RWBY Volume 6 Episode 5 - The Coming Storm: Review

This episode starts off with a massive surprise. GREAT SCOTT!!! Neo is back!!!!! I still can’t believe it, I honestly swore that she was dead since Volume 3. The fight between Cinder and Neo is really awesome. Neo has gotten so much stronger since we last saw her. Hats off to Melanie Stern and the other animators who worked on this fight sequence. Neo teaming up with Cinder; this is getting quite interesting since both want to get revenge against Ruby.

Back at the farm, Ruby comments on how untouched the location is compared to the ones she passed, which were damaged or unfinished. Something is definitely fishy with Brunswick Farms. To quote Han Solo from Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

The music has a mysterious feel to it, adding to the mysterious feeling that team RWBY is currently experiencing. Once Qrow kicks in the door, a dramatic feeling is added to the music. I’m really getting an Alfred Hitchcock vibe here; something sinister is afoot. After Blake, Oscar, and Weiss barricade the door with a table, Blake suggests that they get a fire going since she saw a chimney from the outside while Weiss goes off to find some blankets along with Yang.

Ruby walks towards the wall to examine the pictures, Blake then joins her and asks what does she think. Ruby tells her that something doesn’t feel right. Again, I’ve got a bad feeling about this. Just as Blake is about to suggest looking for something, they hear a scream. Ruby realizes that it’s Weiss. I knew something was wrong with this farm! Ruby and Blake run upstairs, where they are met by Qrow, to find Weiss and Yang on the floor with scared looks on their faces, horrified by the discover of corpses. The music becomes very dramatic, further adding to the mysterious and horror-film like feeling.

Blake covers Weiss, who is sitting in front of the fire, with a blanket and then takes a seat next to Yang on the couch. Qrow comes back in and tells everyone that every other house has corpses. They really don’t have a choice, they have to spend the night here since the storm is only getting worse. Ruby suggests that they look for supplies since the place wasn’t abandoned, while Oscar suggests looking for a car. Blake and Yang go off to search for other vehicles. After they leave, Ruby suggests to Weiss that they go look for some food.

Blake and Yang enter a storage building, where Blake spots a tractor. Her trademark dry wit is present when she remarks “Something tells me that’s not street legal.” As they walk towards the back, Yang asks Blake what she thinks happened here. Blake suggests that the water in the well could have been contaminated. Yang agrees with her hypothesis. Blake asks Yang if she is okay. Yang tells her that she’s tired. Yang continues towards the back and she finds a flatbed trailer.

As she approaches the flatbed, she sees a mirage of Adam and is spooked. Blake rushes to her side and asks Yang what she saw. Yang tells her that she was just seeing things. Yang tells Blake that she stills gets flashes from the night she lost her left arm. Her left hand then starts to shake. She asks Blake if Adam is still out there; Blake tells her that she’s not sure. Blake tells Yang that Adam’s real power comes from control. 

She tells Yang, “He used to get in my head and make me feel small, but now I see that he wanted to pull me down to his size.” Blake then grabs Yang’s robotic hand and tells her “Hey, I’m not leaving and if we ever see him again, I promise I’ll be there. I’ll protect you.” As Blake finishes telling Yang that she will protect her, Yang’s smile disappears from her face. Yang says “What?” to Blake to which gives the same question back to her. Yang then says “Forget it, lets just head back.” Blake begins to ask Yang about something and Yang interupts her and tells her that they can hook up the flatbed to Bumblebee in the morning.

Yang really does need to calm down and not let her pride get in the way. I understand that she wants to overcome her trauma on her own, but sometimes we have to accept help from our friends to overcome our obstacles. In my opinion, Yang really should accept Blake’s help. Blake wants make up for running away at the end of volume 3 and she is really someone who wants to help and protect her friends. We will just have to see where this goes in terms of Blake and Yang restoring their friendship. But at this moment there is still some tension between Blake and Yang regarding their relationship.

Moving on to Ruby and Weiss, who are in the cellar looking for food. Weiss uses her Myrtenaster to light up the candles in the room in way similar to the Wand-Lighting Charm, Lumos, and Dumbledore’s Deluminator from Harry Potter. Upon lighting up the room, we see that it’s combination of a wine cellar and bar. Ruby remarks that should keep this room closed because of a certain Drunk Uncle Qrow. This is actually the first time we see Qrow’s alcoholism addressed. Ruby is really concerned how Uncle Qrow is handling the events that have unfolded over the past few episodes.

As Ruby and Weiss open the door to the next room, Weiss asks Ruby if they are still going to Atlas. Ruby asks her why they wouldn’t be. Weiss remarks “You heard what Jinn said. If there’s no way to kill Salem then what’s the point in all this?” Weiss definitely has some concerns about their journey. Ruby shows some concern for her partner by asking if she’s really serious. Weiss apologizes and tells Ruby that she doesn’t know what she’s saying. She also says that she’s just really tired and that she really hates this place.

As Ruby shines her light into the room, they find some more alcohol. Yay… In the middle of the room is a locked cellar door which leads to the wine cellar. As Ruby shine her light on the left side of the room, we some more the cartoonish antics that she’s known for in the series. This because they found some food!!! Weiss doesn’t seem very impressed since it’s canned beans. Ruby replies “Oh trust me, you put enough salt on anything and it will taste just fine.” Weiss admits that it’s better than nothing. After they grab a few cans and leave the room, the camera starts to zoom in on the locked cellar door, which opens a little bit… Yup, we are definitely in for an Alfred Hitchcock-like episode next week.