The show resets the clock as we get the time period from episode 1 re-told from the perspective of the parents as they prepare for the big ritual. It becomes clear that some may be more on board than others, and all are tense as they get ready to attend the meeting.

Having spent an entire episode fleshing out each of the teenage protagonists, the show decides to accord almost equal time and attention to their parents, the ostensible antagonists of the piece. What’s interesting is what a different episode this produces, given that most of it follows the same roughly 24 hour period.

In the case of Alex’s parents, Catherine and Geoffrey, we get a storyline that showcases exactly the sort of person that Geoffrey used to be, which provides an interesting contrast to his current position, both in life and in the group. What adds to that is the power dynamic between him and his wife. For all that he is the cock of the walk in his professional life, both now and in the past, it’s clear that it’s Catherine who is in charge in the home.

In the case of Victor and Janet Stein, more revelations abound. Both appeared in the pilot to be fairly one-note characters – Victor the arrogant bully and Janet the downtrodden wife. What we see here plays with those impressions, never fully dismissing them, but certainly broadening them and providing a sense of context, making them believable characters rather than cardboard stereotypes.

Karolina’s mother, Leslie, is a unique factor – her husband Frank is not a part of PRIDE and has no involvement in or idea of its activities. This fact alone provides another layer of unsettling context to the character – not only is she clearly lying to her daughter and her congregation but evidently also to her husband. This also allows for them to have a split storyline – while Leslie is busying herself in preparation for the meeting, Frank is trying to work his way into her inner circle, though not, it has to be said, for entirely noble or selfless reasons. Clearly, this little domestic thread will be pulled at later as the show progresses.

In the case of the other parents, we get less real substance. The Minorus essentially have a domestic disagreement over the sanctity of absent daughter April’s room, and little else. It’s clear from context that Tina is a driving force in the PRIDE group, but husband Robert seems frustratingly bland at present, though perhaps this belies deeper mysteries to be revealed. The Yorkes remain as quirky as ever – they are real outsiders to the rest of the group, and not just because of the disdain of the others for Stacey’s homemade soft cheese. Their position morally appears the oddest of all the group members, and I sense that fascinating things remain to be revealed about them, not least concerning what they have in their basement.

With roughly twenty minutes remaining, events catch up to where the pilot left off, and we switch back to the kids and how they respond to what they’ve seen. It’s compelling because it’s so real – these are all high school kids after all. They lack the authority or capacity to confront their parents, but at the same time they feel deeply uncomfortable at what they have witnessed, and what they now perceive their parents to be. Having been drawn reluctantly back together in episode 1, they are now inextricably linked, sharing the burden of a terrible secret and with only each other to lean on emotionally.

It really is starting to feel, two episodes in, like this has been a very carefully thought out piece of television. The framing device of two separate episodes showing the same events from two perspectives, and the insistence on giving equal weight to developing the antagonists as to the heroes, is suggestive of something nuanced and layered. These do not appear – on the evidence so far – to be your average comic book TV villains. There’s no evidence of wanting to take over the world, murder everyone on it or even achieve ultimate power. These are rounded people, with families they love, jobs and lives in the community. This could be some fascinating stuff.

Verdict: Tense, complex and subtle. This show is taking some risks in the way it opens, considering the target demographic and the type of content they are used to from the MCU, but I for one am impressed. One thing seems certain – things are about to get very messy. I for one cannot wait. 8/10

Greg D. Smith