Still separated, the girls continue their investigation – Shawna and Cleo follow a lead, as Abby stays with Osgood at UNIT…

Spoilers

A shorter, tighter episode this week, courtesy of Àjoké Ibironke and Juno Dawson, which sets things up for the third act of this story. We get a clearer idea of the threat, and quite a lot more insight into the girls’ backgrounds, courtesy of some well-written and played scenes. We’ve had hints about Shawna and Abby before, but not really got to know them as well as we have Cleo, and the underlying love and yearning within their relationship becomes more obvious as Shawna talks to the representative of Requiem played by Doon Mackichan (listen carefully for some clever hints as to who it is that this person has lost.) The counterpointing scenes with Abby and Osgood also suggests lines that can and can’t be crossed.

Ella Watts elicits the strongest performances yet from the core cast: Charlie Craggs seems to have relaxed into playing Cleo, while Holly Quin-Ankrah’s moments as Shawna reveals some truths – even, we might suspect, to herself – are powerful. The mounting terror as the episode heads to its conclusion is also well portrayed, with the level of the disappearances being emphasised on a macro level (by Osgood) and micro (Cleo and Shawna’s contrasting view of what’s happening right in front of them).

Verdict: A well constructed instalment. 8/10

Paul Simpson