Rowan gets vengeance, Ciprien discovers the truth about Cortland and Rowan and Lasher have a long overdue talk.

The season finale continues the previous couple of episodes’ weird pacing. For the first time too, Daddario’s work seems slightly out of sync with what we’re being told is happening. The episode opens with Rowan chasing Keith through the forest before ultimately setting Lasher on him. It’s presented like she’s so furious she can barely function, driving forward relentlessly. But we never quite saw Tessa die, and that, coupled with Daddario’s oddly reserved performance, robs the scene of a lot of energy. This should feel ragged. Instead it feels brittle.

It’s not the only example. Tongayi Chirisa’s Ciprien is oddly urgency free this time. He, and Rowan, in fairness, get some nice moments and I did like the reveal that Cipreien’s boss can erase memories and how he weaponizes that to keep his own memories The show also essays some really compelling family stuff, as Rowan’s mostly unknown pregnancy collides with Lasher’s needs and the reality that the baby is most likely Ciprien’s. There are big swings taken throughout the episode and the clash between the two men is great, as is the repeated use of the original Mayfair house as a Iiminal mental space. But even these moment feel rushed or presented in a weird tempo or pace.

The reveal that Cortland is in fact Rowan’s father is particularly egregious. His job this episode is to rescue Rowan, gloat a little and die using a power we’ve never seen Rowan use before. Hamlin’s work never quite gelled with the rest of the show but honestly the character never did either, so the odd tempo is at least in context.

Having bagged on this episode for about 400 words there are some elements that work The Talamasca and their MIB-esque memory erasure is fascinating. The idea that Lasher has been manipulating the family for centuries and they’ve been steering him too is deliciously complex and morally grey and the ending is a nicely handled version of a stereotypical moment. But right now for every moment we get that works we get one that doesn’t.

Verdict: Fun, ambitious but paced like a sprint and a marathon and keeping up with neither. Overall, the first season is good but those pacing issues need to be fixed. 7/10

Alasdair Stuart