Derek (Derek Elroy) deserves a field trip. Especially as he’s just found the legendary Eternal Arboretum. But so has Alkaran (Jaye Jacobs) and her crew…

Jaye Jacobs literally kicks the door in on this episode. It’s a very strong performance on a very strong character and one that tells us a lot about this world. The Eternity Club is, for a group of legendary explorers, a touch cosy and Alkaran, big of accent and chainsaw, is a neat counterpoint to that. Jacobs plays her to perfection, a rampaging swashbuckling lumberjack to Derek’s calm, stoical tree. There’s a moment here which is actually hard to listen in the best of ways, the stoical Derek menaced and injured as Alkaran cackles. Really fun, pulpy stuff that cleverly counterpoints the core of this story. A core which is about redemption and learning you can come home. Derek’s backstory is gentle and pragmatic, as he is, and unfolds across a gorgeous, Silent Running-like tree ship. It’s a great conceit, and one that feels instantly threatened. It also gives Bernice someone to fight, which she always enjoys and Lisa Bowerman, Elroy and Jacobs bounce off each other with energy and wit.

Verdict: But in the end this is Derek’s story, as it should be. It’s calm as it should be too. A moment of gentle victory before everything starts to go very very wrong… 9/10

Alasdair Stuart

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