The links between Mouse and Marcus are revealed as Verity tries to help the priests exorcise Andy…

Things are really heating up now as the series careers towards the second season finale – but there’s still plenty of time for an extended series of flashbacks that add considerably to our knowledge of Marcus’ past. Thanks to some slightly comic wardrobe work (and I suspect a bit of CGI on Ben Daniels’ appearance), we see how Marcus was when he was the superstar exorcist – and how his relationship with Mouse led her down a very different path. Chances are you’ll be sitting screaming at the screen as the young novitiate breaks the cardinal rule of exorcism, and gets, quite literally, too close to the victim… Zuleikha Robinson and Daniels are absolutely captivating and so much of both their attitudes makes more sense.

All the while that’s going on, Marcus and Tomas continue trying to break the demon’s hold on Andy, and one of the biggest clues that things aren’t going their way is when Marcus arrives back, after a sleep, to give Tomas the affirmation that he’s clearly been seeking. Careful rewatching shows the moment when things move away from objective reality but after 18 hours of watching these characters, you know that something has to be wrong.

There’s a tour de force performance in this episode from Brianna Hildebrand as Verity, as she faces up to who and what Andy is now, and refuses to allow her love for her father to be broken. Li Jun Li has sometimes had a bit of a thankless task this season, with Rose seen as an obstacle by many of the characters when all she’s trying to do is what she feels is best, but Rose’s own love for the children – and Andy – shines through.

The final moments once again show just what an asset John Cho has been to this season – this is the same guy who would do anything for his children… and now, he’s become this…

Verdict: Powerful and intense. 9/10

Paul Simpson