Go Bang Time

Right, after a slight wobble with the flashbacks last time, Ep 4 has largely got its mojo back. This episode felt like a proper return to form, kicking the plot into high gear and reminding us why we were so keen on this series in the first place.

The pacing was largely spot on; the narrative propelled forward with a much-needed urgency, thankfully free from constant temporal gymnastics. It felt much tighter, allowing the tension to build naturally, which was a welcome relief.

Character-wise, we're seeing even deeper cracks and complexities, particularly with Helen (Keira Knightley) and Sam (Ben Whishaw). Their dynamic continues to be the beating heart of the show, and their performances here are as compelling as ever, navigating betrayals and shifting loyalties with real conviction. The script allowed for some genuinely sharp exchanges and pivotal revelations.

My only minor niggle, and it's a truly small one, is that the swiftness with which a particularly dangerous situation (NO SPOILERS LOL) was diffused, felt a tad too smooth, lacking the usual hard-won struggle one expects from this kind of drama. However, the overall direction was slick, keeping us on the edge of our seats.

This episode proved that the previous one was just a minor detour. Black Dove is back to being a gripping, well-crafted thriller, and I'm genuinely looking forward to the finale.

Sam once again finds himself in a position where he can take Hector out, but when Michael gets back in touch, his mind is elsewhere. Dani appears to make a play for Wallace, and makes a big revelation about Helen.

This felt different to the previous trio of episodes, it's a little more serious, the tone is perhaps a little heavier, but it's still a zany, enjoyable bunch of enjoyable craziness.

It doesn't let up for a single second, pure entertainment from start to finish. Some of it was over my head, but I didn't care, it was all so entertaining.

There is a lot of subtle humour throughout this episode, it's very funny, the whole Kent Brockman sequence was a scream, I kept saying that was a Simpsons reference, Eleanor and Williams also, super funny.

There are several well known faces throughout, some faces that seem to appear in everything.

8/10.