Gwynn’s recruitment to Yavalla’s cause may spell trouble for Garrett. Janzo and Wren get closer. Tobin is faced with a difficult choice.

So now that Gwynn has been sucked into Yavalla’s weird Kinj Cult, Garret Spears’ life must be measured in hours at best, right? Well, no, because this is The Outpost and things don’t work how any normal person might expect. After Gwynn questions Talon about Spears’ whereabouts, certainly some Blackbloods turn up to kill him, but if you think that’ll work I have a bridge to sell you.

Inevitably, it turns out that the Kinj-splitting trick isn’t a one-time deal, as various others are brought under the spell – Blackblood and human alike, but wouldn’t you know it, there’s a limit to this power. Remember how Zed wasn’t able to use his Kinj to mind-control Talon because her own Kinj protected her? I wonder if that might be a more universal effect, for plot-convenient reasons?

Meanwhile, the least-surprising romance of the show steps up several gears as Wren and Janzo decide to conduct some ‘experiments’ on human/Blackblood biological compatibility. It’s rather sweet how much they have in common, I guess and Janzo did prove himself last time out whereas Wren’s own mother did not, but it still does feel like we have fairly rushed this one, considering we are on the fourth episode. Still, at least it’s quite fun.

Over in Aegesford, Tobin runs into the small issue of his army not having been replenished from its losses in the battle against the armies of The Three (remember them?). Then he runs into the slightly bigger issue of a very persistent ex who just so happens (wouldn’t you know it?) to have a large shiny army all of her own. And she’s only going to accept one form of payment, leaving Tobin to the least convincing dilemma of the series to date.

Back at the Outpost, as the Kinj fever spreads, Talon and Garrett finally manage to start putting the pieces together after some VERY direct help in doing so, but having established that only they and Janzo can be trusted, they figure out the one other person in the Outpost they know for sure won’t be infected. But can they convince him and even if they can, what can they do?

As usual, it’s all rather silly, but there are bright points here and there. Janzo and Wren make a genuinely adorable couple, Munt continues to be a revelation for the season and Imogen Waterhouse is obviously having fun playing the two sides of possessed Gwynn. But it’s still daft plotlines, excruciating dialogue and cheap looking sets which mostly hold it back.

Verdict: Not completely awful but still nowhere near good. 5/10

Greg D. Smith