Tensions are high among the residents and visitors at Sanctum. June is shocked at the truth behind her mother’s actions, and more so at her apparent abandonment by Harry. But how long can Halvorson keep the lid on this swirling powder keg of secrets and lies, and what is his final goal?

Last episode promised an explosive finale, and this doesn’t disappoint. Knowing, as we do, that Halvorson is, at the very least, willing to kidnap people and lie to the faces of everyone at Sanctum, we obviously don’t trust the man. But the one question mark which has always remained is exactly what his goal at Sanctum was, and why he was so driven to find June in particular.

But before we can get to that, we’ve got plenty of other stuff to dive into. John isn’t buying into the story that Halvorson is selling, either about Sanctum itself or about the sudden disappearance of Harry. However, much as June is happy to see him, she isn’t ready to leave her newly rediscovered mother behind, nor to believe true malice on the part of Halvorson.

Harry himself, locked away in the lab’s soundproof cell, can do nothing but rage at Halvorson when the latter comes to speak with him. Yet again, there’s an edge of desperation to the mysterious doctor. He’s not just a stock ‘bad person’, he’s someone who not only clearly understands the bad in the things he does, but who believes that bad to be outweighed by a higher purpose.

And there’s still Christine, now with colleagues in tow, desperately racing to Norway to retrieve her son from a situation she still only really half-understands. All she knows is that Harry is in danger, and that by finding him, she might also find some sort of justice for her husband. If only she knew…

The arrival of Steinar proves to be the match that lights the fuse. All at once, revelations come spilling out – about the work that Steinar has helped Halvorson do over the years, about the truth behind Freya’s running away, and about what it is that really drives the doctor forward. The revelation of his ultimate plans for June are as mad as they are ambitious, straddling a line between the understandable desperation of a man in love and the dangerous god-complex of a brilliant man who has fallen a long way. The atmosphere crackles with energy as characters confront one another with truths almost too horrific to contemplate, and the ending is as heart-wrenching as it is possibly predictable.

In the aftermath, just when it feels like perhaps things are heading to a resolution, events overtake our young lovers once more. The final shot is an obvious invitation for a second series, and in keeping with the template of the show to date, leaves us with many more questions in the wake of the answers it has delivered us.

Verdict: Though there are some small elements of the plot which creak ever so slightly at the edges, all round this is a tremendous conclusion to a show which has genuinely been a lovely surprise. I only hope that Netflix picks this one up for a second season, because there’s still so much to be done here. 9/10

Greg D. Smith