In the aftermath of the oil drill disaster, life returns to the best approximation of normal for the town. But did Ben and Maddie cover their tracks as successfully as they thought?

It feels like ages since we last saw Siren on our screens, and the episode gives us a brief but effective ‘previously on’ before diving headfirst into the action, as Xander’s boat burns in the water and the mer-folk gather to honour their fallen comrade on the sea bed. It’s all-action for a few minutes, before suddenly skipping forward a couple of weeks where everything is a little calmer.

Ben and Maddie aren’t left to miss their favourite little mermaid for long, as Ryn returns to the land to honour the deal she made with Nicole in return for Ben, Xander and Calvin’s release from custody. But the reunion is barely done with before Ben has other issues on his mind.

And what a pile they prove to be. After initially thinking they’d got away with their little underwater heist, it turns out that Klesco maybe have some evidence of what exactly happened beneath the waves. Added to that, Elaine takes a turn for the worse, as the new treatment she’s been on seems to be reacting badly.

There’s no prizes on offer for guessing where the second worry is going to end up taking the characters – indeed I believe I said in my previous review that it was apparent Elaine’s plight was being teed up to be the next major plot point. As to the first issue – that’s trickier, and it might end up setting Ben against unexpected enemies going forward.

Nicole remains a mysterious character indeed – her intentions towards Ryn seem benign enough, and her interest in Xander almost seems genuine. It’s honestly unclear at the moment exactly where the character will end up, and that’s a credit to the writing and Natalee Linez’s performance equally. For his part, Xander seems to be on the cusp of a sort of early mid-life crisis. His boat is at the bottom of the sea, but suddenly he seems to be asking himself whether that’s the worst thing in the world after all.

Meanwhile, Helen agrees to help out Rick in coming to terms with his estranged sister. But how well can that go, given their history and the scale of the news Rick wishes to impart?

Verdict: Back after a long break and it’s as if it never went away. Taut, full of surprises, and setting up some interesting plot strands for the rest of the season. Colour me very much intrigued. 8/10

Greg D.Smith