My memory of the movie Ghost in the Shell: Solid State Society is that my memory of it is fuzzy. Even for Ghost in the Shell, it’s a little too murky, with less promise of a reward than the similarly complicated Ghost in the Shell 2. Still, it’s an appropriate sendoff for Stand Alone Complex, refocusing the story to the “what” of the Major from the “why.” After having fun playing hacker pirate, she returns to Section 9, though her continued employment is nevertheless a question. It actually frustrated me how indecisive the show was, as if afraid to muss the continuity. One of the things I do remember is mention of Dejima, the island of migrants whose manipulation into declaring itself a nuclear state by a rogue intelligence agency bent on returning Japan to prewar imperialism was the subject of the show’s second season. By the finale, Dejima’s hero Kuze has been executed, with the criminal mastermind behind the manipulation, Gouda, assassinated by the Major – his head a-splode. Where does that leave Dejima? According to Solid State Society: nowhere. The immediate threat is over, but the broader problem remains unresolved. In this case, the indecision is useful. … More Lessons from Television