[DreadBringer]

Yeah right... not feeling it for this episode.

Hotaro here acts loud without situational awareness, like what I feared, in almost all of his interactions, with him just consistently yelling to anyone he meets. With him not being established as that (feel more grounded) in first episode, I don't think that it's really needed to be done to give him some reality check of the Chemies and fighting as Kamen Rider where you can lose and fail to save people. Otherwise, yeah now there's Gentaro vibe of him wanting to befriend everyone.. Chemies in this case.

Rinne is cold and distant through the episode, albeit still rather supportive, though this seems to be setup as her dealing with certain daddy issues problem (or this'd explain her aloofness contrasting her child self) rather than continuing her first episode portrayal. She shows some physical movement in her facing Malgams.

Spanner is the typical edgy rival who talks down Hotaro regarding just anything, though as usual he'd have a point about Hotaro sticking his nose in without knowing his limitations. Though Hotaro can fight back, he didn't really get good showing of his physical abilities too as an established jock with him mostly getting kicked around. He seems to think that Kamen Rider needs power alone to force Hotaro giving up his Driver. Seems to be a setup about acknowledging other traits than just power, like Hotaro's compassion. As said in W, said "weakness" is what's crucial, to make Kamen Riders a force of justice, not a tool of destruction.

Spanner claims the reason Chemies must be captured is them disrupting natural order, still setup. Hotaro proved Spanner wrong of using Chemies as tool though with Hopper1 defending him, and later Apparebushido befriending him after he shields Hopper1. Other approach so far is (at best) pet-like approach of Renge selling Chemies to Hotaro, which Hotaro shows his view of them as friend to refuse using them for profit.

The MOTW part do highlight the human malice more in them latching on the miserable humans who wish harm upon others and giving them the power to act upon it. I don't know why there has to be an MOTW that just exists to be creepy towards Rinne though, won't look good for the series image.