Cyberpunk 2077 Edgerunner Ep 5 “All Eyez on me” Review

Hey choom, this is an adult show. Make sure the kids aren't around a'right? Blood, lotsa violence, nudity, and all the language.

 

This episode brings in a more serious tone. The risks are starting to build up with the team. They can work very well together now and can do so much together. But you gotta climb the ladder, improve your game and get that better work. Or just finish what you've got on your plate. Sometimes through any means necessary. Let's talk about what happens in “All Eyez on Me.”

 

This starts with a good beat, with Maine and David talking, look at Pilar's techie hands. David makes it clear, even though Rebecca's said he could have them, he's after something else. But the real thing is going on in the background. While Maine tease David about getting laid, it's revealed Kiwi was in an Ice Bath doing a deep dive. She comes out of it and reports without putting on a stitch. David is at least a little distracted while Maine doesn't seem bothered at all. She reports that Tanaka, their target from the limo job, has beefed up security and she can't crack through it. And shortly after this, it comes out that this is David's bully's father, the one we saw that wanted to “recruit” David in for the prototype. But this also gets David's enthusiasm to show for a BD editor, JK. But it turns out he has some inside knowledge on JK. They have a lead on the editor and that's what they need to get started on the next part of their plan. Of course when they go to grab JK, things take a bit of a different turn. He's got a “rear view” eye on the back of his neck and sees Maine coming up behind him. On top of that, he's got an EMP, it knocks out all of them immediately around for the snatch. On top of that, JK manages to snag David. The part with David in the BD is jarring. It's meant to be, works great for what happens later on, giving fuel to a particular fire. Nightmare fuel is the best way to put that scene. It's also something to show how thin the line can be between the virtual and the real world. David is just dumped into an unedited BD. The music is something out of the game, with low sounds and high tension. On top of that, he feels the grip of Cyberpsychosis. We see his eyes do the jittering effect. It ends just like the first BD of the series, with a tech rifle being fired into his face.

 

David was put through a mental ringer this episode. Being unconscious and awakening into a XBD of a Cyberpsycho's death is a lot for anyone. Going through a few of those while his team came to rescue him left a mark. JK knew that David would break one day, and remarked he hoped to scroll that episode. Mix in what he told David about the original owner of the Sandevistan, James Norris, and its just more power to what's happened. This scene is solid as well in its cinematography. The clean lines, the pastel colors, it all just fits very well to give that claustrophobic feeling that's needed. There's an excellent blink and you miss it shot of JK. Also, just the realization that JK's humming Mozart “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik”. Didn't catch that the first time. When the pair talk again, after JK's being taken captive, he is forward (with his own motives) with David. All the while, the ending theme plays, it's not until after he remarks on the two ways it can end for David, that it's really clear what song it is. This is not a happy go lucky show. People are going to die, usually in a bloody mess or losing themselves to disassociation, becoming Psycho. Remember, what makes a legend in Night City is how you die, not how you lived. Going out as a Cyberpsychgo with a massive body count is one way to be remembered. This does leave quite the impression on David though. We'll see this come back later on.

 

Seeing Lucy with her serious face on was just about as terrifying as seeing her, “let's do this” face back in ep 1. Then seeing her and Dorio be on point for taking down the Drones that JK keeps as part of his protection. Lucy was the main person in this fight with the smallest amount of screen time. But the hacking isn't the most interesting thing to watch. Seeing David and Dorio occupy the Drones was way more interesting. Plus that led to the cinematic stumble and perfectly timed take down of the Drones. Lucy is very skilled at hacking to have been charging through all the protections she did. I wish we could see some of what Kiwi's hacking is like in the same light. Having the comparison would be helpful. Nothing this go, but it could be something in the future.

 

JK, the BD editor, was smart though. He knew he couldn't win a direct fight. The drones, the EMP, and when those failed, he was more interested in staying alive. Can't enjoy money or BD's if you're flatlined. So, he went along with the team's plan. We've seen his work before at the start of the series. It was his edit of Norris' death that we saw David experience. He was a good character for the episode though.

 

When the drones came on and locked target, I heard the sound I heard many times dealing with Drones during Cyberpunk 2077, their engage noise. Those short time we do get to see the hacking Lucy's doing remains impressive. It's plain that she's cutting through tough systems with the slow progress crawl. Still caused a little reaction, even though it's been about a week since I last played Cyberpunk, and over a year since I dealt with a drone in it.

 

The last part of the episode has Tanaka getting snatched by the team. JK doesn't make it through the episode with Tanaka's surprises. Maine needed the opening that David made to KO Tanaka. The problem is JK died because of the needles Tanaka launched to try to escape. Everyone else had something to help protect themselves from something like that spread needle launcher. Even with that, he was ready with the Trauma Team plan. The good new is his funeral is covered. Trauma has a slight chance to revive the flatlined JK. He left one major impression on David for sure. Those XBD's were no joke that he went through. But he did get one last laugh. Can't ask for much more than that.

 

Let's talk about the tunes in this episode. “I Will Follow” by Snot Abundance plays when the team starts their plan to snatch Tanaka. “Let You Down” by Dawid Podsiadlo is what's playing while JK and David talk in the hideout. It's hard to hear with it being at almost background levels, but it is there. “On My Way to Hell” by Poloz is what's pumping when JK initially gives the group the slip. It continues through a good chuck of the team heading out after David as well. It picks back up again when Lucy and Dorio break into JK's hideout to rescue David just as he goes into the second raw BD. “The Other Room” by Earth Trax, “Whos Ready for Tomorrow” by Ray Boy, “Friday Night Fire Fight” by Aligns, “Acid Breather” by Mastiff, “Sustain/Decay” by Piotr Maciekewski/Drivealone, and “Little Strange” by Dawid Podsiadlo and Bogdan Kondracki are also in there, mixed in. This, just like in the game, continues to be one of my favorite parts. It's fun to look for the songs in the episode. It gets earlier on subsequent viewings. I can focus more on the art and the music. The first time is always about the story. So many playlists are building built for this jams.

 

This episode is the first of what feels like a two parter, without stating it's a two part episode. Everything is going to wrap up more next time with “Girl on Fire.” We get the conclusion of what happens with Tanaka. In the mean time, we're just left to wonder what happens. They got their main target. The thing now is just finding a way to get the information they need in the time that they have. We'll just have to wait and see where it all goes in the next episode.

Later Choom!


Comments (0)

New comments are currently disabled.


Subscribe to me on YouTubeFollow us on Twitter!
Join our Steam group!