Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Episode 3 [Changing World] & Episode 4 [Foreign Negotiations]

Here are the excerpts from Wikipedia about the plots in Eps. 3 & 4:

03 "Changing World"
Tieria returns to space with Gundam Virtue. The Union Army creates the Anti-Gundam Investigative Squad with Graham and Billy transferred from the MSWAD as official members. Meanwhile, Celestial Being launches surprise attacks in South Africa, the South American continent over Taribian airspace, formerly in Venezuela and in Ceylon. Setsuna later faces off against Colonel Smirnov while conducting an attack against Human Reform League mobile suits. Later on, a JNN broadcast revealed that various militant factions in North Ireland signed a peace treaty, ending years of fighting between themselves, the British Army and the PSNI.

04 "Foreign Negotiation"
Colonel Sergei returns to the Reform League to head a new squad designated for capturing one of the Gundams, with Soma Peiris as his designated subordinate. Encouraged by Celestial Being's anti-conflict actions, the South American nation of Taribia declares its withdrawal from the Union and declares it independence over the control of energy resources, prompting a Union military response, forcing Celestial Being to intervene. In Azadistan, Shirin Bakhtiar explains to First Princess Marina Ismail that the conflict is not as simple as it may first seem. Meanwhile, the Anti-Gundam Investigative Squad, in Flag Customs, engage Exia in Taribian airspace. Later on, pro-Taribian separatist politicians led by its prime minister are forced to drop their bid for independence after their forces were defeated by the Gundam Meisters.

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Well, I’ve seen various opinions on the episodes.

But I just have another thought as I reflect on someone else' opinion.

Maybe we don’t necessarily need to treat this series as a Gundam series.

This series is seemingly more and more divert from some paradigms of other Gundam universe.

The two episodes are quite political compared to other Gundam series. It seems like the series is targeting a wider age group, esp. when comparing to Gundam Seed Destiny (which is “chaotic” in its political treatment.)

The episodes are really progressing on a story line, rather than selling actions and music videos (you know what I mean, don’t you?).

In episodes 1 & 2, it appears Gundams are invincible. But eps. 3 & 4 show that the Gundams are actually vulnerable.

Now, I am interested in how they develop the story of the first season, pause it and then start the second season.

This treatment of splitting the series in separate seasons is also a first in Gundam series.

Now, will someone tell me or give their speculation on how Union, AEU & HRL make up the technological gap between their MS'es and the "invincible" Gundams?