S02E06

In comfortably the best episode of the second series, a darker tone descends upon the show alongside plenty of crowd-pleasing entertainment.

The stall is neatly set out in the opening scene with the mammoth, where the threat to the lives of the motorists feels believable. A sense of claustrophobia is soon generated by some neat direction when Cutter and the hysterical mother are trapped in the car when it comes under attack by the mammoth. This feeling of entrapment nicely mirrors the tightening noose around the team's neck Oliver Leek finally emerges from the shadows to reveal his true nature, if not his end game.

The love triangle between Helen, Stephen and Nick Cutter really ramps up the conflict. Douglas Henshall's performances have been regularly criticised in recent episodes, but he surprisingly delivers the goods here, putting a gun to Jenny's head and a fist to Stephen's face. Henshall convincingly portrays a man besieged by paranoia and defiance, struggling to keep his team afloat.

Elements of fun and humour are intricately interspersed with these juicy plot developments. In particular, the character of Lester is wisely given more screen time and this allows Ben Miller to display his comic prowess. His face-off with the Leek-controlled beast functions as both tense action and tongue-in-cheek pastiche of the sci-fi genre.

Overall, this episode shows what can be achieved when the series is brave enough to stray from the stale formula that had previously dominated the second series. Good writing, slick direction that builds a sense of immediacy, plus darker performances all combine to great effect here.


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