Subject 13 escapes from Cadmus Labs. And so does his dog…

This is basically a Joshua Orpin and Genevieve Angelson showcase and it’s great. Orpin’s Conner, brand new and unsure of everything, is a neat reversal of the character’s original appearances in the comics. He’s also tangibly dangerous and the special effects crew do a great job this episode of not only showing just how powerful Conner is but just how careful he is too. There’s thought, instinctive thought, behind some of his actions that makes them all the more impressive. It also tells us that while Conner is worried he’s a monster, we know he isn’t.

Angelson’s Eve Watson is a great foil for him too and most of this episode is basically the pair of them running across the US. Watson is panicky and desperate where Conner is calm and measured and that leads to the most heartbreaking moment of the season. She begs him not to be a hero. To stay quiet. To stay hidden.

And Conner can’t help it, he saves people anyway.

The brilliant reveal of how this episode plugs into the rest of the season, with Conner saving Jason’s life and almost immediately nearly losing his own is brilliant. The show’s exuberant, ambitious approach has paid dividends and here not only do we get an excellent solo character spotlight but one Hell of an ending.

Verdict: Clever, bleak. Weird and unmissable. 9/10

Alasdair Stuart