Vic escapes from the fiery Sleigh House, taking refuge in a gas station in the town of Gunbarrel, but Manx too is converging on this destination.

Picking up at the exact moment that the previous instalment finished, Vic survives the inferno by climbing up a chute/vent in the wall, with some impressive pyro effects blasting around her feet. A kindly biker takes her into town, but just as she’s explaining to the owner what’s been going on, Manx and his Wraith pull up outside. Craig is still in the trunk and has punctured the gas tank, forcing this pit stop.

Poor Craig has had a rough time, and his possible escape through the back of the car involves being bitten by vampire Bradley. Vic can’t pull him through into the front seats, and in a heart-breaking moment the car goes up in flames. The only saving grace is that as his car burns, so too does Manx deteriorate, his desiccated frame barely alive as the police finally take him in to custody.

But this isn’t the end of the story. Those familiar with Joe Hill’s novel will know that this is just the conclusion of the first section of the book, and there’s an interesting symmetry to the first scene in the book now being the final scene in this first season of the show, ending this first run in a good place. Without sticking slavishly to the novel, the show has become its own thing, wisely featuring the book’s standout moments.

Verdict: There’s a moment in this closing episode where Vic displays such power and strength when she reminds the comatose Manx that she’s going to torch Christmasland like she did his car. And you believe every word. Vic, like us, has come a long way since being the troubled teen in episode one, and she’ll soon have a whole new priority in her life. We don’t need Maggie’s bag of Scrabble tiles to know that there’s trouble ahead, or that this show has a bright future. 10/10