Rowan, Moira, Lark and Cortland arrive in Kilbride to find Lasher. It immediately goes terribly.

This episode walks a razor thin line between mounting folk horror and off the shelf stereotypical ‘RUN FROM THE LOCALS!’. It gets close a couple of times, and there’s a beat with Lark and a mask that’s basically a show that knows better going ‘BOOGA BOOGA’ but for the most part it’s a really good episode.

A big part of that is how much of a team mission this turns out to be. Moira is taken off the board fairly early, but the others all get a ton to do. In Lark’s case that’s yelling ‘We need to LEAVE!’ at increasingly loud volumes. Bless him, he is not wrong, but he is also painfully aware the type of show he’s in. Cortland too gets some fairly meaty scenes, including a great moment with Uncle Ian, played by Ian Pirie. Pirie is a massive presence in the cast and Uncle Ian brims with bonhomie, charm and barely concealed rage. As far as he’s concerned, the New Orleans side of the family have been hoarding Lasher for decades. As far as Cortland’s concerned, Julien cut all memories of Ian out of him because he was doing ‘important work’. The way the show essays these two men tracing the topography of their complementary abuses is fascinating and oddly sympathetic.

But this is a Rowan heavy episode and honestly it needs to be, She and Ian circle each other like the family leaders they are and Daddario and Pirie sparring is great fun to watch. The show also digs in on how Rowan, a doctor, is very good at diagnosis but terrible at people. She makes a very smart choice, identifying the ‘Moira’ of the Scottish side of the family, working him for information and getting absolutely played. There’s a sense of her being steered by Ian, especially when she discovers that Bonnie, the youngest member of the Scottish family, is ‘stitched in’ to the rest of the family. That means all the pain felt by them is transferred to her. Her happiness at this, and the fact she’s set to be married to the local ‘saint’ tell us more about the family than any jump scare could.

Meanwhile, the show’s least used man, Ciprien, finally gets some stuff to do as he realises his boss has betrayed him and finally takes control of his life. The Talamasca are some of the show’s most interesting elements and it’s great to see them finally step into the spotlight again. Especially as Mariana A. Novak and Franka Potente do great supporting work as his new colleagues.

Verdict: Galloping along with enormous energy, this is a fun episode that sets up the end game and makes some welcome, surprising choices along the way. 8/10

Alasdair Stuart