Crash landing on Pau Rosa, an arid desert world, the crew of the Hemlock encounter numerous difficulties as they seek sanctuary on a mythical, lost planet named Arcadia.

As with Episode 1, the world building continues. The Gorafe Desert in Spain provides a suitably ‘alien’ environment for the world of Pau Rosa, though the heavy red-brown filter employed means it ‘could’ have been filed in a quarry somewhere in England. Nevertheless, it serves to remind us of the global ambition of this series.  The location choices underpin the way in which the producers want this series to stand alongside shows from America and they certainly enable Intergalactic to do so.

One theme we see explored in this episode is the relationship between mother and daughter. The servile, but lethal Genevieve is in thrall to her murderous Mother Tula. Having been weaponised and trained from an early age, Genevieve is a willing pawn used to do her mother’s bidding. Yet in this episode, she seems to be moving away from her influence and shares some interesting exchanges with guard Drew. Alongside this mother/daughter relationship, Dr Benedict Lee (Line of Duty’s Craig Parkinson, who is excellent as always), is able to draw out the conflict raging within Parminder Nagra’s Rebecca Harper as duty and motherhood collide. Rebecca wants Ash to serve her cause, just as much as Tula does Genevieve.

We get more information about the mysterious Dr Emma Grieves, played by Natasha O’Keefe who brings an unsettling quality to the role. Her plight becomes a key plot point in this episode, and we learn that she is of vital concern to both opposing forces. In turns, Grieves is both enemy and protector of Ash. O’Keefe’s understated performance brings strength, dignity and self-confidence to her story.

We are introduced to a hybridised human and space brigand named Echo. Played by Oliver Coopersmith, (Tin Star) Echo is a necessary addition to the cast as a counterbalance to the largely female ensemble and as a contrast to Thomas Turgoose’s ineffectual but deeply relatable Drew. This is England star Turgoose brings a vulnerability and sincerity to the role that makes him instantly likeable as he is bullied by Sharon Duncan-Brewster’s psychotic Tula Quik.

Verdict: This episode continues to establish our understanding of the politics and the machinations of Intergalactic. It can be difficult to follow plot, subplots and character motivation, as the action whips along at breakneck speed. However, the series’ narrative arc continues to build, and the performance of the ensemble continues to grow. 7/10

Andy Evans