Stunningly animated and with blindingly bright world and character designs, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners definitely made ripples when it came out a few months ago. David Martinez’s story in a hyper-technological but tragically unjust world is a spectacle to behold and a demonstration of what animation is actually capable of.

While David’s journey is a gripping coming-of-age tale of revenge and ambition, not all of Edgerunners' narrative choices seemed to be wise. The time skip between the first and second part, for example, served to show David’s physical change, but it might have slowed down the pace of the show, resulting in a less-than-satisfactory ending.

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The Time Skip Showed David’s Physical and Psychological Change

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Although it’s never specified in the show, the time skip between Episode 6 and 7 must be at least a few months -- David's body has completely transformed from that of a scrawny kid into an impressively muscular man, with a whole series of implants added to it. The difference is shocking and if that was the intended effect, it was certainly efficiently done: David is almost unrecognizable.

In addition to his body, his character also has transformed -- the insecure, impulsive and naïve teenager has turned into a respected leader and loving boyfriend. His relationship with Lucy also proves the latter's metamorphosis from being cold and indifferent into allowing herself to open up to someone and love. While she is not an edgerunner anymore, Lucy seems happier and more fulfilled as David’s girlfriend.

David’s mind is clearly suffering from the influence of all the implants, but, at least at the beginning, he seems calm and secure in himself. Ironically, the time skip serves to confirm that despite Maine and Dorio’s deaths, nothing in this twisted world has changed -- and it probably never will.

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Cyberpunk Edgerunners' Ending Would've Been More Impactful Without the Time Skip

Cyberpunk Edgerunners' David and Lucy

Although it certainly added to the shock factor of David’s physical change, Cyberpunk Edgerunners' time skip might have done more bad than good. Maine’s death being a pivotal point in the story, its consequences are diluted because the audience never witnesses the immediate aftermath. When David reappears, months (or more) have passed, so he has already gone from grief to acceptance. Without the time skip, the writers could have used the strength of David’s rage to fuel his final battle.

While the enemy doesn’t change, the impact of his actions isn’t as strong as it would be if it came right after Maine and Dorio’s slaughter. The world and its rules haven’t changed and Faraday is always the villain in the shadows -- the only thing the time skip achieved was to allow the audience to take a breath before the ending, which is not a good idea when the creators want them to be excited and distraught by the last fight.

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David and Lucy’s transformation could have been handled differently. They could have used a montage, which is what they did in the initial episodes to show David’s training; or they could have shown David’s desperate rush to become stronger by adding more and more implants and showing the effects on his body and brain as they happened.

While it doesn’t necessarily ruin Edgerunners, the time skip could have been dealt with better or even avoided. David and Lucy’s relationship had been growing since the very beginning and David’s physical metamorphosis had started in Episode 1, with his first implant. A wiser choice would have been to show the effects of Maine’s death on both of them: on one side, grief and hopelessness, and on the other, a hunger for a quiet and peaceful life finally devoid of war -- both potent catalysts for an explosive final arc.