We discover the truth about Hermes’ father… AND COFFEE…

This is great. The constant struggle the first half of the season had to match the new style and budget with the fact this is a show often made entirely of in-jokes reaches equilibrium here. Bill Odekirk, younger brother of Bob Odenkirk, is a veteran writer and brings that experience to the first episode this season that lands pretty much everything.

The central idea, coffee as an evolutionary catalyst, is basically the black goo from Prometheus with an extra pump of cinnamon and it works two different ways. The welcome context for why Hermes’ dad abandoned the family neatly heads the episode off from going down some very stereotypical territory and the actual idea itself is just goofy enough to be fun and just fun enough to be sinister. The ending here works brilliantly and that’s something I’ve not been able to say about any episode this season to date. Honestly, the fact it actually ends rather than stops is a welcome relief and the Twilight Zone style sting is that perfect combination of funny and sinister the show is still more than capable of.

Also it’s funny. Often more than one way at once. Hermes’ childhood letter blocks spelling out CHILDHOOD TWAUMA made me applaud, the rarely used Professor/Hermes double act is great and the brief foray into Starbucks parody actually has some teeth (and tentacles), unlike the NFT parody from earlier in the season. This feels like the show fully waking up, which in an episode about coffee feels especially apt. Points too for the note perfect Kyle McLachlan cameo (‘Outta the way, Kwisatchaderach!’ is another belter of a line) and for the signs at the management picket.

It’s not quite a home run. Hermes’ dad is dealt with a little offhandedly and there’s some validity to the fan response reading the ending as another cliffhanger. There’s also an interesting fan theory that the cliffhangers are building towards something and for the first time this season, I could see that.

Verdict: Regardless this is both smart and funny and by some distance the best episode so far this season. 9/10

Alasdair Stuart