The side effects of the stem cell extraction cause even further issues for Ben and Maddie, forcing them to start investigating the physical implications of their own interactions with Ryn. Elaine meanwhile is feeling better than ever and eager to continue her new miracle treatment and Helen is curious to discover more of her own family history.

Picking up immediately from where it left off last time, Ben and Maddie find themselves chasing after Ryn, who seems to have succumbed to some serious impulse control issues. Enlisting help reluctantly from Nicole, they manage to track Ryn down, but the final confrontation leaves further questions about exactly what effect Ryn’s song may be having on their brains.

Finally deciding to confront this question head on produces mixed results. Ben, for his part, seems to have moved past a stage where he worries all that much about how his own brain may or may not be deteriorating in the same way as Decker’s did. Maddie on the other hand, being newer to all this and also a different person, seems a little more shaken by the thought that her love for Ryn might have a negative impact on her health. She also seems to have a very different response from Ben to the song itself, which leads to some awkward moments for her at various points in the episode.

Elaine is feeling much better, and decides to throw a dinner party for Ben, Ryn, Maddie and (oddly) Helen. It seems the show may have changed its mind slightly about both Ben’s mother and his father. Where in the first season the former seemed to be a bit of a shark, cruising underwater and ready to strike, this time out she seems to be genuinely nicer and more concerned for her son. Ted meanwhile, who seemed to be suggested as a slightly… wandering husband, seems more dedicated to his wife than ever. Perhaps I was misreading what went on in the maiden season, but I prefer to think it’s a part of the complexity the show gives to its themes and characters – there are no ‘pat’ answers to problems the characters face and no archetypes of characters themselves either.

Helen is disturbed by what the old man said to her about her parents, and watching old footage of them hardens her resolve to find out more, especially when she notices an unexpected connection to the Pownall home. It certainly seems that Helen’s claims to be a part of the Pownall family are going to take the narrative down some interesting routes as time goes on.

Verdict: Pacey, intriguing and finding new avenues to explore all the time. It’s impossible not to enjoy this show and what the writers and performers are doing with it. 9/10

Greg D. Smith