「黄金の輝き」 (Ougon no Kagayaki)
"Golden Radiance"

「禁断の狂宴」 (Kindan no Kyouen)
"The Forbidden Banquet of Insanity"

Considering how Fate/Zero was originally slated for a contiguous six-month run, I wasn't expecting the midpoint break to coincide with some finale-worthy material. However, I wasn't expecting ufotable to leave off on a highly suspenseful cliffhanger either, which is downright cruel.

「聖杯の招き」 (Seihai no Maneki)
"The Holy Grail's Invitation"

This week's episode may not have exuded the same "epicness" as the last one, but the dialogue between Kirei and Archer was just as good as the three kings' debate. It was a lot less ambiguous with the foreshadowing, not only with the Holy Grail's invitation but with Archer's not-so-subtle proposition as well.

「聖杯問答」 (Seihai Mondou)
"Holy Grail Dialogue"

For the better part of half of this episode, I was pretty set on how my impressions in this post would go -- that Urobuchi Gen writes some exquisite dialogue that's truly worthy of kings -- but then the second half rolled around after Rider lectured Saber on what it means to be a king and I just had to tackle it from a different angle -- Fate/Zero is too epic for words.

「凛の冒険」 (Rin no Bouken)
"Rin's Adventure"

Being a full episode about Rin, this could've easily been saved as a side story instead of one of the regular episodes, but only a fool would actually think that when childhood Rin is absolutely adorable. There were plenty of full-length pans, a shot of the million-dollar smile, and the arrival of the "true" Hero of Justice, making this a worthwhile endeavor in my books.

「主と従者」 (Aruji to Juusha)
"Master and Servant"

The lengthy exposition in Fate/Zero continues, and while the thought did cross my mind that I'm too forgiving of it compared to To Aru Majutsu no Index, I really don't think that's the case when I haven't read the light novels of either adaptation.

「魔術師殺し」 (Majutsushi Goroshi)
"Mage-Killer"

The episode title said it all about how this would Kiritsugu's time to shine and he does just that with the use of his single-shot Thompson Contender, loaded with an "Origin Bullet" created from his rib bones (and effectively, part of his soul).

「魔境の森」 (Makyou no Mori)
"Evil Forest"

Any concerns out there about the action dwindling down should have quickly subsided, though I don't think anyone truly expected all the Masters to simply cooperate once Risei ordered a temporary truce until Caster is eliminated. Kiritsugu is naturally on top of that list given his assassin mindset, and not without reason due to the suspicion of a secret pact between the Church, Kirei, and Tokiomi.

「謀略の夜」 (Bouryaku no Yoru)
"Night of Stratagems"

The episode title said it all, so I don't think anyone should be terribly disappointed that the action dialed back this week in favor of more exposition. It's not like more exposition is ever a bad thing when it comes to Fate/Zero, but Kiritsugu did blow up a building to make sure everyone's paying attention.