[Kamen Rider Die]

KAMEN RIDER ZI-O EPISODE 19 - “THE QUIZ SHOCK 2040”



I really liked how this episode used the Kamen Rider Quiz character to talk about binary conflicts, and how mutually destructive they are.

There’s a lot in Quiz’z whole thing about binaries. Winning/Losing. Right/Wrong. True/False. Red/Blue. X/O. It’s a strong motif, and that’s before I get to rave about the Ghost’s Head On Ex-Aid’s Body suit design. (I am all for the subtle indication that both Ghost and Ex-Aid’s suit philosophies will continue on into the future! I feel a little vindicated!) After the shadowy approach of Shinobi, here’s Quiz to usher in a strict, clearly-delineated bifurcation.

That newfound zero-sum reality is what Hat Woz has been leading us towards for the last couple episodes. For Geiz to win, Sougo has to lose. It’s an interesting level of threat, since it runs counter to Sougo’s view of the world. Sougo wants everyone to win; he wants a world where everyone can live their dream. He’s been fighting against monsters that steal what’s special in people, hoarding it for themselves, enforcing a rule that only one person can be powerful. Sougo’s built to find solutions where no one has to lose. So to have a conflict that’s testing that hope, that’s a fun place for this show to be right now. It’s like One Winner versus No Losers, as worldviews.

And some of that is just this show seemingly trying to grapple with Geiz’z whole Grim Executioner thing, and how badly he lives up to his adorably consistent death threats. We’ve seen Geiz get talked out of killing Sougo, but Hat Woz is pushing Geiz to gather power and become the savior the future requires. It’s one thing to beg off from executing Kamen Rider Puppy Dog, but another for Geiz to ignore the chance to gain enough power to be able to defeat Oma Zi-O, even if it’s just as a safety net. What, exactly, is Geiz’z limit in what he’ll do to achieve his goals?

There’s a bit in this episode that felt illuminative, where Hat Woz is telling Geiz to steal Quiz’z power and step onto the path to victory. The thing is, I don’t think Geiz has really thought about winning. Ever. Going back in time was a desperate move that almost immediately – hilariously – failed. Hat Woz’z whole pitch about Glory and Being A Savior and Victory all feel aimed at a version of Geiz that never existed. This one’s constructed out of a brutal pessimism. He doesn’t have a clue how to win at anything, but he’s lived his life throwing himself into hopeless situations anyway. Crushing an innocent person to gain power, even for the right reasons, doesn’t feel like a Geiz move. Dying for a cause, that feels more his speed.

This was a fun episode for ratcheting up the tension. There’s so much fun stuff to unpack along the lines of Binary Struggles versus Holistic Solutions (Quiz’z whole speech about a need for understanding instead of a need to change outcomes feels pretty instructive here), and how much the Quiz aesthetic is looped into the Woz/Hat Woz storyline. Just… boy, a very smart episode that is super fun to think about.