Alfred finds help from an unexpected quarter as his search for Esme’s killer unearths some hidden truths. Lord Harwood’s return to the public eye threatens the authorities, perhaps more than they realise.

I was not in the least surprised to see Bet turn up alongside Alfred looking for Captain Curzon and seeking vengeance for Esme’s death. For me, the real shock of that episode was seeing Alfred’s father at a Raven Society meeting. Given Alfred’s somewhat fluid relationship to the law and the various factions currently warring for control of the country, it’s not necessarily a revelation that will break his relationship with his father when it’s eventually made of course. But at the same time, it’s hard to reconcile the quiet, gentle man who took his son to one side and helped him with such tenderness and the sort of man who would think the Ravens a good idea.

Still, this time out Alfred finds himself with Bet as an assistant in his quest for justice, whether he wants her there or not. What’s especially pleasing is that the show explicitly avoids this being any sort of ‘redemption’ arc for Bet – she’s still clearly quite unstable and by no means a good person. But she also seems to have held a genuine affection for Esme, and regardless of her personal feelings towards Alfred, she wants revenge just as badly as he does. They make a superb odd couple in this way, with both Paloma Faith and Jack Bannon playing their part beautifully.

As they probe deeper into the mystery of Esme’s final night, Alfred finds the story gets murkier still. Curzon isn’t just a former officer, he’s connected, and the manner of that connection, as it reveals itself, explains the apparent treachery of one particular character, while also giving said character room to remain carefully astride several fences. It goes without saying that the path also leads to violence, and a few more surprises along the way.

Meanwhile, the Raven Society’s plan to have a big rally in public rather wrong-foots the Prime Minister and the Queen. Jessica Ellerby’s portrayal of Her Majesty plays with the character on a number of levels. The voice is spot on, and the affectations feel right, which helps with the very wrong feeling of the thought processes and general attitude. This is a younger, more playful Queen, but one who is still fiercely protective of the reputation of both herself and the institution she represents. It’s easy to see why the dastardly Prime Minister and his subordinates are held in check by her.

Still, the rally itself provides an opportunity for Lord Harwood to surprise everyone with his reappearance. It seems obvious how things will play out, but in the end the whole situation actually goes in some surprising directions. Jason Flemyng is clearly having lots of fun here.

Thomas and Martha rather get relegated to the role of observers in this one. There isn’t much we see of them and mostly it’s them mutually moping about what to do next and then watching events unfold on TV. It’s interesting I guess that they have both seen ‘The Devil’ and presumably that will change them both, but if these are the future parents of young Master Bruce, I confess I’m still a little lost to see as to how they get there.

The real star remains Bannon. His sincerity as the character of Alfred is there in every scene, whether he’s making declarations of loyalty or affection, or promising someone a grisly end. Here, we get to see all the extremes of the character, from ruthless killer through to dutiful son. If the job offers don’t start rolling in for Mr Bannon after this, I’ll be very surprised.

Verdict: Surprising, thrilling and entertaining. If it has a problem, it’s that one starts to wonder if Alfred will ever run out of people to kill. Still, thoroughly engaging TV. 8/10

Greg D. Smith