Claude reconnects with his brother in Tennessee, while Holly, Ralph, Yunis, and Andy follow him in hopes of isolating the evil force and thwarting its next kill.

Paddy Considine’s Claude finally comes to the fore, and not a moment too soon, as the shapeshifting supernatural beast has nearly completed its cloning of him. Jack has broken into his own home and tooled up with some heavy artillery, serving as the creature’s familiar, finding victims to feed his master’s voracious appetite.

As with most of this season’s episodes, the pacing is deliberate, cheap thrills not being traded for key character moments. There’s only two episodes left after this hour, but it’s because we’ve invested so much time with the posse on El Cuco’s tail that when they eventually confront him the stakes will be higher. There’s a disturbing scene near the end of this episode when a boy is abducted at a fair, saved by the quick actions of his sharp-eyed sister.

Most significantly, this is the moment when Ben Mendelsohn’s Ralph finally has to accept the truth. He has a great respect for Holly, but only tonight can fully accept that Claude can’t be in two places at once. And now it’s time for a showdown.

Verdict: As we move into the show’s endgame we begrudgingly accept that there are going to be casualties. Will faith or science save the day, and just where will the beast strike next? 8/10

Nick Joy