Reeling from events at the end of the previous episode, Alfred sinks into a depression which only one person is able to penetrate, with an offer he can’t refuse. Meanwhile, absent Alfred’s influence, Dave Boy and Bazza get themselves into bother. Bet and Peg take in a stray.

I make no secret that the whole practice of fridging – killing off a female character in order to motivate a male one – really does annoy me, so when Esme breathed her last in the last episode I was not best pleased. Emma Corrin had done her best with what the script gave her, but mostly that had been ‘look terrified and occasionally get into bother that Alfred will rescue you from’. Her death as a punch in the gut motivator for our titular hero felt doubly cheap because it hadn’t really been earned. Smashing in his kiss with Martha just before it happened just made things worse.

This time out, the show at least makes a stab at making the death of Esme have an interesting (if thoroughly predictable) element in that the person the show really wants you to immediately conclude did it probably didn’t. Aside from that, it’s very much your run-of-the mill stuff – Alfred sinks into a deep depression, until someone arrives to yank him out of it and infuse him with murderous purpose, and before the end of the episode he’s back to his slick-haired, suited and booted best.

How the episode gets there, in fairness, does throw up some points of interest. It’s been hinting since the start that Alfred left his former army life behind with more than a few demons still in tow, and here we get to explore that more fully, seeing exactly how those demons manifest. Turns out Alfred is a haunted man in a very real sense of the word.

Ironically, Alfred isn’t really the interesting part here. Bet and Peg continue to be endlessly compelling to watch, with their – I honestly don’t know what to call them, ‘servants’? – in tow as one big, incredibly dysfunctional family. They pick up a new stray from the streets, who’s both recognisable to Bet and also very much not at the same time.

Meanwhile, fresh from their actual serious bit of character development last week, Dave Boy and Bazza revert to a pair of depressing stereotypes the moment that Alfred isn’t around to keep them in line. Oh look, the Scottish drunk is signing up for questionable jobs that he really shouldn’t, meanwhile the person of colour immediately starts taking drugs and partying with lots of strippers when his boss’ back is turned. Sigh…

As this all plays out to a backdrop of the No Name League and Raven Society engaged in increasing violence against one another in the streets, the sub-plot of Thomas Wayne’s latest mission and just exactly who he’s really working for, the episode starts to feel less and less coherent, narratively speaking. Which is a shame given the talent that’s on screen and the commitment they’re all putting into it.

I said at the start that the show had more than a whiff of the Guy Ritchie to it, with its mockney hardmen vibe and extreme violence. It’s also starting to showcase a similar disdain for its female characters, whether it’s a young barmaid with a crush who should know better or the endless faceless strippers used as backdrops to various scenes (this isn’t a figure of speech, their heads and faces literally being cut out of nearly every shot in which they appear). This sits oddly with other female characters like Bet and Peg and, for that matter, Doctor Gaunt, who showcase a surprising depth and complexity by contrast. It starts to almost feel like there are several different writing teams not really talking to one another as they each work on their own scenes.

For the record, the violence here is more graphic than it’s been so far (which in itself is saying something). One scene in particular is especially gruesome, and it bears repeating that this definitely is not a show for kids.

Verdict: It’s honestly difficult to know quite how to feel about this one. Elements of it are an absolute joy. Others elicit visceral distaste or even just a simple head-in-hands groan from me. Whatever else it is, right now this show is a bit of a confused mess, one that even a supremely talented cast can’t quite hide. 5/10

Greg D. Smith