REVIEW: ‘Blade Runner: Black Lotus,’ Episode 12 – “Artificial Souls”

Blade Runner: Black Lotus is a sci-fi/action joint Crunchyroll-Adult Swim exclusive from Sola Digital Arts. With Elle’s memory wipe interrupted, she now finds herself face-to-face with her would-be assassin. Meanwhile, J decides he has an old score to settle with a familiar Blade Runner in Blade Runner: Black Lotus Episode 12.

More often than not, the most remembered part of a series is the finale. That final episode tends to stick with people the longest, for better or worse. But much of what builds that finale is the journey to get there. It’s everything else that sets up those final moments that allow that finale to be what it is. This is especially true for the episode that immediately precedes it. The penultimate entry in a series needs to do a lot of work for the finale to shine its brightest. Blade Runner: Black Lotus Episode 12 creates a perfect take-off point for next week’s finale.

Opening with Elle’s confrontation with Wallace’s new model Replicant, this story gets off to a strong start and keeps delivering hit after hit. The intensity of the opening battle is strong but isn’t allowed to go as far as the viewer will want it to. This is for the best, making the moment serve more as an appetizer for the throwdown that will inevitably come next week.

The rest of Blade Runner: Black Lotus Episode 12‘s most prominent beats also serve to clear the story of some of the lingering side plots so next week can be all about Elle. So naturally, this means delivering a phenomenal sequence for J as he confronts the final piece of his past. And if you think you know everything there is to know about J, get ready because the series has one last big reveal that will hit you right in the feels.

The only place where this episode stumbles is with how it handles Officer Davis. Her place in the series throughout the past 11 episodes has always been a little awkward. What this episode does with her leaves me wondering why the character was included at all.

The visuals throughout Blade Runner: Black Lotus Episode 12 continue to bring all the strengths and weaknesses that it has carried with it in the past. The most eye-catching element of the visuals continues to be the combat design. With two distinctly different fights occurring during this episode, Sola Digital Arts flexes its muscles to bring two contrasting action sequences. Where one is sleek and stylish, the other is crude and brutal. But despite how different they are, both manage to deliver their hits with power and precision.

Except for one narrative hiccup, Blade Runner: Black Lotus Episode 12 delivers everything I could ask for from this finale setup. My hype level couldn’t be higher as I wait to see what will ultimately become of Elle’s final battle.

Blade Runner: Black Lotus Episode 12 is streaming on Crunchyroll and Adult Swim.