History Recap / NeonGenesisEvangelionEpisode25LoveIsDestructive

* NoPronunciationGuide: While the Manga dub pronounces Longinus as lon-geh-nus with a short i sound, the Netflix dub uses the traditional "lon-gy-nus" with the long i sound.

** Ritsuko's confrontation with Gendo in Terminal Dogma is ''very'' reminiscent of Electra confronting Nemo during the episode "[[Recap/NadiaTheSecretOfBlueWaterE22ElectraTheTraitor Electra the Traitor]]" from Anno and Gainax's ''Anime/NadiaTheSecretOfBlueWater''.

* {{Irony}}: The Japanese government and the JSSDF attack NERV, operating under the impression that the organisation is attempting to initiate Third Impact and must be destroyed to prevent it from happening. Unbeknownst to themselves, SEELE are using them as a blunt instrument to remove the only obstacle that prevents them from initiating their ''own'' version of Third Impact.

** Ritsuko's confrontation with Gendo in Terminal Dogma is ''very'' reminiscent of Electra confronting Nemo during the episode "Electra the Traitor" from Anno and Gainax's ''Anime/NadiaTheSecretOfBlueWater''.

* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness

* Ritsuko's confrontation with Gendo in Terminal Dogma is ''very'' reminiscent of Electra confronting Nemo during the episode "Electra the Traitor" from Anno and Gainax's ''Anime/NadiaTheSecretOfBlueWater''.
* The elevator that Shinji takes to reach the EVA cage is labelled R20, a nod to ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPJhxco5QWQ Route 20]]'', a pilot film produced by Gainax for a film that failed to get greenlit after ''Anime/RoyalSpaceForceTheWingsOfHonneamise'' flopped in the Japanese box office.

* ShoutOut: Ritsuko's confrontation with Gendo in Terminal Dogma is ''very'' reminiscent of Electra confronting Nemo during the episode "Electra the Traitor" from Anno and Gainax's ''Anime/NadiaTheSecretOfBlueWater''.

* WorfHadTheFlu: This is one of the reasons why NERV's response and resistance to the JSSDF invasion fails so spectacularly. In addition to being ill-equipped to repel conventional attacks, nearly all of NERV's surface defense grid was destroyed along with Tokyo-3 when Rei self-destructed Unit-00 during "Rei III". What's left of the surface defenses are only able to put up a token fight before the JSSDF easily steamrolls through them and breaches HQ.

* WorfHadTheFlu: This is one of the reasons why NERV's response and resistance to the JSSDF invasion fails so spectacularly. In addition to being ill-equipped to repel conventional attacks, nearly all of NERV's surface defense grid was destroyed along with Tokyo-3 when Rei self-destructed Unit-00 during "Rei III". The front gate, so to speak, is thus left wide open and the JSSDF quickly gets inside with NERV only able to get off a few shots before the Special Forces secure the beachhead.

* SpannerInTheWorks: Ritsuko's attempt to activate NERV HQ's self-destruct. She ''never'' anticipated that the MAGI would overrule the command (and as the MAGI are for all intents Naoko Akagi, that her Mother would in essence side with her lover over her own daughter).

* WorfHadTheFlu: This is one factor why NERV's response and resistance to the JSSDF invasion fails so spectacularly. In addition to being ill-equipped to repel conventional attacks, nearly all of NERV's surface defense grid was destroyed along with Tokyo-3 when Rei self-destructed Unit-00 in "Rei III". The front gate, so to speak, is thus left wide open and the JSSDF quickly gets inside with NERV only able to get off a few shots before the Special Forces secure the beachhead.

* WorfHadTheFlu: This is one factor why NERV's response and resistance to the JSSDF invasion fails so spectacularly. In addition to being ill-equipped to repel conventional attacjs, most of NERV's surface defense grid was destroyed along with Tokyo-3 when Rei self-destructed Unit-00 in "Rei III". The front gate, so to speak, is thus wide open and the JSSDF quickly gets inside with NERV only able to get off a few shots.

** Similarly, NERV spent the entire series defending humanity from the Angels...only for their final enemy to be humanity itself. The irony is even bitterly acknowledged in-story by Fuyutsuki when the JSSDF.

* CallBack: For all its successes at repelling the Angels, NERV ironically [[Recap/NeonGenesisEvangelionEpisode11TheDayTokyo3StoodStill once again]] fares poorly against conventional sabotage and attacks.

* CallBack: For all its successes at repelling the Angels, NERV ironically [[/Recap/NeonGenesisEvangelionEpisode11TheDayTokyo3StoodStill once again]] fares poorly against conventional sabotage and attacks.

* CrazyPrepared: Just before the Command Center gets breached, Hyuga and Ayoba are discussing how they're screwed because NERV's defenses were intended to fight back against the Angels rather than human forces. Ayoba in particular realizes that NERV's antipersonnel defense budget was systematically slashed over the course of the series. As Ayoba and Hyuga speculate, the implication is that SEELE anticipated that they might have to seize control of NERV and its assets from Gendou and ensured the organization's HQ would be sabotaged in advance if that came to pass.

* CrazyPrepared: Just before the Command Center gets breached, Hyuga and Ayoba are discussing how they're screwed because NERV's defenses were intended to fight back against the Angels rather than human forces. Ayoba in particular realizes that NERV's antipersonnel defense budget was systematically slashed over the course of the series. As Ayoba and Hyuga speculate, SEELE anticipated that they might have to seize control of NERV and its assets from Gendou and ensured NERV would be sabotaged in advance if that came to pass.

* EvenEvilHasStandards: Played with when Keel orders the invasion of NERV HQ. It's made clear this was SEELE's Plan B and that Keel ''was'' hoping to settle this peacefully and that Gendou would willingly relinquish EVA-01 after the hacking of the MAGI. However, it's also clear this was more of a case of PragmaticVillainy. The second Gendou forces his hand, Keel doesn't hesitate at all to condemn thousands of loyal NERV personnel -- the grunts who've helped pave the road to SEELE's Third Impact -- to a violent death at the hands of the JSSDF.

* GoryDiscretionShot: Misato rescues Shinji from a cadre of JSSDF soldiers sent to kill him by shooting most of them dead. Then, she puts her gun on the neck of the remaining JSSDF soldier. After a brief close-up of Shinji as Misato fires her gun at the soldier, the scene cuts to the soldier falling to the ground, his head covered in blood.

** Asuka has an expression of horror and realization when the Lance of Longinus penetrates Unit-02's AT Field and is about to head straight for its head.

Misato and Shinji close in on the elevator to the EVA cage, but they are ambushed by a JSSDF patrol. Misato is shot in the torso as the two manage to escape; the soldiers consider pursuing them for a moment, but retreat when they learn the area is scheduled for demolition. Misato and Shinji reach the elevator, but Misato nearly collapses on the spot from her injuries. Mustering up what remains of her rapidly dwindling strength, she puts on a brave face, forces herself to her feet, and tells Shinji he must reach Unit-01 and pilot it if he wants to survive -- and that, from here on out, he will be on his own. Shinji breaks down crying and refuses, calling himself a horrible person for what he did to Kaworu and Asuka, and declares he'd rather do nothing since piloting Unit-01 has only resulted in misery and led him to hurting and killing people. Misato answers that he must face what he did and accept it instead of giving up, or she will never forgive him. She then leans in and kisses him deeply -- "That was an adult kiss. We'll do the rest when you get back." -- then hands a shocked Shinji her pendant and pushes him into the elevator. Misato gives Shinji one last smile as she presses the elevator button. As soon as the doors close and Shinji is out of view, she collapses from exhaustion and bleeds out on the floor. With her least breaths, she asks Kaji for forgiveness, wondering if she did the right things. The last thing Misato sees is a ghostly Rei standing over her...right before the floor explodes and tears her body into pieces. In the elevator, Shinji wipes his mouth and realizes he has Misato's blood on him. He cries as he travels, alone and afraid, to the EVA cage.

Asuka, engaged with the MP [=EVAs=] in a bloody fight, wonders where Shinji is. Shinji, who hears her over the radio, has arrived at the EVA cage; the JSSDF has covered Unit-01 in Bakelite, which prevents him from getting inside. In Terminal Dogma, Gendo and Rei reach Lilith's chamber, but they are confronted by Ritsuko, who used the confusion of the invasion to sneak away in safety. She tells Gendo how she rigged the MAGI to trigger the base's self-destruct mechanism, considering it her ultimate revenge against him. But when she tries to trigger the self-destruct and nothing happens, she looks at her remote: Caspar has rejected the command. "Mother, how could you choose your lover instead of me?!" Risuko asks in disbelief...right before Gendo points a gun at her. He delivers some last words to her ("Dr. Ritsuko Akagi, I truly..."; the rest of his sentence is muted). Ritsuko considers his words for a brief moment, before she, as tears swell up in her eyes, bitterly calls him a liar. Gendo shoots Ritsuko; as she falls into the pool of LCL, she sees a ghostly Rei.