Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood - Episode 17 ENGLISH DUB Review

Episode 17, "Cool-Headed Flames"

"I wanna read Marmaduke!"

*****SPOILERS*****

Synopsis: Taken into military custody for the death of Maes Hughes, Maria Ross is being railroaded for a murder she didn't commit. Discovering her arrest from the newspaper, Edward and Alphonse to go to ask around. Barry the Chopper breaks into the prison to release Ross, and meets and releases Ling as well. During their escape, they run into Ed and Al, and Barry advises Ross to run. She complies, but encounters Roy Mustang, who burns her alive with his flames, leaving nothing but a charred corpse. Barry and Ling flee and Ed confronts Roy. Later, Riza Hawkeye takes vacation time, leaving Roy to his own devices. Barry brings Ling back to Falman, and they're soon joined by Fu and Ranfan. Major Armstrong comes to where Ed is staying and damages his automail, then insists on taking him back to Risembool for repairs, but insisting Al stay in Central. Meanwhile, the homunculi plan to use Barry's real body to go after him.

Comments:

Much like last time, there isn't a whole lot to be said about this episode's dub. Another well-dubbed episode. We get introduced to another new character in the form of Doctor Knox, so we have yet another new voice, and we get a pretty dramatic scene halfway through the episode involving Edward and Roy, so there are a few comments to be made about that.

First, the peformances that dominated this episode were Travis Willingham's Roy Mustang and Jerry Jewell's Barry the Chopper. Willingham's Roy has become so amazingly natural in the role of Roy Mustang, it's close to becoming the voice I most associate with the role. The scene in the alley way with Maria Ross' corpse had a unapologetic, even hostile Roy, but Willingham still played him as being in control of himself, if incensed at Ed's behavior. And he captures Roy's hidden snarkiness well, too, later on in the episode. He is really in control of this role.

Jerry Jewell's Barry is joyfully creepy, and it sounds like he's really having fun in the role. But more than that, it's easy to buy him as a serial killer trapped in a suit of armor. The good thing about Brotherhood is that we get more of Barry, that he sticks around to the point where a viewer can actually like him, even if he is a terrible murderer. On second thought, maybe that's not such a good thing! Best to take him off the guest list at the next BBQ.

Doctor Knox makes his debut in this episode, and I expected a more gravelly voice, sort of indicative of his bitter, cynical nature, but the voice he has works well enough There's really not a lot to say about it.

Meredith McCoy and Chris Sabat continue to peform well as Maria Ross and Alex Louis Armstrong, respectively.

Overall ENGLISH DUB Score: 3.5 out of 5



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