Debuting this week is the first episode in a massive three part final season of the critically lauded Dr. STONE. Marking at least twenty episodes for its final season, the final total has yet to be revealed, this should hopefully appease fans of the original manga who are wondering how a final season would go. Specifically, how it covers all that it should cover from the source material. Dividing the season into three parts is hopefully the answer. Having not read the source material myself, though highly enjoying all 3 previous seasons immensely, I’m intrigued to see what lies ahead for our intrepid science kingdom.

The first episode of the season serves to catch us up with all the characters that have set sail to the America’s while providing another chapter into the ongoing friendly rivalry between science mastermind and de facto leader Senku (Yusuke Kobayashi/ Aaron Dismuke in the dub) and the brilliant sailing captain Ryusui (Ryota Suzuki/ Clifford Chapin). Senku insists the journey should take a more direct and hazardous route to save time and make it in time for the fall harvest. Ryusui insists on safer navigation that factors in weather and the behaviors of the sea. Senku challenges Ryusui to a winner takes all poker match to decide which route to take, which draws a massive crowd of all the other crew on board the Perseus in a World Series of Poker televised event-inspired fashion.

In typical Dr. STONE fashion, the episode may seem about much of nothing. But as the reasons for Senku’s demands are laid out everything starts to click. In typical Senku style, once the parameters are known it’s hard to disagree. It’s this way of writing and revelation of science based facts, explained in simpler terms for the followers and the audience, that is a trademark of the series as a whole. For those who may not know the basics, Dr. STONE is set 3,700 years after all the people in the world were petrified. After being awoken by accident, Senku discovers the secrets to reanimation and sets out to reanimate others. They also find that some humans have survived, though the non-petrified group knows nothing of science and 20th-century innovation.

The writing on the show remains its biggest strength as the original manga by Riichiro Inagaki and Boichi has long been raved over for its inventiveness and originality. And show composer Kurasumi Sunayama  does a great job here as well. The voice acting is on point and despite the relative closeness of each of the seasons, Dr. STONE has never seen its animation quality diminish over the years. And heading into its final and manga fans’ favorite arc of the entire run, I don’t see the show taking any steps back either.

While the first episode reconnects us with the crew, it also doesn’t do much to show what’s ahead for the group. Still, a trailer also released by Crunchyroll and production companies 8PAN and TMS Entertainment gave fans a better look at what’s coming up next. There are glimpses of Dr. Xeno and Stanley Snyder, two favorite antagonists for fans of the series, but nothing yet to see about the mysterious Why Man. So it’s safe to assume that the trailer mainly focuses on the first and possibly second arc of the new season while leaving the tease for the final episode for later. And personally I’m excited for the return of Suika, who for my money gives Spy x Family’s Anya Forger a run for her money in the adorable category. Either way, with Dr. STONE returning, one of the best animes currently out there is back, get excited!