Shingeki no Kyojin - ep01

It seems the writers want to take their time introducing us to the story. The main focus is clearly defining the world that the story is set in. That humans are force to live in city where their only protection from the giants is the 50 meter tall wall. It seems that in this world they have tried to fight back against the giants but all attempts have failed. That the currents state of things is that they are force live behind these wall. It seems that this status qua has been maintained for the past 100 years. That the majority believe that the giants can't reach them, that as along as they continue to live their live behind the walls they can continue living in peace.

Although it appears that some are not happy with this status qua is our protagonist Eren, that he has plan to join this worlds version of the military to see the world outside. That his view on things are a bit different than others in how he views their situation, and others are not to pleased with how bluntly he puts it. Erens views are that the reason that the giant haven't bothered with attacking in a hundred years is the true is that they are being kept as live-stock. Then once they are fatten up enough the giants will surely come.

It turns out that in the end Erens prediction turns out to be true when towards the end of the episode the giants invade the city and there is nothing anyone can do to stop it. That in the end the only thing that anyone can do is to flee, this is proven true when Hannes one of the city guards is force to flee in the face of his enemy. That in the end he felt that if he fought he would die so instead he decide to heed Carla's pleas to save Eren and Mikasa. This chapter comes to a close we Eren is force to watch his mother being eaten by the giant.