Back from the dead, Paul tries to find out why exactly he is so special…

Pedal to the metal for this penultimate episode, as the Fades step up their plans to eat and turn themselves corporeal, giving a number of actors seen earlier in the series a justified reason to go way over the top. Sarah’s decision to become an infiltrator looks as if it may backfire terribly, and Mac’s dad starts to realise exactly how out of his depth he has become.

The focus though is on the two antagonists – Paul and John – as their core groups become increasingly affected by events. Lily Loveless gets possibly the best line of the episode as Anna, Paul, Mac and Jay are trapped by one of the Fades that sums up her self-obsession – and there’s also a well-acted and written unexpected scene between her and Mac a little later on.

The horror element is right at the fore, both in terms of gore and psychological terror – anticipating pain and torture is apparently worse than the real thing, according to those who have experienced it, and this episode plays into that.

Paul’s actions towards the end of the episode make it clear that the confrontation between him and John in the final episode will be intensely personal. And although you have to root for Paul’s side, you do have to wonder if everyone is going to survive…

Verdict: The crescendo to the final battle begins here.  7/10

Paul Simpson

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