Sci-Fi Bulletin: Exploring the Universes of SF, Fantasy, Horror and Spy-fi!

Some months after the tragic events in Roarton, Kieren is contemplating a life away from the village, but Amy’s return – and the arrival of an opportunistic MP – seem to herald further problems for him…

The second series of In the Flesh kicks off with some vicious violent scenes, and shows that if there were any doubts lingering, there certainly is a considerable amount of life left in the format. It also makes it clear that absolutely nobody is safe: by the end of this episode, two key characters from the first series are dead in an unexpected manner (hands up all those who expected Maxine to have taken a more active role in the second death!)

As ever with this show, it’s the lower-key scenes which show Dominic Mitchell’s writing at its finest – there’s a confrontation in the bar, when Amy and Simon, a disciple of the Undead Prophet, arrive in their “natural” state. Kieren is caught right in the middle, but he doesn’t make any grandstanding speeches: he simply makes his choice very clear – credit to Luke Newberry for not allowing it to go over the top.

The series has expanded in scope: we’re seeing more of life outside Roarton, and indeed quite a bit more of the village itself. It seems as if it’s going to become the backdrop for a battle between the two opposing political forces – Victus, exemplified by MP Maxine Martin, who believe PDS sufferers are just one step away from violence; and the Undead Liberation Army, who are diametrically opposed. Not just that, from what’s been set up in this episode, it’s also going to become a battle for Kieran’s soul…

Verdict: If you didn’t catch the first series, enough’s explained here for you to be able to jump on – and on the strength of this episode, it seems as if the second series will surpass the first. 8/10

Paul Simpson