I haven't seen this season in god knows how long, but yet somehow it has continued to bother me. Its flaws, in my opinion, are apparent, and it bothers me how the community has lauded this series. It perpetuates the most annoying part about the first act of this series was the constant need for flashbacks.

Problem 1, the length: We are dealing with an incredibly short season(12 episodes) this means that every moment of screen time has to count. The plot is primed to move forward, and yet entire episodes are dedicated to flashbacks that are full of useless info like potatoe girl or the snow flashback. It also is used for lazy exposition practically telegraphing plot elements and spoon-feeding info to the audience. Shows like Breaking Bad do their flashbacks right. Short little bits that create intrigue or shows like Berserk which orient us. Additionally, the length cut out of all of the politics. We lose that entire plot thread because the story is wasting its time.

Problem 2, flow: The biggest concern with the flashbacks is the effect on the pace. We end season 1 with a mystery, but we fall to a screeching halt with awkward, occasionally pointless flashbacks. This makes the show crawl like a snail and makes the tone switch all the more apparent. This awkward tone shift was the rushed introduction of the Armoured Titan. There is little to no precedent for this and feels so out of place. It is also terribly telegraphed in the flashbacks, so it lacks any punch. Its as if they went oh shit, we have wasted our first six episodes time to speed up the plot and throw a lot of bullshit in(Eren's special powers).

Indeed, the latter half of the season is a complete cluster fuck. In contrast, with the slow exciting fights of the first season, the second season rushes everything. Fights lack tension and weight, and the story jumps from plot beat to plot beat. Eren's powers are thrown out of a hat. This creates a very bizarre style change. In the first season, the plot slowly built up, and small bits were fed to the audience. This kept us intrigued and interested. The odd change in style cheapens the last episode and leaves me confused and sad rather than excited and invested. The lack of buildup creates a lack of tension.