That's basically what I assume too but the whole problem here is that we're left to just assume in the first place. Like, Genm could've showed up because that's how it works, or maybe given his secret identity he was just standing outside the room and nobody noticed. The show doesn't really show any evidence to particularly support either conclusion but there's an equal lack of anything to contradict it, leaving the whole thing in this slightly frustrating gray area. Genm suddenly appearing practically gave me whiplash. Thankfully the show is easily engaging enough for this all not to be TOO distracting. This and episode 4's whole "the patient isn't lost, she's just at the end of the game"(?) thing are really the only notable instances so far.

On the subject of logical oddities, while it makes sense that the room for "operating" on patients is tiny if the whole idea is to use the stage select, why don't Ex-Aid and Brave immediately know to do that? Hiiro especially is all about ~procedure~, so instead of Emu playing charades with his dad, why not have a quick little character-building exchange where Emu is really eager to start wailing on the Bugster (which would be in line with the hotheaded personality they've established he has when transformed), only for Hiiro to pull him back and tell him how things are supposed to go (maybe even work a "no thank you" in there).

I really don't mean to harp on this stuff because it's not actually hampering my enjoyment of the show that much but Ex-Aid just keeps leaving me with so many niggling questions.

Definitely. It's really cool they decided to flesh out his more sympathetic side this early on too. I felt like they were setting some things up with his debut that I'm happy to see realized so quickly, especially how we now have a reason why he's so unconcerned with honesty. It adds some layers to his actions and there's all sorts of potential for him to develop down the line now.

Ah! Good point!

I honestly don't think they've gone that deep into it. On some level, I think they're keeping in mind that these are kid's shows, there's only so many minutes in an episode and, definitely in Ex-Aid's case, the main goal is to entertain with action. However illogical as it was (and anyone who watched the scene immediately caught the weirdness of it as, at no point prior had they fought in the operating theater! ), the scene was pretty cool! I can't believe how much I love the LVL1 forms!

An aside: Kudos to Excite! subs for only using screen caps featuring LVL1 forms.

Oh daaaaaang! This is my favorite episode thus far and Kiriya is now my favorite! There was just so much to like on the acting and characterization front. Kiriya has a very unique backstory (especially compared to Hiro), and the way they played up his reasons for being such a pathological liar and having the villains turn his actual attempt to get the other Riders to believe him against him were all really interesting. I thought his actor did a great job conveying everything too. I love the direction this could take things!