A crucified man arrives at the Boulder Free-zone with a message from Flagg for Mother Abigail.

If you had any doubt over Nadine’s (Amber Heard) allegiances, the flashback to her childhood in an orphanage, getting a message from evil Flagg, makes it very clear. She wears a glowing stone like the one given to cop killer Lloyd and is given a new message on how to disrupt Mother Abigail’s community.

In this episode we find out how Nadine and Joe first meet Larry, as well as Stu bumping separately in to Harold, Frannie and artist Glen Bateman (Greg Kinnear). But the most significant introduction is that of drifter Nick Andros (Henry Zaga), already deaf and dumb and now in danger of losing his eye in a bar fight.

Cue the temptation of Flagg, offering riches as his right-hand man, if only he’ll sell his soul. Nick is stronger than that, and would rather live with his limitations than make that Faustian pact, and we also get the joy of meeting Tom Cullen (Brad William Henke) – ‘M O O N’ that spells Tom’.

Verdict: As we hit the end of the first act, all the major characters are in play and the stakes are raised as Flagg starts to make his move. The non-linear timelines might frustrate purist fans of the novel, but it’s a craftily structured show that continues to impress. 8/10