Episode Eight establishes right at the very beginning that a new anti-Twilight movement is underway with the discovery of the bodies of three Twilights who had been attacked by a group of normals. The realization that this new movement is underway brings about a big job that Worick and Nicolas receive from the Cristiano Family. This job also ends up involving Alex, although she’s not involved with the actual violence that takes place.

Before all of this happens, though, Alex starts remembering her younger brother and their family life. It scares her to realize that she’d forgotten something so important because of the drugs that she had been forced to take. But it turns out that this revelation about Alex’s younger brother becomes important to the story. We see a man in a hood arriving in Ergastulum and wandering the streets. I suspected that this was likely Alex’s brother, and a scene near the end of the episode seemed to confirm my suspicion.

Episode Eight also formally introduces Loretta Cristiano Amodio, the leader of the Cristiano Family. While we had seen her at a meeting of the Four Fathers in an earlier episode, we didn’t get to see too terribly much of her or get to know anything about her. But this episode officially introduces this character, as well as some of the other members of the Cristiano Family. It’s also revealed through dialogue delivered by a member of the Cristiano Family what exactly each of the four gangs is responsible for in Ergastulum.

To me, one of the best parts of this episode was getting to see Alex sing in front of an audience. For the storytelling, I appreciated how her performance was intercut with the action taking place outside with Worick and Nicolas. It’s also during this scene that we see who I suspect is Alex’s brother hearing her outside of the club and trying desperately to get inside.

The recap for the next episode shows that the title is “Siblings,” so it’s very likely that Alex could have a reunion with her brother. If I’m correct on this assumption, then it could have an interesting effect on the story. If Alex is reunited with her brother, will she leave Ergastulum with him and be written out of the story? Or will she decide she isn’t ready to leave yet and stay with Worick and Nicolas longer? Worick made a comment in this episode that while Alex should think of leaving, she can also think of their couch as a bed until she’s ready to go. With that comment, I feel like this potential plot point could go either way.

I’m continuing to enjoy GANGSTA., and I’m intrigued by the backstories and the emotions the three main characters are going through. And I’m looking forward to seeing Episode Nine in order to find out what exactly will happen to Alex, as well as to see what direction the story will head in for the remainder of its run.

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