Tower of God season 2 episode 5 review: Khun's hate for Rachel artistically executed as series slow-burns new plot points

Following the tease of a focus on beloved character Khun Aguero Agnes at the end of episode 4, Tower of God season 2 episode 5 became one of the season’s most anticipated releases. Excitingly, the episode did not disappoint, featuring stylistic and artistic choices that helped to further intensify the satisfaction fans got from this focus on Khun and what he’s been up to.

Tower of God season 2 episode 5 also excels in balancing this with a focus on Bam and his team, as well as setting up new plotlines for both groups moving forward. Although the episode is far from perfect, it stands out as one of the best outings the series has had so far, even with a noticeable lack of combat in the release.

Tower of God season 2 episode 5 review: Brilliant direction, a recap of what fans didn’t see, and more are the positives

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One of the most remarkable aspects of Tower of God season 2 episode 5 is its direction when it comes to Khun, both in general throughout the episode and in its final scenes focusing on him. In the former, Khun is reintroduced as a cold, calculating, and manipulative Regular who will stop at nothing to achieve his dream of ruling the Khun family. His meeting with Edin Dan helps to reinforce this and also show fans that he’s still the same at his core following Bam’s “death.”

This transitions into a focus on how Khun’s relationship with Rachel has evolved since Bam’s “death,” showing them to be closer while still not romantic. The blend of awkward body language and breathy dialogue from both, alongside Khun’s statement that he cannot replace Bam, is very well executed. At first, viewers are enthralled as their minds race with the possibilities of Rachel tricking Khun, only to learn that he’s still maintaining a healthy distance from her.

Tower of God season 2 episode 5 then makes it explicitly clear that Khun knows Rachel killed Bam and is lying to them via a flashback conversation with Shibisu. This flashback is also extremely well done, as it gives context to why Khun formed this team, both as he toys with Rahcel and his team bonds. It also further characterizes Khun, confirming that he both feels the most responsibility for Bam’s death and believes himself the cruelest among his allies.

Tower of God season 2 episode 5 review (Image via The Answer Studio)

This builds into the final scenes focusing on Khun, showing him meeting with his team about their next test. As he instructs them to earn Rachel’s trust while not bonding with her in any way, his hate for her is made clear due to her killing of his best friend. Scenes that repeat Khun’s dialogue with Shibisu appear as he explains this, slowly becoming more chaotic and unnerving to symbolize how this burden is affecting Khun’s mental state.

All of this culminates in the directorial highlights of Tower of God season 2 episode 5, making it the best directorial outing of the series thus far. Rachel’s confident and cocky laugh as Khun finishes this monologue serves as the cherry on top, emphasizing that each is using the other to their own ends. It helps to illustrate Khun and Rachel as foils of each other in terms of their relationship with Bam and further distinguish their similar personalities.

These directorial highlights are also great for explaining why the story of the second season is as fans see it, via the flashback of Shibisu and Khun. In turn, this helps to illustrate just how intelligent, clever, and tactful Khun can be, recognizing the merit in both letting sleeping dogs lie and ensuring Bam’s “sacrifice” wasn’t in vain. It also subtly yet effectively lays the groundwork for what seems to be an eventual reunion between Bam, Khun, and the others by the season’s end.

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The final major positive from Tower of God season 2 episode 5 is the further characterization of Bam’s party and the buildup of future plotlines (even beyond the above). On the former, this is largely accomplished by a brief scene showing Wangnan Ja and the others resting and relaxing while Bam is out. It’s a quick scene, but one which is important for showing that this team is bonding together, for the most part aside from Yeon Yihwa and Bam.

Whereas the others have accepted Bam, Yeon Yihwa continues to be suspicious of him, in turn leading to the introduction of additional plotlines by nature of her following him out. With Hwaryun’s reintroduction at the episode’s end, it seems the sixth installment will be a FUG-heavy one, possibly even explaining Bam’s motives for joining the group. While seemingly unimportant at first, it’s a significant choice which serves to further attract viewers.

Tower of God season 2 episode 5 review: A relative lack of action and unmemorable new characters are the negatives

However, given all of the above focus on introducing new characters and plotlines, and giving fans necessary between-season info, Tower of God season 2 episode 5 had little action. Edin Dan and Khun’s confrontation is more of a cerebral mind game than a brawl, whereas Novick and Ran’s brief spar sees them each launch one move at the other before it ends.

Admittedly, it’s difficult to fault the series for not finding time to include a major fight scene considering all of the positives that came from its primarily narrative focus. However, this lack of action serves as a negative in a series best described as an action-adventure battle shonen analog. While excusable, it nevertheless deserves mention as an inherent critique of the installment’s approach.

A more pressing negative is that the most memorable aspect of Tower of God season 2 episode 5’s new characters (i.e. Khun’s team) is their distinct appearances and designs. While this lack of focus on their characterization is justifiable given where the episode’s time was spent, it still deserves mention. However, it is just as excusable as the above critique, even if it does prevent the episode from being truly perfect.

Tower of God season 2 episode 5 review: Final thoughts

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As the season moves into its second act, episode 5 stands out as an extremely encouraging installment (and the best so far), likely boosting fans' faith and excitement. While a lack of action may deter some, what the episode does with its runtime by foregoing fight scenes more than justifies this choice. Overall, Tower of God season 2 episode 5 is an exciting setup for the immediate next steps, even if relatively uneventful.