Class - Ep6The group are locked in detention by Miss Quill – but find that they’re trapped in a far worse predicament than they expected…

After the high drama, swordplay and violent flower-induced deaths of the last two-parter, this is almost a “bottle show” featuring pretty much just the main cast, and a very limited number of standing sets. (There’s some fancy effects, both visual and practical – it’s not just them standing around!) But add in an alien item that has some extremely annoying attributes and you’ve got an episode where we really delve into the relationships between the quintet.

If you’ve been watching the show carefully, a lot of what is brought up isn’t out of the blue – there are fault lines inherent in the group, and being in this close proximity to each other brings them to the surface. Whether the discussions are about Charlie and Matteusz or April and Ram’s relationships or Tanya’s self-doubt, they are all built around the same central idea – something that Patrick Ness described as “the whole MO of every teenager”. The strengths and weaknesses of each of them come to the fore, and it’s no spoiler to say that things are pushed to the limit and beyond. I mentioned that Sophie Hopkins might be using some of last week’s episode for her showreel – but there are moments in this instalment that show each of the actors at their best.

Verdict: A truthful look at our heroes. 8/10

Paul Simpson

 

 

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