The Ghost In The Shell Episode 4 Recap: Do The Shell Squad Learn The Truth About Robot Malfunction?

Things take a dark turn in the fourth episode of “The Ghost in the Shell” as the heinous extent of exploitation of sentient artificial intelligence is explored in “Robot Rondo”. Previously, Col. Malles was captured by Shell Squad, even though Puppet Master’s trail went cold, as the master hacker used  human agents as pawns while remaining hidden in the shadows. It was revealed Major Kusanagi manipulated dreams of Fuchikomas to nip the prospect of AI robot uprising in the bud. Kusanagi’s own existential fear and identity crisis came into focus as the distinction between humans and machines almost ceased to exist with technological developments. The latest chapter briefly shifts the narrative focus to double down on the depth of human depravities in a manner which the animated movie and previous adaptations never even dared to do.

Spoilers Ahead

Former war hero and Aramaki’s mentor figure, Col. Tonoda enjoys his leisurely time inside the lifelike virtual space of his home with his pleasure companion robots. All of a sudden, the Tomliand brand robot whom he has just summoned, goes in a berserk mode and lunges towards him with murderous intent. The crazed robot is taken down by Tonoda’s other robotic companion in an instant, and as it turns out it’s not an isolated incident. Several other similar incidents involving Tomliand robots going berserk have erupted across the city, which has prompted Major Kusanagi and her Shell Squad to investigate the matter. As the team try to track down one of the Tomliand models, some genuine horror inspired scenarios unfold, likening the robots into bloodthirsty monsters of some kind. Batou takes down the feral robot, only to realize it wasn’t the Tomliant model they were after, and the real one has already been nabbed by Togusa. While moving away from the impoverished, highly populated area, police and the Shell Squad face protests from the citizens, and Major can’t help but mention the irony of the present times when machines have their own advocacy group whereas corpses lack rights. 

Batou and Major visit the robotic criminal identification department of thenearby police station, and the attending official reveals these incidents, along with self termination of robots, which are not limited to Tomliand models, are caused by strange system malfunctions. He shows them a room full of caged feral robots, who are not programmed to defect by any means and have lost their sanity inexplicably. The official theorizes that the hyper consumerist practices of the market have been releasing new updated models, rendering the older models useless, discarded. Psychologists believe the sentient robots are losing their purpose due to their spirits being hollowed out by market’s practices, which might be an explanation behind the robots going feral. 

Chief Aramaki and Major pay a visit to Col. Tonoda’s place, and while returning, Aramaki reveals that it has been discovered that right Tomliand models, including that of the colonel’s who went berserk, had drawn SOS signals inside their mechanical body. This implies that at least in the case of Tomliand models, a conspiracy is involved and someone is trying to draw their attention. Following Major’s command, Togua and Batou visit the manufacturing factory of these robots in Hanka Precision Instruments. Before they reach the factory, Hanka Precision shipping inspector officer Kubonuma gets tortured by the company President, who is just a brain and spine inside an robotic drone, and his associate, known as Doctor. As it turns out, Kubonuma left the SOS signals in the Tomliand robots, and President wants to extract intel whether he had any accomplices by prying into his Cyberbrain. 

The harrowing reality is, the President is in cahoots with Yakuza, and assists them in drugrunning human trafficking. With Yakuza’s help, the President nabs young kids, who are used to train robots by copying their consciousness, and die a painful death by remaining affixed in the ‘Ghost Dubbing Machine’. Two little kids, Link and Adam, who programmed the Tomliand robots to go berserk with the SOS signals written into them to seek assistance to get freed, convinced Kubonuma to help them. It remains unknown as to how they convinced Kubonuma to help them, as the moment he tries to remember it during interrogation, liminal horror images flash in his eyes and he becomes unstable. These Tomliand models with consciousness of kids were used as ‘special models’ sent to ‘special clients’ of the company president, a number of whom have deservingly perished. Following the interrogation, the President asks the Doctor to let Kubonuma go, as he needs a scapegoat to assuage his clients. 

When Batou and Togusa arrive at the factory,Kubonuma gets shot to death by a Yakuza hitman, right in front of them. As they chase him, Togusa finds himself in point blank range of the killer, and Batou’s timely intervention saves his life. A Fuchikoma, which tailed them without Batou or Togusa’s knowledge, helps them to capture the hitman. Batou tortures the killer to extract necessary intel about the President’s connection with Yakuza and child trafficking, and as they enter the factory, they find one of the President’s cronies is trying to heckle the kids, Link and Adam. Togusa takes care of the scum while Batou follows the kids, and finds the Ghost Dubbing machine. Batou learns the truth about the entire scenario, and is surprised to see that the kids have no remorse about the fact that the robots they programmed to go berserk caused so much chaos afterwards. Batou shouldn’t be surprised, as the kids aren’t even mature enough to realize the sinister purpose for which their consciousness was being used to feed the robots. In the meantime, the President and the Doctor try to make a run for it, but end up getting captured by Batou and Togusa. 

The kids are rescued, and in the aftermath, Aramaki, Major pays a visit to Col. Tonoda’s place. They confront the colonel about being one of the ‘special clients’ of the President of Hanka Precision, as they have learned that the factory site used to be Intelligence Department’s training center – the same division which Col. Tonoda used to run. In exchange for the site for the factory, Tonoda received a Tomliand robot as a gift to satiate his depraved, paedophilic urges. Secret bank account and untraceable fund transfers further strengthen Shell Squad’s suspicion against him.

As Aramaki and Major leave, the chief laments about humans becoming more fallible and slave to their desires as they age. Aramaki emphasizes on the aspect that more often humans need to reflect upon their actions, as they are the only being capable of doing so – but he forgets to mention that’s not true in the present scenario where the line between sentience gained by artificial intelligence and biological evolution has blurred. Needless to say, the incident has shaken his worldview, and will prove to be a learning curve. Major tries to lighten the mood by asking Aramaki to grant her leave, only for the chief to send her to England for two months long training with SAS.