Gargantia on the Verderous Planet 8
That was a really powerful episode. The funeral procession that extended through the entire episode was a strong focal point around which the personal stories of the characters - Ridget most of all, but also Ledo, Amy, and others - flourished. Pain, sorrow, struggle, hope - it was all strongly conveyed. Murata delivered perhaps the strongest direction to date, with excellent use of lighting to convey the personal emotions of the characters. Ridget sitting alone in the darkness of her office, and then later her address to the funeral procession set to the glow of the sunrise - those were great moments that made me strongly connect to her. The burden of leadership is a heavy one indeed, but it does not need to be borne alone.
One thing I haven't mentioned yet is how Ledo's grasp of the language has been steadily improving episode by episode. This episode he's almost reached fluency. It's a subtle but consistent detail that I really appreciate.