It’s the day of David’s ordination and the pressure is on…

Rockne S. O’Bannon pens this final episode for the second season, and it really is one that you want to go into as unspoiled as possible. It’s one of the instalments that really delves deeply into the horror side of the series – the episode title gives a clue, but the reality is darker than you might expect. A lot of threads are pulled together, giving explanations for things that have been building across not just this season, but the whole series.

There’s some great work in this – from the clear pain that Kirsten finds herself in, to the doubts that David experiences (and we’re reminded of his history of sexual addiction up front), to Ben’s attempts to  rationalise what’s going on in the case of the week, which has a direct link to the ongoing plot, to the discussions between Leland and various other people, to Kirsten’s psychiatrist Kurt Boggs getting some very down to Earth advice, to… well, every aspect.

Alethea Jones’ direction is razor sharp: the cliffhanger could so easily have become cliched, or feel unearned, but that’s not the case here, and O’Bannon precedes it with a very tough scene for one of the core cast. There’s also what feels like a more minimalist use of music, that heightens the tension in the horror-filled scenes, and takes on a nasty edge at certain key points.

Throughout the season, the show has become sharper and there’s so much left hanging at the end of this episode that season three promises to be even better. Kudos to all involved both sides of the camera.

Verdict: Going out at the top of their game. 9/10

Paul Simpson