June 25th, 2009 
AstroNerdBoy フェイト／ステイナイト Ep 22
Fate/stay night episode 22
SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:
With Ilya ill and overflowing with power, Rin tends to her and gives an explanation to Saber. She also reveals that Lancer’s original Master had been slain and that Lancer has a new Master — Kotomine. Rin asks if Saber knows where Shirou is and they determine that he must have gone to the church. Saber rushes out to find Shirou and at the church, encounters Lancer.
As the two battle, Kotomine arrives and stops the fight, bringing Shirou along by the head. Before he turns Shirou over to Saber, he asks Shirou if he wants the Holy Grail now as it is being prepared. Shirou recalls the events from ten years ago and despite Kotomine’s suggestion that Shirou could make everything in the past OK, the injured Shirou decides that he wouldn’t redo things and deny the truth of what had happened and the results of that devastating day.
Kotomine offers Saber the Holy Grail if she kills Shirou. Saber too thinks about her past and comes to an understanding that redoing things is not the way to go. She wants the Holy Grail but she won’t kill Shirou. Further, she chooses Shirou over the Holy Grail, which annoys Kotomine. Kotomine summons his second Servant — Gilgamesh, aka “Archer-1.” Lancer is not happy to see that Kotomine had a second servant and that the defiled place they are in now is how Gilgamesh stayed alive after the last Holy Grail War. Kotomine orders his two Servants to kill Saber and Shirou and then he leaves.
With Shirou having recovered somewhat from his terrible wounds after Saber took his hand, she advises him to stay close. However, Lancer is disgusted by the things Gilgamesh has done to survive and so defends Saber and Shirou from Gilgamesh’s attack. Lancer tells them that this doesn’t mean he’s on their side but that he’s doing what he feels is right and sends them on their way.
Once gone, Gilgamesh comments that he too would have let Saber go since only one more Servant needs to die for the Holy Grail to appear. Since Gilgamesh considers Saber his property, Lancer was the one to die. Gilgamesh and Lancer fight briefly but Gilgamesh is too strong and soon kills Lancer.
Outside, Saber works on Shirou’s wound and it heals. Saber tells Shirou that she replenished the mana within the scabbard 
inside of Shirou. Shirou is surprised by this and learns that the scabbard is the one that belongs to Excalibur. Saber explains that the scabbard is why he has his unique regenerative ability and that when Kiritsugu found Shirou ten years ago, the only way to save him was to place the scabbard inside of Shirou’s body. It is that scabbard which Kiritsugu used to summon Saber ten years ago and is how a weak mage like Shirou was able to summon Saber. Saber now understands Kiritsugu’s actions ten years ago and is glad that the scabbard for Excalibur saves Shirou’s life. With that, the two of the promise to destroy the Holy Grail.
Thoughts/Review:
Interesting — Kotomine was the Master to both Lancer and Archer-1. I saw the clues but I didn’t believe my eyes, much as I didn’t when I saw the clues that Archer and Shirou were the same person. *lol* Well, this anime leaves things somewhat ambiguous in my opinion but those who’ve gone through the visual novel would know the truth. ^_^ And thanks to Garik and others who’ve given such great information from the visual novel to fill in the corners and then some. ^_^
So, when exactly did Rin determine that Kotomine was Lancer’s Master and who was Lancer’s original Master? Her arrival with that bit of information about her investigation came out of nowhere as I saw it as did Ilya’s sudden and mysterious illness. Based on what Rin is saying, Ilya is filling with power and was designed that way.
At the same time, the Holy Grail is filling as well. I get the strong 
impression that the writers are making a connection between the Holy Grail and Ilya but that makes no sense to me unless it is inside of Ilya. Rin’s comments on Ilya possibly having to shed her human existence if things continue could suggest that Ilya turns into the Grail but that makes no sense to me either. I mean, if Ilya had won, what would have happened to her?
While I’m thinking about it, where is Sakura? I realize addressing her is a distraction from the rapid pace of the story but I would have liked some sort of something to acknowledge her.
The way is now pretty much set for Saber to remain behind after this Holy Grail War is over and to be with Shirou. I’m glad Saber finally has come to accept things, including her feelings for Shirou.
So all that remains is the final confrontation between Saber and Gilgamesh and whatever happens with the Holy Grail. ^_^
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It seems you have made a slight misuderstanding: Rin did not know that Kirei was Lancer’s Master, only that the person who originally summoned Lancer appears to have been killed before Lancer was first spotted. All Rin saw was blood and an arm that was now missing its Command Seal. She does not know that Kirei is the one who did it (nor that Kirei was an acquaintance to this magus, but that’s a story for Hollow Ataraxia).
She probably did this investigating while Shirou and Saber were on their date, but the timing seems unimportant. Finding out information off screen has been one of Rin’s roles throughout the series. Besides being a major character and possible love interest, she provides Shirou with plot-relevant information that he could not have gathered himself.
There really is a connection between Ilya and the Grail. Remember that Kiritsugu forced Saber to destroy the vessel for the Grail last war. So, this war required a new vessel, and here she is.
In order to fulfill its role as a wish granting engine, the Grail requires energy. Souls provide prana. The greatest souls, souls preserved in the Throne of Heroes and are outside of the cycle of reincarnation, provide gargantuan amounts of prana. So, if one can summon those souls, one has enough power to do almost anything. Once the souls are summoned, the hardest part is done. Then, the souls need to return to where they came from, but if it is done all at once, the power can be tapped. To have the souls return to the source, you have the heroes kill each other. Then, you trap the souls in a container made for the purpose: the Holy Grail.
This explanation, of course, presents another conondrum: if the Grail is a vessel to store these souls, then what is this Grail they speak of that summons the Heroes, chooses the Masters, and grants the Command Seals? I’ll give you a hint: the cave seen in episodes 18-19 was really misrepresnted by the producers and writers of the anime. Something is down there, but Caster probably didn’t know about it.
If Ilya had won, then her role would have been fulfilled. The Einzberns had a plan for her that really didn’t concern itself for what happened to her after she takes on the role of the Grail. After all, the Einzberns aren’t interested in any wishes. There are other methods and the Einzberns would not have spent a thousand years searching for a wish. Their goal is the true purpose for the goal and the true reason for the Heavens Feel ritual, which is what Kinoko has chosen for the official English equivalent for “Seihai Sensou” (like how “Hougu” is equivalent to Noble Phantasm), although Holy Grail War usually seems more appropriate. Of course, this true purpose is known to very few: the heads of the Einzberns, Zoken Makiri, and Kotomine.
If Ilya had won the war, she would be in a better state; Berserker’s soul is greater than the average Hero and weighs more heavily upon her. I think in this case, Sella and Liz would have helped her perform her role to achieve Heavens Feel.
Continued…
You didn’t mention what Kotomine said about the Grail, that it only grants wishes through destruction. Whatever someone wishes, it will not be as they think. This is not the Grail that anyone thinks it is. Only Kotomine and Gilgamesh, who have been bathed in its contents, know for sure what has happened to it.
Sakura, unfortunately, has been put to the side for now. Her role is essentially over for this scenario. Of course, if her role was truly addressed, then things would have turned out differently. If Zoken had learned about Shirou, he could have used Sakura’s affections for him to get her to bend to his will. Sakura’s doubts and inferiorities would begin to overwhelm her. She would see Shirou with Rin (who in Sakura’s eyes is perfect and exalted) and become jealous, convinced that he would fall in love with her sister. The Evil inside of her would combine with the Evil inside the grail and years of pain and sorrow would manifest as something awful.
Shirou and Saber are now resolute in their love and their goal. Kotomine and Gilgamesh must be stopped and the Grail must be destroyed before it can cause another disaster like what happened ten years ago.
I guess I thought that Rin knew because the moment Saber took off to find Shirou, she went to the church. ^_^;
“You didn’t mention what Kotomine said about the Grail, that it only grants wishes through destruction. Whatever someone wishes, it will not be as they think. This is not the Grail that anyone thinks it is. Only Kotomine and Gilgamesh, who have been bathed in its contents, know for sure what has happened to it.”
Yeah, you’re right — I forgot to mention that aspect. ^_^;