Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex E03 Android and I

"Grief is a waste of time. If it's between emptiness and grief, give me emptiness". 

Episode 3

When an obsolete android model with a cult following starts committing mass 'suicide', Section 9 are called in to investigate. After investigating the plant that the 'Jeri" model android is manufactured in, Kusanagi believes that a hacker introduced a virus into the mainframe, probably by having an infected Jeri sent in for repairs.

The Jeri Model android was technologically obsolete even upon introduction. It's cult following stems from its good looks and 'cute' personality.

Through a process of elimination, Section 9 discover that the culprit is Marshall McLachlan, the son of the Canadian ambassador to Japan. Marshall is in love with his 'Jeri', whom he considers a real person. His motive for killing off the other Jeri androids is to ensure that his Jeri is unique.

Unfortunately, Marshall's Jeri doesn't feel the same way about him, at least not anymore. When it comes down to a confrontation between Section 9 and Marshall, the Jeri intervenes to capture Marshall.

At the end of the episode, Togusa reveals that much of the plot of the episode, and dialogue of Marshall and the Jeri were word-for-word identical to the plot of the 20th century French New Wave film Breathless.

What I Liked

This episode gave me a real sense of dread for the future of AI. While many Sci Fi films focus on the risk AI could pose to humanity, I've never considered the bigger risk would be how fully aware and emotionally deep AI are treated by humans.

Was the relationship between Marshall and Jeri one of domestic abuse? It sure looked like it to me, but begs the question do androids have rights or must they just accept our every abuse on them?

In a broader sense, it seems that the writer, Masamune, was making a comment on the relationship between men and women in our own world.

Jeri has a very strong resemblance to Patricia, in Breathless. In reality, the whole episode is a tribute to the cult classic French film.

What we learned

The Tachokomi's continue to show more than just machine learning. This seems to be a pattern of the series and will be interesting to see if they develop a spontaneous 'ghost' in their shell (i.e a soul).