Roll Over and Die’s seventh episode leans hard into character beats while fumbling some of its darker ambitions. The episode delivers queer-friendly warmth and a few memorable moments — especially thanks to Ottilie — but it also indulges in cartoonish villainy that undercuts the series’ larger conspiracy arc. Below I break down what worked, what didn’t, and why this episode feels like a step sideways rather than forward.
Table of Contents
Episode Recap — A Mix of Cute Moments and Missed Opportunities
This episode trades the momentum of the ongoing church-and-state mystery for a self-contained confrontation with Dein, a former antagonist whose presence feels increasingly unnecessary. Dein’s plot involves kidnapping a blind homeless girl to force Flum into drinking dragon poison — a melodramatic, almost cartoon-level form of villainy that clashes with the show’s otherwise grim tone. The expected emotional payoff — Flum’s catharsis and the putative end of Dein — is interrupted by Ottilie’s sudden intervention, which undercuts the chance for a satisfying one-on-one resolution.
Character Analysis
Flum — Growing, But Sheltered from Consequence
Flum continues to be a compelling mix of wounded survivor and fierce protector. The episode reinforces her role as a center of care for the other girls, especially Milkit and the newly introduced blind girl. However, the narrative keeps Flum from suffering real consequence or delivering final justice. When a story positions its protagonist to finally confront a past abuser, deflecting the confrontation weakens the emotional arc. Flum’s growth still registers through small, tender moments, but the larger stakes feel muted.
Dein — A Villain Past His Usefulness
Dein’s motivations boil down to regressive entitlement, a trope the series used effectively early on to establish stakes for Flum. Here, though, he comes across as redundant. Kidnapping a blind girl as leverage feels contrived and tonally off. The show could have either deepened Dein’s backstory to make him threatening in a fresh way or retired him decisively so the series could refocus on the conspiracy that should be the true long-term antagonist.
Ottilie — Surprise Standout and Gap-Moe Queen
Ottilie is the episode’s highlight. Initially appearing as a gallant, trope-heavy officer with striking red twintails, she flips expectations with an exuberant, unabashed expression of attraction toward women that lands as comedic, earnest, and oddly touching. Her “advanced yearning” moments — a mix of gap moe and playful fetishization of small, intimate details — bring levity and human texture, turning a one-note archetype into someone memorable. Ottilie’s alliance with Flum also matters narratively: having insider ties to both the royal army and the Church opens potential tactical paths for the protagonists.
New Allies and Queer Worldbuilding
One of the episode’s most consistent strengths is its commitment to sapphic dynamics. The show doesn’t just include a lesbian couple; it deliberately centers queer relationships and places them at the heart of community-building. Ottilie, Milkit, and the other women around Flum form a found family that’s emotionally resonant. The newly rescued blind girl is an obvious sympathetic hook — amnesia, homelessness, and experiments by the Church hit every empathy button — and while her introduction is clumsy, the updated ending credits showing her seated among Flum’s group signal she’ll be a long-term member of the ensemble. If the series develops her through the slow, tender work of becoming family to Flum and Milkit, that will validate the heavy-handed setup.
Thematic and Pacing Issues
Where the episode struggles is tonal coherence and pacing. Roll Over and Die works best when it balances dark fantasy worldbuilding with intimate character moments. When the show attempts melodrama but resolves it with deus ex machina (Ottilie arriving at the perfect moment), it undercuts tension and robs the protagonist of agency. The Church-and-kingdom conspiracy still looms large, but this episode makes zero meaningful progress unraveling it. In effect, the series stalls: we get smaller emotional payoffs but none of the forward motion needed to sustain a long-form mystery.
Visuals, Mood, and Small Bright Moments
Despite narrative problems, the episode delivers notable visual and tonal highlights. Quiet touches — Eterna calmly sipping tea while others act lovey-dovey, Sara happily scarfing down food despite her limitations, and the tender domestic moments between Flum and Milkit — keep the show’s heart beating. These little beats are essential: they balance the grim premise with warmth and make the world feel lived in. At the same time, the series needs to be more inventive with its nastiness; the cruel, experimental elements of the Church should unsettle in a way that lingers rather than feel like occasional shock tactics.
Where This Places the Series Going Forward
The show’s queer-focused community and character-driven tenderness remain its greatest strengths. For future episodes, the series should: (1) recommit to the central conspiracy as the primary engine of plot, (2) stop recycling minor villains whose defeat yields little payoff, and (3) allow Flum and her allies to take more active roles in dismantling the Church’s machinations. Doing so would align the emotional stakes with the narrative stakes, giving both the characters and viewers a clearer sense of purpose.
For viewers who want to check the series, Roll Over and Die is available to stream on Crunchyroll here. For context on the broader yuri traditions the show draws from, this overview of the yuri genre can be a useful primer (Wikipedia: Yuri).
Final thoughts
Episode 7 of Roll Over and Die is a mixed bag: delightful, queer-forward character work sits beside clumsy plotting and melodramatic villainy. Ottilie’s exuberant presence and the growing found family around Flum are reasons to keep watching, but the series needs to tighten its narrative focus and let its main characters confront their antagonists with consequences that actually matter. If the show can couple its warm, sapphic core with a more consistent approach to darkness and conspiracy, it could be a standout in the season. For now, it remains a show full of charm and promise that hasn’t quite nailed the execution.
