Hippolyta discovers what’s in a name, Tic uncovers a truth about his father and Ruby makes amends with her sister.

As with the previous two episodes, the main narrative this week is based around a strong female stepping out of the shadows, although with I am. there’s a lot else going on. Quite possibly the most bonkers and mind-blowing instalment yet, the story isn’t a complete diversion like the previous hour, instead also driving the main story forwards with the leads.

When Tic discovers his father’s true sexuality it comes as a punch to the gut, not so much that he believes in the slur that he throws at him, but rather that he’s lived under the false tyranny that Montrose has inflicted to stop his own child from going soft. Equally affecting, though with a more positive outcome, Leti and Ruby begin building bridges following their falling out over the money that bought the boarding house. In truth, Ruby’s more pressing concern is the shape shifting serum that Christina Braithwhite has been extracting from two corpses in the cellar.

The main story follows Hippolyta (Aunjaune Ellis), who until now has existed on the fringes of the episodes, but takes centre stage after unlocking the secrets of Hiram’s orrery that she found in Leti’s house. Hippolyta is a real whizz with maths and science and manages to crack the code which when applied to an observatory telescope open a portal and shoots her across space into another time/universe.

A giant space being called I am (not Will.i.am) challenges her to name herself, leading to a series of adventures – joining Josephine Baker on a Parisian stage, leading tribal warriors into battle, spending time with her late husband, and bouncing around on an alien planet straight from the pages of a pulp magazine. From just a production design perspective, this is impressive stuff, Ellis’s character essentially living alternative lives and gaining wisdom from each. She’s invited to stay forever, but she can’t leave her daughter alone, and there’s still that small matter of a dead cop to deal with.

Verdict: With so much going on, the pacing is bit up and down and you really do have to listen closely to follow all that’s going on – and that’s before you add all the development of the mythology shenanigans. Maybe just a little too ambitious for a single episode, Lovecraft Country steadfastly refuses to be generic or predictable. 8/10

Nick Joy

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