Hmmm....
Again, there are changes. Most of them for the better.
Spoiler for Changes compared to relevant VN volume, not spoilerish for the final episode but hey, some people get mad about comparisons that aren't tagged:
1. In the VN, Lise gave the rebels a false location for Irisdina. But here....they let her take a swipe back at the Stasi by truthfully telling Theodor where Irisdina was. So here, Lise may have been beyond repair but there was a small part of her that was able to defy the Stasi, even if only for a moment. It definitely does a fair bit for Lise's character. It's not quite the degree of dying defiance I'd have liked (Lise killing Axmann before dying herself in Episode 12 would have been my optimal scenario) but she did get something. Enough for me, I guess.
2. Gretel and Axmann + his crew didn't go in pleasantly into that Stasi file building in the VN. Gretel was forced in there after being shot by Axmann, the Stasi set the building on fire. Gretel died there but before she did...she found a file that showed that Karl, Irisdina's brother, had survived the Stasi purge ten years ago.
In this episode's version, Gretel and Axmann went in together, the Stasi start destroying the file storage, Gretel rejects Axmann's offer, the rebels intervene, then someone shoots Gretel before she could kill Axmann. No mention of the fact Karl was probably alive...which makes me wonder....are they intentionally hiding it here on purpose? Or was it completely removed because Karl had never shown up before?
The thing that bugs me is that there was a cloaked informant Axmann spoke to. Someone was informing on the happenings of the 666th. I'm not sure who the heck it could be. All members of the 666th were accounted for because most of them were in battle, Walter and Sylvia were still recovering from their injuries at one of the rebel bases and Irisdina was still captive. So...who the heck gave Axmann the info he wanted then made sure it reached Beatrix?
3. The location of the false information given by Lise in the VN was where this episode's battle took place. In this version, it happened to be where the two crossed path since the 666th were on the way to Berlin.
I really wish they gave Beatrix's character some proper showing before this episode. There is a lot more to her and given how much has to be done in the final episode, I don't think it will get a proper mention at this rate. Which is a real pity.
Oh well...one week until we see how they wrap things up. Wouldn't surprise me if the episode length for the finale is longer than normal.
But one thing is for certain - it's going to be a very bloody ending. Hopefully the core characters get enough time.