Episode 4 of Lazarus , released on April 27, shows that the group is still far from discovering Dr. Skinner's whereabouts. In the previous episode, Elaine finds a clue about the hacker Dr. 909, who may be helping the scientist cover his tracks. However, during their investigation, they realize that finding Skinner will be even more difficult than they imagined.
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The beginning of the episode, like the first three, tells the story of someone who used Hapuna. In episodes 2 and 3, the characters in the story appear to be Leland and Cristina, as the voices used resemble theirs. In episode 4, the protagonist appears to be Elaina.
The girl responsible for the report says the reason she used the painkiller was because her emotions were overwhelming, and Hapuna promised to eliminate any sadness. However, there's still no confirmation that the stories actually come from members of the Lazarus group, but it's most likely.
The Lazarus Group on the trail of Sam Stephenson
Continuing the clue found by Elaina in the previous episode, they discover that before Skinner announced the dangers of Hapuna, Sam Stephenson, a stockbroker, had deposited a large sum of money into the hacker's account.
The group realizes that the money came from the sale of Hapuna stock, and that Sam knew Hapuna's stock would plummet. They connect the dots and conclude that, in exchange for information about the drug, Dr. 909 helped Skinner disappear.
While researching Stephenson, they discover that the man, besides being despicable, also owns a nightclub. The scene where the group searches for the broker on social media and uploads a video of him, hoping to get to know his personality, is hilarious. Their expressions, as Sam shares idiotic comments and reveals his jerkishness in his video, gradually turn to revulsion.
With that, Elaine continues to monitor possible transactions in the hacker's account, and Axel, Cristina, Leland, and Doug head to the nightclub to get some information. So, to infiltrate as a couple, Leland dresses up as a woman to sneak in with Doug.
The group discovers that Dr. 909 has no connection to Skinner.
After entering the nightclub, the group realizes that Sam Stephenson is even worse than they imagined. He and his guests drug and abuse the women. Sam tries to do the same to Cristina, but she doesn't get drugged and takes the opportunity to punch and kick him.
Furthermore, Elaina discovers that the club's DJ, known as Visionário, is the famous hacker Dr. 909. This triggers an action sequence, and Gilberto, as demonstrated in the first episode, is proficient in hand-to-hand combat, using parkour techniques to move around. However, this time, the music playing is the club's own music, not the jazz we're used to.
In the episode, the characters combine their fighting skills with firearms, and there's even a great scene of Axel and Cris working together to defeat the men working for Sam. As soon as Stephenson and Visionary board the helicopter to escape, the protagonist, thinking he's in a Mission: Impossible Lazarus 's action scenes are usually fluid, dynamic, and emphasize movement.
In the end, when they manage to stop the duo, they discover that Dr. 909 isn't working with Skinner. However, they do get a potentially useful clue. The hacker claims he only obtained the information about Hapuna by hacking into Delta Pharmaceuticals' system. From this, the group concludes that if the pharmaceutical company knew about the painkiller's dangers, it's because the people there must have a direct connection to the scientist. The final scene shows a place that looks like a testing lab, where monkeys are seen displaying distress.
Lazarus: The anime delivers action, mystery and interesting characters
Lazarus is following an interesting path, and each episode brings a mystery regarding Skinner's whereabouts. It also makes us wonder if there really is a cure. And if there is, will the group be able to find it? Also, in every episode, there's hope that the characters are getting closer to Skinner, but in the end, all that becomes clear is the scientist's intelligence and cunning in covering his tracks.
Furthermore, the characters are fun and engaging, especially Axel Gilberto. Also, one of the interesting aspects of the work is Dr. Skinner himself, who I believe will be explored further at some point. So far, we know he was well-liked by all who knew him and, by all accounts, a genuinely good person.
And this leaves two open questions: Will the painkiller really kill humanity? If so, was the reason for Hapuna's creation simply hatred of people for not caring about the world they live in, or is there another reason behind it?
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