El-o'-win

This third installment delves deeper into psychological territory, weaving past trauma and present mystery with compelling precision. The episode's exploration of childhood abuse through atmospheric flashbacks creates a genuinely unsettling viewing experience that lingers well beyond the credits. The narrative centers on Lucy's traumatic childhood, featuring haunting sequences of a young girl painting rocks with her dying mother and later being terrorized by an abusive father.

The cinematography excels in its contrasting visual approaches: the warm, golden-tinted flashbacks of maternal love juxtapose the cold, shadowy present-day investigation scenes. The closing sequence, featuring Lucy's bedroom window slowly opening as she waves to a mysterious figure, is particularly well-crafted, building genuine dread through minimal visual elements. The production design effectively uses Miwok symbols as recurring motifs, adding layers of cultural significance and visual continuity.

Eric Bana delivers another solid performance as Turner, conveying the weight of an investigator haunted by unresolved cases. His scenes exploring connections between current events and his past work demonstrate his ability to balance professional determination with personal vulnerability. The supporting cast maintains the series' high performance standards, particularly in the challenging flashback sequences that require authentic portrayals of family dysfunction.

The episode's central mystery, Jane Doe's identity connecting to Turner's old cases, provides satisfying plot progression without sacrificing character development. While the pacing occasionally feels overly deliberate, the emotional payoff justifies the methodical approach. The episode successfully balances procedural elements with deeper psychological exploration, though some viewers may find the childhood trauma sequences difficult to watch. The writing demonstrates growing confidence in the series' darker themes while maintaining the natural beauty of Yosemite as a haunting backdrop to human darkness.

Still not in a rush but, by now, you realise that's the point.

Ep 3 deepens the sense of isolation and unease. There's no dramatic twist or big reveal yet, but the atmosphere tightens another notch. The show trusts the tension to do the heavy lifting, and it mostly delivers.

Eric Bana's Kyle is starting to crack a little, which adds much-needed texture. His grief doesn't just hang in the air... it seeps into his judgment.

Lily Santiago's Naya is still orbiting him, but her instincts are sharpening, and the push-pull between them is finally gaining heat.

We get a few new details in the central mystery, but they come in whispers, not shouts. What's most gripping now is the feel of the show... that quiet dread humming beneath the surface. It's not thrilling in a traditional sense, but it is absorbing.

This is slow-burn done with purpose. No fireworks yet, but the fuse is definitely lit.

Another 7.5/10.

Vasquez manages to identify Jane Doe; her police work brings back an old case that Turner worked on in the past. Vasquez finds herself in danger.

It's meandering along at a fairly modest pace, but it's smoldering; and I don't just mean Eric Bana. The story is definitely coming together, and I expect it to burst into flames pretty soon.

I really liked how this one came together; I like that Kyle's shatterproof façade is starting to come down and that his relationship with Vasquez is starting to soften a little.

One thing that did irk me just a little was the scene where Vasquez wandered into the mine; I found it a little hard to swallow, and her subsequent rescue was a bit of a damp squib. A moment of rare high drama amounted to nothing.

Bana is excellent throughout it once again; he's such a good actor-he really is a charismatic guy. I keep hoping to see more from the wonderful Sam Neill, so far he's playing a low key role, he must have more to do with it.

8/10.