Cowboy Bebop

The Real Folk Blues Pt 2

e26

2025-10-06

I have the aspiration to do one of these for every episode someday, but I recently watched this with friends and that felt more worth memorializing. It was their first time finishing the series and they didn't want it to end, so they were putting off the finale, but I forced them. I think it was a bit underwhelming for them! Not uncommon, I think, because Ed and Ein are fan favorites and e24 makes many saddest for that reason.

It didn't hit hard, but I enjoyed it. I found myself thinking about my bardo theory for it, again, though I know better. It's the Taoist dream argument and they really hit you over the head with that in the movie with the butterflies. Still, I like the idea that the entire series is a dreamlike realm and real at the same time, because it's Spike's bardo and others' reality. Something about the first episode opening with the "flashback" before Tank! plays just appeals to me as being the only "real" thing. And it would explain the implausible anachronistic sometimtes wacky setting.

YOU'RE GONNA CARRY THAT WEIGHT.