So what’s the plan now, Lena? 86 has arrived at the end of the known world, whether you’re looking at it geographically or narratively. The show has been propelled by twin narratives: Shin’s journey towards reuniting with his brother, and Lena’s slow separation from Republic protocol. With the events of episode nine, both of these threads have reached their conclusion, as Lena took matters into her own hands in order to ensure Shin’s victory. With the dust having settled and Spearhead passing beyond the reach of Lena’s communications, 86’s narrative as originally conceived is over. Truly overthrowing the Republic was impossible within the confines of this narrative’s original variables, but our leads managed to overcome their entrenched suspicion of each other, and rise to become the Republic’s feared symbols of hope.
If this were a traditional novel, this would likely be where the story ends. All of the dramatic variables as initially introduced have been expended, the key characters have completed their emotional arcs, and the conclusion found a clever way to “defeat” the Republic philosophically without indulging in the fanciful impossibility of truly overthrowing it. Cohesive, self-contained, complete. That said, light novels tend to keep going until they can no longer pay to keep the lights on, so I’m guessing we’re on the cusp of some new antagonistic variable, introduced just in time to provide a season two hook. The intersection of art and commerce is a thorny venue, but I’m sure we can navigate it together, as we explore the tenth episode of 86!