Vic and Chris take the Shorter Way to a junkyard, Bing leverages a secret to seek forgiveness and an ambush is set up to save Wayne.

When will Vic McQueen finally get a break? The poor woman has been beaten within an inch of her life and surely it’s time for her to start clawing her way back. Unfortunately, fate is not yet on her side, and while she and her posse have the advantage in being able to set up a trap for Charlie, there’s a certain naïveté in thinking it’s going to be that easy.

Vic’s mom finally gets to see the Shorter Way Bridge, recognising that this wasn’t a delusion on the part of her troubled daughter. Vic and dad Chris use the bridge to find Wayne’s last location and instead discover a badly wounded Bing. Manx’s henchman is taken in to FBI custody and will only reveal his final secret directly to Vic – the location where the damned children hang a decoration before going to Christmasland.

Verdict: The storm before the hurricane, Vic and her loved ones have to take a further hit before they face Charlie on his home turf. It’s a tough but enthralling watch as we’re reminded just how powerful and ruthless Manx is. 8/10

Nick Joy