As the Dryden Commission visits the Railyard, Mia is reacquainted with an old friend and Niska gets closer to the heart of the terrorist organisation.

We’ve now hit the midway point in this series and so it feels only right that things are starting to ramp up. There’s a poignant moment at the start of the show where a synth is dressed up like a clown and verbally abused by children. She’s locked away in a cupboard after her performances, but when she becomes sentient she’s terrified about her close quarters. Coming bang up to date we realise it’s Agnes, and her motivation for hating humanity becomes very clear; It’s these little vignettes that really help flesh out the artificial humans.

The visit by the Commission goes well, though unbeknownst to the dignitaries a potential assassination attempt has just been thwarted. We also see a greater strength in Max, who finally realises that if he is to be a great leader he needs to toughen up, ultimately throwing Agnes into a container – this is a very different Max to the one we’ve seen to date. Elsewhere, Mia continues to be abused by protesting neighbours – ‘flesh and blood’ is their war cry – leading to a physical assault and a rescue by former lover Ed. Mia’s rejection of him is a sign that she too is toughening up and foreshadowing that we’ll be seeing a more empowered character in the final three episodes.

Emily Berrington’s Niska continues to get the best story arc, being temporarily disabled by one of the terrorist synths before enacting a revenge for the bomb. We still don’t know who is pulling the strings, but there’s only one or two likely suspects on the field. And finally, Joe’s new-found enjoyment with his surrogate synth family is shattered when their identify is discovered and leads to Karen’s murder by a mob. It’s a horrific moment as a terrific Tom Goodman-Hill follows pools of blue blood before discovering the broken body.

Verdict: The strongest episode this season since its opener, human society is presented as a dreadful presence, with the synths proving to be far more sympathetic and reasonable. It’s clear that there will be consequences. 8/10

Nick Joy