Oh man, I'm excited. It feels the same as the original series, albeit with cleaner lines, smoother animation, and a darker tone. It's definitely set the bar high so far, and I enjoyed it greatly. I even got a good laugh out of it.

Now, beyond this point are spoilers, so read at your own risk.

I love how Jack has PTSD and is suffering from guilt. The scene of him hallucinating his parents and people at the river was done well. I loved how the music suddenly cut off when both leaves fell, before they all did.

I also firmly believe that the apparition he keeps seeing is the man responsible for Jack losing his sword. What I think is he defeated Jack, and forced him to retreat. Jack is haunted by this memory, as the battle cost him his sole hope against Aku, the one thing that could defeat him; his sword.

I also believe that Ashi will turn against her sisters and cult and join Jack. Scaramouch was just fantastic, and a small part of me hopes he'll return at least once more, since his head survived.

One of the defining moments in the episode was at the beginning, after Jack defeated the beetle robots. He doesn't even bother looking at the mother and children he saved, doesn't even say anything. He destroys Aku's robots and leaves.

That alone says SO MUCH about how Jack's changed. Compare that scene to any other scene in the series where he saves someone, and you'll see the major difference in personality and attitude.

I have high hopes for this final series and I'm hoping for a satisfying ending to it too.