With Thomas behind bars and Martha undergoing surgery to try to save her life, Alfie finds his services in demand from Mr Wayne senior.

How do you make a man like Alfred Pennyworth speechless? We find out here, several times over, in an episode which reminds us that for all his faults and flaws, Alfie has an immoveable source of moral courage. His mum.

But I’m getting somewhat ahead of myself. Thomas, having been prevented from killing his wife by the redoubtable Mrs P herself, finds himself locked away in the Tower of London for his crime, as Martha receives surgery for her wounds. Alfie, once he’s spoken to his mother about what happened, has a fair idea of exactly what drove Thomas’ actions. When the opportunity presents itself, in the form of Thomas’ father, for a major payday, Alfie decides to see if he can’t take an easier route first and goes to have a chat with his old pal the Prime Minister.

That going less than swimmingly, Alfie and Dave Boy take a more direct route, with the somewhat reluctant assistance of Lucius Fox. When they’ve finished causing mayhem, Dave Boy has a date to get to, at an art gallery with Sally. While there, he’ll encounter Francis Foulkes, a flamboyant artist who clearly means to cause mischief.

Alfie meanwhile needs somewhere to temporarily stash Thomas while he makes arrangements, and manages to walk straight into the middle of his mother’s latest attempt at cultivating a bit of male companionship. Set on doing what he must to get the biggest payday of his life, regardless of the wishes of his friend, it takes the stern voice of Mrs P herself to remind Alfie of his manners.

And so a new plan is hatched, unfortunately not accounting for the impulsiveness of certain parties. Much excitement later, nasty surprises all played out, Alfie goes back to the bar, where he finds Dave Boy and Sally entertaining themselves and Sandra trapped upstairs not wishing to disturb them. No prizes for guessing how they end up choosing to pass the time, even as a mysterious stranger reaches out to Dr Glubb.

It’s an entertaining enough episode, though it does rather feel as if the show is somewhat departing from its roots and evolving into something… else. Time will tell, of course, but I can’t shake the nagging feeling that Pennyworth has perhaps lost its teeth somewhat and is also trying to break loose of its own past.

Verdict: Move over Bet, the new star of Pennyworth is Mrs P. 8/10

Greg D. Smith