Heather flies the coop while parenting issues severely test Asta and D’Arcy’s friendship.

Poor Harry. Last week we saw Heather coerced into betraying him and now the plug has been pulled on his dream of a new life on her home planet. He is of course disconsolate and a hugely inappropriate gift from his boss can do little to assuage his heartbreak. Sad as it may be, it’s another chance for star Alan Tudyk to flex his comedy muscles which is always fun.

Not much fun to be had in the Twelvetrees household as Asta’s daughter, Jay, and her surprise girlfriend take her for granted. Asta’s refusal to do any actual parenting annoys D’Arcy and a blowup is bound to be around the corner. Personally I’m not a fan of this particular plot strand, it feels odd being introduced so late in the season and really it could belong in any number of continuing dramas. It doesn’t help that Jay’s character has never been fleshed out very much, she’s mostly just something for Asta to worry about.

Much more my cup of tea are Sheriff Thompson and Deputy Baker. Mike has a heart-to-heart with Asta’s dad who sagely nails why Mike is the way he is with women. For once, Mike steps up and helps Liv deal with her horrible nana, with unfortunate consequences. I know I’ve said it before but I just adore these two characters; even in the show’s second season slump they never failed to entertain and are probably what kept me going.

Elsewhere Kate is starting to take action regarding her abductions, after last week’s discovery of an alien chip buried in her neck. It’s surprising that in the middle of what is essentially a very silly show the decision to play this aspect completely straight absolutely works. Meredith Garretson really brings out the genuine fear and horror of the situation, one that I’m sure will only get worse for her as the season draws to a close.

Oh and there’s the return of a certain character who’s been M.I.A. for a while, but I’ll save that for next week.

Verdict: A bit of a mixed bag this time but with enough entertaining highlights to keep this much improved season on track 7/10

Andy Smith