Ben is in serious trouble, and everyone else rushes to aid them. 

Picking up right after the last episode, this reminds us just how good the Nublar Six are at what they do. Terrified, but focused, they get Ben medical help, get him stabilised and it’s not enough. The movie timeline collides with the series and as fire spreads through the valley, the Nublar Six are forced to save their friend, dodge dinosaurs and help with the evacuation all at the same time. It’s a great, nuanced depiction of trauma as they take turns not being okay, and then getting on with it. It’s heroic without being flashy and grounds the episode at the same time as making it one of the most poignant half hours in the show for a long time.

But the heart of the episode is Ben once again, and his determination to unite Bumpy and Smoothie is more important to him than his own life. It’s played perfectly, the Six alternately horrified and inspired by their friend. At heart these six young people are both survivors and a family, and the terror they all feel at Ben’s plight, especially Brooklynn’s near panic attack, speaks to that. This last trio of episodes do excellent work with Brooklynn’s impossible choices being reckoned with and her horror, and terror, at the possibility she’s inadvertently killed her friend is raw and real and heartbreaking. But what gets you more is the way the others lift her up and she gets back to it. Even in the face of the fire, the Six do what’s right, not what they want to.

Despite the action, and there’s a lot of it, this is ultimately a character study and one locked in on Ben. The episode is written, and played, like he’s dying and the darker tone is going to be upsetting for a lot of viewers. The ending especially is both lovely and heartbreaking as Bumpy and Smoothie are reunited, Kenji realises his time as a ‘parent’ is over and Ben gets what might be his last wish. Kenji’s gentle, sincere happiness is very moving and while the tone is dark the ending is hopeful.

Verdict: A tough watch, but a good one. 9/10

Alasdair Stuart