Retrieving the tape Jen hid years ago, the kids discover the whole story about what happened at Camp Nightmare, as Anthony realises just how badly he’s screwed up.

Mariko Tamaki is one of my favourite comic writers, and their She-Hulk run is especially worth your time. This episode has all their hallmarks: intelligent characters, emotional plot beats and ridiculously tidy narratives. Let’s start there, with Hannah. Played by Eloise Payet, Hannah showed up briefly last episode to talk to Devin. There was clearly something off about her and this episode we find out what it is:

Hannah was one of Anthony’s school friends, and she hasn’t aged a day.

This deeply spooky reveal also gives the episode a ticking clock as Hannah takes Sam back to the fort and the other kids watch the recovered tape at Anthony’s mother’s care home. This framing narrative is smart, funny and pragmatically handled and I loved the repeated jokes about Trey especially not quite getting how the tape is supposed to work. It also gives an added poignancy to the episode given how Anthony’s mother reacts to seeing Matty, her lost son again.

The briefly hugely expanded cast all get their moments here and Tamaki makes them all register. Sameer, played by Arjun Athalye, and Nicole, played by Kyra Tantao, especially feel like they’ve walked in from their own stories, which makes their fates all the harder. The breakout surprise here is Jen, whose young version is played brilliantly by Isabella Ferreira and is revealed to be an insecure bully who acted out worse than her daughter ever did. Her guilt at that, especially the moment where she says on camera that she hopes Matty dies, led to hiding the tape and also built her life as a cop and a mother. It’s a smart, sad beat that changes the dynamic of both women and shows how the events at Camp Nightmare shaped so many lives.

It’s not alone either. Christopher Paul Richards as Matty gets some complex work to do and the show’s sharpest barbs are saved for how the ’90s teens interact with one another. All of which leads to us getting two different takes on Hannah, both perfectly delivered by Eloise Payet. In the past she’s a terrified victim, the last person standing on the tape and not for long. In the present she’s a Bodysnatchers-esque smiling nightmare, leading Devin to the edge of a cliff, his life and possibly his humanity. It’s a great performance and it bookends the best episode of the season so far.

Verdict: Again, this doesn’t quite hit on all cylinders. I’m fairly certain no one was saying ‘That’s the hill you want to die on?’ like it’s used here in the ’90s and the sudden gore beat at the end feels effective but a little janky. Even with that though, this is enormous fun. 9/10

Alasdair Stuart