NGC Season 4, Episode 4: “Nowhere Safe”

UPDATED with review and new trailer!

So, judging from the reaction to the trailers, Season 4 Episode 4: “Nowhere Safe” generated quite the buzz on the board. Will the film live up to the hype? Let’s find out. Here’s a rundown of what happens.

Virtue returns to a safe house following an uneventful patrol mission. She starts to do a cool down stretch and barely avoids a cleaver slash from Filth who comes out of nowhere.

Virtue attempts to use her power, but it doesn’t work on the villain. Virtue dodges some more cleaver slashes, but takes a stomach punch. That leaves her open to another slash from Filth that rips a hole into her costume around the stomach, but otherwise does no damage. No cuts. No blood.

Virtue disarms Filth by kicking the cleaver out of his hand. The fighting starts and Virtue does quite well initially. She lands several shots, dodges some from Filth and sends him back into a wall with a kick to the face.

Eventually, Filth is able to wrap Virtue’s cape around her neck and choke her with it for a good 25 seconds. Filth lets her loose and throws her cape to the ground. Virtue charges in, connects with some punches that Filth takes pretty easily and the tide turns. Filth hits some blows to her stomach, takes off both of her boots, and cracks her in the face.

Filth grabs her by the throat but Virtue is able to turn things around and get Filth in arm scissors. Filth eventually pounds his way out and slaps on a lengthy bearhug that leaves Virtue barely conscious. He then lifts her in the air under her armpits and just holds her in that position for a while.

He puts her on the ground and recovers his cleaver. Just as he is about to give her the “Celestia treatment,” Virtue regains her senses and blocks the blow. It does her little good however. As she attempts to crawl away, Filth rams her head into the floor and stretches her neck back.

He then drags her to her feet and puts Virtue in a reverse bearhug that she breaks out of. She flips Filth to the ground and there’s a short break in the action as both opponents seem winded, although Virtue is definitely the worse off. And that’s when things get dirty.

Actually, there is already dirt on the costume before this part, but Filth uses his power and one of Virtue’s sleeves blackens. He then cracks her on top of her head and uses his power again. When we next see all of Virtue, her costume is a dirty mess from head to toe. However, she continues to fight on and to avoid spoilers, that is where we will leave it.

You do get two endings. One ends in victory, the other in defeat. I should mention, however, there is a low blow and another bearhug for enthusiasts of those particular maneuvers. Also, one of the endings has Filth pouring an unhealthy looking green goo on the unconscious heroine.

So, I’m interested to see what the community thinks of this one. Although it is different from anything they have done previously, it has all the hallmarks of a good NGC episode with the addition of dirt. And I imagine there will be some mixed emotions on that. I think many will put the addition of dirt to the costume in the same category as blood and bruising effects. Some will like it, others won’t. Again, I’ll be interested to see what fans think.

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