I haven’t read the comics, but Mark came across as quite helpless during most of this episode. Even after he started actually fighting back, he still hesitated and got himself stabbed.

I’m trying to visualize the scene you’re describing and what it would’ve added to the story, and I’m falling a bit short. Maybe I’d just have to see it to understand.

The opening scene did a lot of heavy lifting. Excellent song choice, art, and pacing.

I especially loved how he drifted past all of these absolutely beautiful places in space that anyone would be awed by, but he’s so depressed that none of it even registers for him. He’s just a zombie floating through space waiting to die.

Not to mention all the parallels between the scene with him and the scene with Debbie, which anchored his story in his misdeeds.

I also really appreciate that he’s still Nolan. He’s still short-tempered and violent. He’s just learned to understand his own feelings a little better.

A couple parts of this episode felt like filler to me, namely the stuff with Debbie. She got several long scenes that didn’t really develop her character. We learned that she’s… still sad about Nolan? What new information did we get about her?

They could’ve easily trimmed out her scenes except the ones with Mark and visiting Cecil.