Ep 9. Clever Snake, Simple Pigeon

Clever Snake, Simple Pigeon is the ninth episode of Gunslinger Girl: Il Teatrino season 1. The episode opens with a briefing from Jean Croce as he outlines the details of their latest mission. The Social Welfare Agency has received intel that a terrorist group is planning to attack a government building and the agency's cyborg operatives are tasked with intercepting the group and preventing the attack.

Meanwhile, the terrorists responsible for the attack are seen preparing for their mission. One of the members, Franca, expresses doubts about the plan but is reassured by her companion, a man named Marco. The two discuss their motivations for joining the terrorist organization, with Marco revealing that he is seeking revenge for the death of a loved one.

Back at the agency's headquarters, the handling of the cyborgs is depicted in detail. In particular, the episode focuses on the relationship between Claes and her handler, Raballo. The two are shown training together and having conversations in which Raballo expresses his desire to one day retire and live in the countryside.

The action picks up again when the cyborgs are sent on their mission. Four of them, Henrietta, Triela, Rico, and Claes, are dispatched to intercept the terrorists at a local park. The terrorist group proves to be a formidable opponent, however, and a heated battle ensues.

As the fight progresses, the individual members of the terrorist group are shown to have complex motivations and personalities. Franca, for example, is hesitant to kill anyone and ultimately decides to betray her comrades by providing the cyborgs with valuable information.

The episode concludes with a dramatic showdown between Triela and Marco. The two face off in a tense gunfight, with Triela ultimately coming out on top. However, the victory is a bittersweet one as Raballo is shown to have sustained a serious injury during the mission.

Overall, Clever Snake, Simple Pigeon is a tense and action-packed episode that explores the complex motivations and relationships of both the cyborgs and the terrorists they are pitted against. The attention to detail in depicting the handling and training of the cyborgs adds depth to the show's world-building while the well-executed action sequences keep viewers on the edge of their seats.