Episode four of Netflix’s Devil May Cry series continues the fight to retrieve the portal-opening amulet from the White Rabbit. Mary’s team can pull itself back together after their long battle against the White Rabbit’s numerous henchmen. The group reloads their weapons and makes their way to the fleet of demons, not knowing that the shapeshifting demon is amongst them.

While Mary prepares for another fight, wounded Dante and Enzo are brought onto a hijacked plane on the back of large demons. While unconscious, Dante remembers receiving the amulet from his mother. One red amulet for Dante, and a blue one for his brother. As he remembers his mother talking about his father, the White Rabbit takes over this dream, reminding him he is the son of Sparda.

Dante wakes up on the plane, healed from the chip explosion he suffered in the previous episode. Not only are there only the Rabbits’ henchmen on board, but also humans who were taken hostage. The White Rabbit appears on a screen within the cabinet and explains that every person on board will die unless Dante, Sparda’s son, saves them. Enzo and the other humans are left in a state of confused panic as Dante thinks of a plan of escape.

As Mary’s team tracks down the demons, they are left trapped in the White Rabbit’s ‘lair’. The Rabbit’s voice appears through an intercom, warning the civilians in the building that there is an enemy that has infiltrated the area. These demon civilians are encouraged to fight and warned not to help the humans. Within seconds of this announcement, high-level demons spring onto the group, leading to many casualties. With most of her team now dead, Mary escapes into the elevator. She arrives on a random floor that begins to fill with purple gas, leading Mary to search for clean air.

Mary searches for cover by knocking on numerous doors. One door opens, revealing a low-level demon. Wary of the situation, this demon and his family hide Mary in their unit while the White Rabbit’s henchmen search for her. The demons explain that they’re not working for the White Rabbit, but are refugees. The other realm is uninhabitable, and many do not survive in that environment. Because of this, families such as theirs seek refuge on Earth, but are forced to hide due to humans’ hatred for them. Mary evaluates this new information and vows to keep these families safe as she continues her search for the White Rabbit. 

Dante continues to refuse the idea that Sparda is his father– Sparda has not been seen for years, and could have already died. The demons on the plane interrupt and explain that demons are more resilient and live longer than humans, suggesting that Sparda may still be alive. Enzo and the other humans look to Dante, hoping for him to activate his ‘demon trigger’ and to save them from crashing, though Dante remains confused at this idea of being a demon. 

As soon as he breaks free of his shackles, he begins to fight against the twin elemental demons on the plane. While fighting, the demon’s powers remind Dante of the night his mother and brother were attacked. This memory activated his ‘demon trigger, ’ morphing half of his body into a demon. Not only does his physical appearance change, but Dante also becomes twice as fast and strong.

This episode successfully balances flashy combat with more profound explorations of identity and morality through Dante’s internal struggle with his demonic heritage, as well as Mary’s shifting perspective on the nature of demons. Both Dante and Mary have been hunting possibly innocent groups of beings, while Dante may have been battling his own kind. This will serve as the beginning of both characters’ character development, as everything they ever knew has suddenly changed. Overall, the pacing, tension, and character development make this a highly engaging installment that moves the series forward in meaningful and exciting ways.

Rating: 7/10