Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (Episode 36) - Family Portrait

After a group of soldiers went missing in the tunnel, Olivier Armstrong is keen to send in a search party. However, General Raven wants her to put the homunculus back in and seal it up!

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (Episode 36) – Family Portrait

What happened?

Inside the tunnel, a group of soldiers search for a way out. It just seems to go on and on. When they lose contact with the team back at the wall, they decide to send one soldier back to report, but then they are attacked and swallowed up by what appears to be the gateway to the Truth. Word reaches Olivier Mira Armstrong who rushes to help, thankful for the chance to avoid General Raven’s question.

However, when they get to the hole, General Raven orders her to put the homunculus back in and seal it up. He tells them that Sloth is a chimaera working for the greater glory of Amestris. He also seems to think that Armstrong is on his side and ready to become one of the chosen immortals.

Meanwhile, Miles is busy occupying Kimblee who seems to be determined to push as many buttons as possible. The guy is just itching for a fight and he might get it!

Once the hole is covered over, Olivier Mira Armstrong finally lets General Raven that she’s had enough of his treasonous talk. She stabs him in the arm and then cuts him down, letting his body fall into the drying cement. However, this may have just given Kimblee the authority to do whatever he wants!

Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood Episode 36 Olivier Mira Armstrong cuts down General Raven

What did you think?

This was an incredible episode and not just because Olivier Mira Armstrong proved once more why she is the undisputed best girl of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. She did amazing to play along with General Raven’s advances and got him to spill all. Of course, she finally had the chance to cut him down and it was glorious. Even her men cheered. I did not see that coming and I was grinning from ear to ear when it did.

Of course, this now makes a problem for Edward and Alphonse who have just discovered that Kimblee had Winry brought up north. She thinks it’s to adjust his automail, but in reality, she’s a hostage and I wonder what will happen next. Part of me thinks that Raven was meant to die. A “mutiny” would certainly give the military reason to attack Fort Brigg and since they need a bloody conflict at that location, they’ve already won. It doesn’t matter who dies to them at the end of the day.

Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood Episode 36 Olivier Mira Armstrong is the boss

What have you learnt?

Back in episode twenty-seven, I made the assumption that Hohenheim was a homunculus and that would appear to be true. I don’t know the specifics of it, but he is definitely immortal and that’s why he left Edward and Alphonse. He was searching for a way to alter his body so that he could age with his family and not have to watch them grow old and die while he remains untouched by time.

That was some pretty tragic stuff, especially the family photo, however, I’m most interested in the scene right at the beginning of the episode where he dug his fingers into his chest and dropped blood on the ground. Of course, it could have also been philosopher’s stones. We’ve seen that they can take on that form. Still so many questions, but it would appear that a rebellion is about to begin.