Ep 8 serves as a methodical setup piece that, whilst competently executed, feels rather stretched for dramatic effect. The pacing suggests we're deliberately being positioned for the finale rather than experiencing genuinely urgent storytelling.
Dave's psychological warfare against Michelle provides the episode's strongest material. Their extended confrontation, with both parties fully aware of the other's intentions, creates genuine tension. Egerton delivers Dave's weaponised smugness with considerable skill... the man's barely contained glee at tormenting his colleagues is genuinely unsettling.
The cat-and-mouse dynamic works well enough, particularly when Dave forces Michelle to revisit her childhood trauma. These scenes demonstrate both actors at their most compelling, even if the psychological chess match occasionally feels rather drawn out.
Michelle's recording efforts provide procedural momentum without being particularly innovative. The button microphone gambit feels adequately executed but hardly groundbreaking television.
The episode's climactic twist certainly catches one off guard, though it arrives after considerable buildup that tests one's patience. Without spoiling specifics, it's a development that transforms the series' moral landscape in ways that should prove interesting for the finale.
Bottom Line: Solid groundwork for what promises to be an eventful finale, though it suffers from the inevitable pacing issues of penultimate episodes. Competent rather than exceptional, but the final moments suggest the payoff may justify the patience required.
