Matthew continues to struggle in maintaining the pretence of his identity to the powerful forces which rule over London. Diana reaches out to Susanna Norman again for help in training her in magic.

Dealing again mostly with events in the past, this episode starts expanding on a great many things after the opener’s introduction. Matthew is starting to struggle to keep up his charade given the various powers and intrigues his old self was at the centre of. Lord Cecil must not suspect him, and so when he is confronted with orders to interrogate a witch who has been found potentially treasonous, the Queen suspecting that England’s witches may turn against her, he is faced with some impossible choices.

Adding to the complexity is the connection said witch shares with Father Hubbard, an eccentric priest and vampire with ancient connections to the De Claremont family who rules over London’s creatures. Hubbard will not be easily dissuaded, and Matthew and Diana must navigate creature politics every bit as complex as those they left behind in the present, only against the backdrop of increasing nervousness among creatures in light of the witch hunts in Scotland.

Meanwhile, Diana reaches out once again to Susanna to try to get some assistance in mastering her powers. Susanna agrees to take her before the most powerful witch in England to see what she makes of her, and the answers Diana receives are surprising and revelatory, beginning to make sense of much that has passed before.

Kit continues to brood, unhappy that his friend and the object of his unrequited affections has changed so much. In an attempt to get back some of the old magic, he takes Matthew out drinking and gambling, but no matter how much fun they have, there’s no escaping the twin facts of things having fundamentally shifted between them and the danger in which Matthew finds himself if he doesn’t at least try to appear as his old self.

In the present, we get brief scenes at Sept-Tours and in Finland. Marthe attempting to persuade Isabeau to be a little more welcoming to their guests, Diana’s aunts, and Satu visiting her mother to learn a truth about herself which may prove very interesting as things progress.

Unlike a lot of shows that dabble in time travel, this one, as I mentioned last time, doesn’t agonise too much about the intricacies and this is to its credit, allowing it to focus more on characters and plot. As things close out, wheels have been set in motion which may cause even more trouble for our star-crossed lovers, impossible as that may seem to them.

Verdict: Great characters, deliberate and enjoyable pacing and some great moments of intrigue and tension. 9/10

Greg D. Smith