I haven't watched AoT since the first season aired, and I'm excited to catch up for the final half of the final season!

These OVAs remind me just how good this show can be. On one end of the spectrum, we have perilous situations where life and death hang in the balance of a single decision... and on the other end of the spectrum, we have a cooking episode!

Here are my thoughts on the individual episodes:

#1: Ilse's Notebook (7/10)
I think this is the only one of the three OVAs that actually ties into the main narrative, what with Hange trying to capture a titan for her research. It drops some interesting titan lore, but there's not too much more substance than that. She gains Commander Erwin's trust based not on something she does, but based on something Levi found while she was acting foolhardy, so I don't see a reason why he would have given her permission based on someone else's actions. Regardless, it was a pretty neat episode altogether.

#2: The Sudden Visitor (7/10)
Man, I know Jean can be a jerk sometimes, but how can he be such a big jerk to his own mother?

This OVA ended up using a lot more comedy than I expected, probably more than the whole first season in total. It certainly helps that Sasha gets a main role this one. Surprisingly, the lighter tone actually works well with the (frankly) strange premise, and I had a great time. I wasn't sure what to think when the idea of a cook-off was brought up (considering the overall serious and bleak tone of the show proper), but I bought into it pretty quickly once the action started. And by the time it decided to go off the rails a little, I was totally there for it!

However, being the more grounded show that it is, it does a good job balancing the fun (which is something I never thought could happen in AoT) with the serious. Jean's strained relationship with his mother is kind of heartbreaking, and they bring it to a nice, character-based conclusion in the end.

#3: Distress (8/10)
This one feels the most like an episode that was cut from the show, as opposed to a spin-off. There were some great moments of character conflict, good and clear stakes, plus it was really cool to see them use the 3D Maneuver Gear for something other than killing titans. From the very opening of the episode, it oozes tension. Seeing the team start off with less-than-stellar teamwork, then seeing them evolve to a well-oiled machine, was well written.

I kind of wish the other team with Mikasa and Annie had a larger part in this, but they did a good job of using them where they were needed in the story. A solid episode all around.

Summary:
These could have all fit pretty seamlessly into season one's narrative (especially "Ilse's Notebook"), but since the last two don't have any impact on the overall story, it makes sense to turn them into side story OVAs. If you enjoyed season one, these are absolutely worth watching, even if they're not strictly necessary.