing of the fact that the angel/lilin conflict is already Cain/Abel when you think about it -- children of Adam, children of Lilith . . . meh, close enough).

How do we know FINAL is going to end up positive for Shinji? Or that the symbolism can't extend to the characters with this kind of twist?

Misato taking even the minimal time out to have a baby at that point in the story is just completely inconceivable.

Well it would parallel Yui bringing Shinji into a Post Impact world when Gendo was against it. And since Kaji is supposed to be the Yui to Misato and Misato has turned into the "Gendo of 3.0" it's not that hard to imagine.

[pwhodges]

Misato's in a war situation (there are still two angels to come) in a senior military position. It would be much harder for her to justify taking time out than it would have been for Yui.

[obliterates]

That's assuming that Misato would be the primary caretaker. Which is not what the speculation suggests.

[pwhodges]

No, I'm not contradicting that - I merely assume normal pregnancy and childbirth; or are you suggesting that she doesn't even carry her own baby, but uses a surrogate mother? Stretching things even more, there! How much resource would a post-2I world at war with angels be giving to such things?

[obliterates]

No, I merely assume pregnancy and childbirth; or are you suggesting that she doesn't even carry her own baby, but uses a surrogate mother? Stretching things even more, there!

The baby could have been born a few years after the end of 2.0 when things were a little calmer. Which would make the child around 10-12 and giving Misato the opportunity to start up Wille without being a constant presence. Especially with Kaji around.

Besides it's not like Katsuragis to be a constant presence in their childs life anyway. So Misato would literally be becoming Gendo and her father which also parallels the original theme of kids becoming like their parents i.e Ritsuko, Shinji, Misato in Nge .

[ElMariachi]

Wouldn't that be a story copout? A 'Hail Mary Pass" as one user put it?

No, it would be simple logic: you can't create an organization as well equipped and with as many members as WILLE with the world ravaged and most of the population dead.

[Bagheera]

How do we know FINAL is going to end up positive for Shinji?

Because Anno doesn't do downer endings, and has no reason to start now. EoE was as close as he ever got and that one's ambiguous at best.

But that's a side issue. A Cain/Abel story doesn't make sense now because Shinji's already hit rock bottom. Continuing to beat the drum in Final does nothing for the narrative.

Well it would parallel Yui bringing Shinji into a Post Impact world when Gendo was against it. And since Kaji is supposed to be the Yui to Misato and Misato has turned into the "Gendo of 3.0" it's not that hard to imagine.

But Kaji isn't Misato's Yui (she's not obsessed over him) and Misato hasn't turned into the Gendo of 3.0 (she is pragmatic and efficient, not a coward who's afraid to face her own children. She's also not a lunatic looking to resurrect her lost love at any price, or whatever the heck Gendo's doing this time around). And even if any of that were true Misato having a kid does nothing to add to those themes.

Also, "literally" does not mean what you seem to think it does.

[obliterates]

EOE's ending wasn't a downer but the first portion of the film was. I'm not saying that FINAL will be all negative but expecting optimism throughout the whole film is kinda silly to me.

And I don't mean Misato shares all of Gendo's traits but they have made her out the be the Gendo figure with Ritsuko has her Fuyutsuki:

SPOILER: Show

As the last set indicate it was poised to be that way even before 3.0. Even Misato's Q glasses are designed for that effect. And Asuka in 3.0 has taken up Misato's original role

SPOILER: Show

And with SEELE gone Gendo has now taken their status.

[Bagheera]

EOE's ending wasn't a downer but the first portion of the film was. I'm not saying that FINAL will be all negative but expecting optimism throughout the whole film is kinda silly to me.

There's a difference between that and "How do we know Final will end up positive for Shinji?" Expecting it to be bittersweet is reasonable, but suggesting it won't involve Shinji resolving his issues and moving forward is naive.