Let's Talk About RWBY Volume 8 Episode 3

The third episode of RWBY’s eighth volume is now available to watch for Rooster Teeth First members. The setup for the season is done, and we’re getting to the action. Things are actually happening which means the episode’s a bit more focused. The episode will be available to watch for free this Saturday, November 28 over on Rooster Teeth. If you haven’t watched it yet, here’s your spoiler warning.

This episode followed Team A (Ruby, Penny, Nora, Weiss, Blake, May) as they got into Atlas and went around getting the information needed to launch Amity Tower. May’s semblance is allowing them to sneak around unseen while Penny’s knowledge is able to guide them to where they need to be. Eventually, they have to go through a crowded control room where May creates a distraction before heading back to the hangar to steal a plane. Meanwhile, Penny explains that Ruby is able to use her semblance to move everyone else at once at high speeds during the distraction. There’s also a great moment where Ruby’s a little dumbfounded and Blake asks if it’s because Penny knows Ruby’s semblance better than her. I promise it’s funnier than I make it sound.

Well, we also cut over to Ironwood who has several of his men pointing guns at Watts who is trying to do something, but is having a hard time with Pietro Poledina’s work. I just want to punch Ironwood so bad right now. He’s just so stupid. I know that he’s the Tinman and therefore heartless, but man, he is also pretty brainless. Sadly, Watts notices that someone (aka Penny) is using Pietro’s credentials to access parts of Atlas. Oh boy.

Back to Team A, they eventually get where they need to go, and Nora notices that the door has an electrically charged barrier as added security. There’s a brief moment where you can see her start to question what would happen if she touched it, and you just know it’s going to happen. Pietro then remotely accesses Penny and takes over for a bit to get the information. Blake, Nora, and Weiss meanwhile are having a small chat about how they’re worried for Team B, but everything will be fine. The trick is that Nora’s listing off the characters and leaves Ren off of it. Blake and Weiss notice and gently ask about what’s happening, and there’s a nice little conversation that follows with Nora being unsure of what’s going on and how she doesn’t feel like she knows Ren anymore even though they’ve been together for almost their entire lives. It hurts a little since I love Nora so much, but it’s also nice that it is being talked about.

At roughly this point, the team goes to leave and who should be outside the door but the Ace Ops. They hurt Penny with their words (poor girl) and draw her out just enough so the doors close on the other people in the team. A fight begins and the Ace Ops actually hold up really well against Penny and her Winter Maiden powers. However, Nora takes the chance to see what happens when she touches the electric doors and gets really badly shocked. Her Aura is depleted and she’s in bad shape, but it does get the doors open so the others can do next to nothing to help Penny. Unfortunately, Watts tells Ace Ops to steal one of Penny’s swords, and they’re able to do that. Team A is then able to escape with a plane.

Watts now has one of Penny’s blades, and it appears that he plans on using that to learn how she works so he can get in and seemingly turn her back into Ironwood’s puppet. My theory is that Watts is going to try to use Penny to get out from Ironwood’s thumb. He’s leading Ironwood to believe it’s for him, but in reality, it’s going to be for Watts. I don’t like that. Penny is just too precious. Now, another question is, will Penny become a real girl? I honestly don’t know how that would even happen outside of using the Staff of Creation, but I’m not sure how that would factor into everything.

I do want to also take a moment and talk about Marrow. During the fight, you could tell that he doesn’t like the way things are going. We already saw that Harriet may be wavering a little in her loyalty to Ironwood, and Marrow’s always been a bit of a softie. I really do wonder if even just some of them are going to turn.

My guess is that the next episode will focus on Team B as they try to figure out where Oscar is and how to get him.