dusk_ps1_009_h smallThe Geckos are heading for Mexico with a hostage, as pastor Jacob Fuller takes his reluctant children on holiday…

More of the threads are revealed in this episode, with a much earlier indication in the story of the horrific nature of the bad guys than was in the movie – a smart move, given how much the backstory is being expanded in these opening episodes. Carlos, the gang boss for whom Seth and Richie are working (right), is considerably more than he appears, and there’s a lot more to Richie than just a psychopath who gets off on murder and mayhem.

Playing Jacob Fuller presents a very different side to Robert Patrick from what we normally see – the pastor is a driven man who’s taking his children with him on a journey that he understands but isn’t prepared to discuss with them. It’s not just him who appears to be having a crisis of faith: his children are also undergoing that, at least as far as their faith in him is concerned, and daughter Katie pins her hope on a boyfriend who unfortunately chooses to pick up the wrong hitchhiker along the way…

The disjointed nature of the show is becoming clearer – the start of many acts feature flashbacks, and any assumptions that you might make, based either on the movie or what you’ve seen so far, are likely to be wrong-footed. Like the symbol on Richie’s knife, the show goes round in loops.

Verdict: Maintaining the standard of the opener, this is developing the mythos nicely. 8/10

Paul Simpson

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From Dusk Till Dawn is playing on Netflix in the UK, and the El Rey network in the US

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