Chapter 5
Episode 5 of Tribes of Europa begins with Jakob trapped in that very same cell that Grieta was captured in. Liv brings him food as David reveals what his Father’s plan is. He’s going to try and strike a deal with the Crows but David warns this could cause devastation for the tribes if it goes through. Instead, he tasks Liv with killing his Father; a chance to steer history back in the right direction. That chance comes in the form of a toxic serum called Cylarine. It’s a poison developed by spies which can kill in a matter of hours. As Liv holds it in her hand, she learns the poison can cause a painless cardiac arrest when ingested. Liv takes the poison and prepares for her meeting. Liv shows up and shares a drink with General Cameron. This is just the opportunity she needs to spike his drink but she changes her mind when Cameron reveals his truth. His army are there to stop wars, not cause them, and he’s going to make a peaceful trade with Brahtok. Specifically, he’s going to trade Grieta in exchange for her own family. Liv agrees to go with them when they enact this, deciding against killing the General after all. In Brahtok, Kiano spends the night with Varvara again, as he bides his time and asks about the Boj. She instead tells Kiano it doesn’t concern him, as he’s taken to the training room and taught a lesson. She overpowers Kiano time and again, showing that a true Crow isn’t afraid of dying. After this incident, Lord Varvara prepares for another meeting with the Kapitan as Kiano is rides along with her in the middle of this grand city. They arrive at the Kapitan’s lavish palace where he asks about the jet. When he learns Varvara doesn’t have the cube, he’s not exactly pleased. While she’s berated, Kiano heads off to the bathroom where he finds his Father. They embrace one another again, as Kiano promises he won’t die and will do everything he can to get free and save Jakob. Unfortunately Dewait happens to be watching from afar. He scoffs at Kiano’s warning as they both return to the main chamber. There, they witness the Kapitan stripping Varvara of her title and allowing another Lord to take her place. Back at the estate, a blood-soaked Varvara brings Kiano before her, where Dewait happens to be dead and lying in a pool of his own blood. She commands Kiano to put the dagger to his own chest and cut. He looks set to do just this until Varvara stops him at the last second. This was all a test, something that he’s passed. She gives him her blessing to allow Kiano to fight in the Boj. Meanwhile, Moses starts drinking his sorrows away at the bar. He encourages Elja to do the same, but the boy remains determined to try and get the cube back. Eventually Moses serves a distraction while Elja sneaks into Bracker’s study to take the cube back. Only, Bracker is waiting for him. He asks outright what Elja plans to do with the cube, as Moses is eventually brought in on his knees after the failed distraction. There, Elja divulges the truth to Bracker, telling him everything about the pilot and the big threat coming from the East. He tells Bracker that he can stop what’s coming and offers to prove he’s telling the truth. Touching the cube it activates, sending out a brilliant red light that illuminates the garage. They all watch together as this projection shows a strange black swarm growing and multiplying across a vast expanse of land. Realizing that the answer to Black December lies inside the cube, Bracker allows them to go. On the way out, Moses is busy with a long lost friend while Elja somehow manages to set up a navigation console within the cube, allowing him to find a route straight to the arc. When crows show up in town though, Elja evades them and decides to follow the cube’s direction. Only it suddenly, and inexplicably, turns into a gun that allows him to fire back against his enemies. How or why remains a mystery but it does allow Elja newfound confidence to head back inside and confront them.
The Episode Review
The penultimate episode of Tribes of Europa starts to add more lore and interesting background surrounding the swarm. While the details surrounding Black December are still unknown, it seems likely that this plague is partly to blame. The language continues to be a bit of a problem here, flitting between English and German rather haphazardly across the tribes. As a personal preference, I think this show would have worked better with a litany of different languages, but despite that the show continues to deliver pretty compelling drama. Tribes Of Europa certainly has a lot of charm and the world-building has so far been very impressive. We’ll have to wait and see how this one finishes but I think it’s fair to say we’re going to receive another of the dreaded Netflix cliffhangers with this one!
