As Matthew and Diana prepare to finally make their way back to their own time, they are surprised by an encounter with another person in the sixteenth century who doesn’t belong. Back in the present, Marcus, Phoebe, Sophie Nathaniel and Agatha go to Sept Tours, but will they be safe from Knox, even there?

It feels fitting for a series that has flitted back and forth between the past and the present that this finale is a little bit of a mixture, focusing pretty evenly on what’s going on in the past and the present, and in the tradition of all good genre finales, as much is seeded for next season as is tied off for this.

Matthew and Diana, going nowhere quickly with the Book of Life, are pretty much resigned to getting it back to their own time and seeing if locating the missing pages there might help when they have a chance encounter with someone entirely unexpected. Normally, the coincidence at play here would be one that would irritate me and take me out of the narrative because honestly on the face of it, it’s a pretty huge one. However, narratively it is justified quite nicely, and whereas one could argue against the specificity of the thing, were one so inclined, it actually works well on a number of levels, not least because at least some of the tidings the person brings are unwelcome to Matthew and Diana, albeit sensible.

Back in the present, Marcus and Phoebe follow Agatha, together with Sophie, Nathaniel and their new baby to Sept Tours, where Marcus is determined to keep them safe from the attentions of Knox and the Congregation. This gives us a lot of great stuff but perhaps the best of all is watching Phoebe and Ysabeau’s interactions. Lindsay Duncan has always been great as the Vampire matriarch, radiating quiet power and authority without the need for any theatrics, and also displaying a sort of detached amusement at the emotions of others. This time out is no different – she is obviously concerned about Marcus having revealed himself to a human (indeed not all that long ago she was suggesting he should kill Phoebe to protect them all) but Phoebe is clearly no ordinary human, and Ysabeau ever was a great judge of character…

Back in the past, Diana and Matthew must tie up loose ends so that they can return to their own time. For Matthew, that mostly means just getting the house in order so that his old self can slip straight back into his life when he returns. For Diana, it means completing her training with Goody so that she’s actually able to perform the necessary magic and also making arrangements she’d rather Matthew remained unaware of with regards to keeping Jack safe when they go. I have my own theory about how this might play out and how it’s connected to the future, but having not read the books I will just have to wait and see.

But at Sept Tours, even as bread is broken between all four species and things seem safe and protected, tragedy still manages to strike, suddenly and powerfully. As we roll credits, it’s clear that a war is coming in the next season, and that there will be bloody vengeance meted out when it does.

This has been an absolutely stonking season – the additional two episodes over the maiden season’s count were absolutely justified – if anything it felt at times like the show was a little crammed and another episode or two more might have been perfectly feasible and welcome. Best of all, the show has never shied away from what it is, while also subverting a lot of the expectations of what that means. The romance is front and centre, but done in so many interesting ways. The love story between Phillippe and Ysabeau, told without either sharing one moment of screen time but powerful nonetheless. The love between Diana and Matthew a partnership between absolute equals in every way, despite the fact that each outstrips the other in certain ways. The love between Marcus and Phoebe, though new, is another excellent take for the genre – starting in a way that couldn’t have been predicted and playing out equally well. The history the show plays with is done so well too, sketching out believable portraits of historical figures of note and giving believable reasons for them to not only be involved in the story but deeply so. All told, I struggle to think of much that the show does wrong over the course of this season, and that’s testament both to the strength of the writing, the clarity of the direction and the talent and commitment of the cast.

Verdict: Difficult to see how the third season can begin to top this, but I can’t wait to see them try. 10/10

Greg D. Smith