A client believes his sister is in trouble – problem is, he has no concrete evidence, just a vision…

“It’s okay to not be okay” is a key message of this episode, as mental wellbeing and the resonance of trauma come to the fore.

It has an interesting start which sets the tone for some major foreshadowing, yet is usually a type of scene which would be seen at the end of the episode as a launch point for the following. There is good reason for this, though. Mason Quinn remains obsessively on the mind of McCall and she continues to monitor his movements, despite several warnings to disengage; from her contact, from the deceased Bishop and from Mason himself. The stench of revenge for Bishop’s assassination lingers strong and warnings that it will only end in darkness for her have been voiced more than once. Despite all of this, it remains clear that she is not willing to let this go.

The theme continues with Delilah struggling to reconcile the secret she keeps from her father about McCall, and despite the eroding reasoning of it being for everyone’s protection, the lies and deceit are causing Delilah active harm, triggering the post-traumatic stress she has battled since the death of her friend as she fears her mother also coming to harm.

It is with this knowledge that the episode flirts with clairvoyance, in that the client, Julien, petitions McCall to protect his sister from danger he is convinced is coming her way, without solid evidence. Despite understandable reservations, McCall takes the job. From the moment Julien appears, the episode plays up ambiguity as to whether all his actions have offered coincidental results, or whether he is being truthful about his traumatic premonitions. And they are certainly true from his point of view. His visions, on top of his own identified mental health struggles certainly complement Delilah’s flashbacks and keep both strongly in the viewer’s mind as his fears echo hers.

Julien is expertly portrayed by Yusuf Gatewood, who manages to strike a fine balance between the perceived ravings of a madman, exasperated despondence of one whose words are constantly ignored to disastrous results, and his admission of failing to adhere regularly to his prescribed medication. Gelling this all together is his undoubted love for and bond with sibling Calista, which guides him and his possible clairvoyance at every turn.

The episode investigation itself works well, leaving the question of Julien’s truth looming throughout. Each apparent coincidence manages to both advance the plot by being accurate yet finds itself balanced by attempts at rational explanation and a healthy dose of scepticism. McCall’s friends and family play a large role in this in a number of ways. Whilst Vi anecdotally supports the concept of moments of premonition, it is important not to overlook the contribution Harry makes. He is the mouthpiece of objection, ensuring a logical and rational answer appears in almost all instances whereby mere coincidence can be reasoned against Julien’s protests. As the episode unfolds though, even he finds himself unable to explain every such moment, leaving the audience to question further.

Throughout all this, Dante returns to his role as a reliably police ally who, like everyone else, finds himself warming to Julien even if he does not understand all going on. It is an added convincer for the viewer and a bridge for a more traditional arms dealing investigative plot to occur, which itself holds strong with a good twist on the identity of the mastermind, particularly after a clever diversion seeded early in the story.

Verdict: A solid episode, which lays foundations for a high-stakes conclusion to the season whilst retaining a compelling self-contained story. 7/10

Russell A. Smith