Catherine Martin confronts Buffalo Bill’s mother, Lila Gumb, and Clarice volunteers to stop her before she goes too far.

Another preachy episode that’s saved by an unexpected ending and the promise of some resolution to Clarice’s past, this episode hinges around Catherine holding her abductor’s mother guilty for his sins. Right from the beginning where Lila is seen to be playing bingo with the prize of a chocolate cake on offer, we know this is a troubled woman. She gave her son away at two years of age, so how can Catherine hold her to account? The truth is that Catherine isn’t following logic and had suffered from her own abandonment issues courtesy of an ambitious mother, and Clarice also lost her mother at a young age.

Of greater interest is Julia’s plot line, where she is asked to dig a little deeper into the pharmaceutical company’s records to flush out Joe Hudlin’s activities. There’s a genuine threat to her well-being, but once again things are handled a little heavily when she accuses Murray of making her uncomfortable, and suggests what he might be thinking. I think this is a disservice to Murray’s character, as that this isn’t the sort of person he is.

Verdict: With three more episodes to go, I’d like to see a concerted focus now on the toppling of the pharma giant. Otherwise we’re in danger of being distracted by too many side issues, which while totally relevant to the characters, could bog things down. 7/10

Nick Joy