Evan, Dylan and Mac deal with an intrusion into a Canadian Tire store as Ange and Ken Leeds discuss the future…
NB This is not spoiler-free for the entire series, just for those who’ve not yet seen this week’s edition
Stargate and Sanctuary director and star Amanda Tapping makes her debut behind the camera in this tightly-shot episode that combines claustrophobia within the store with some very expansive shots for the scenes between Ange and Ken Leeds. The latter show off Vancouver’s skyline well – there’s absolutely no mistaking where this series is being filmed – while the former couldn’t be more Canadian if you tried. Unless, say, you had your characters donning hockey gear…
Comparisons with the British show’s shopping centre episode are inevitable for long-term fans, and whereas that allowed the production to roam around, using motorbikes and other cool gear, this relies on the high shelves and narrow aisles for its effects. There are some very good interactions between the actors and the creatures – eyelines are no longer a major problem – and a couple of gruesome moments.
There are developments following the tragedy in last week’s episode, with both Mac and Ange making decisions that could have long term effects on the stability of the core cast – and revealing a lot about the undercurrents that have powered Cross Industries along the way.
Ken Leeds is also proving to be rather more than the Mulder-wannabe that he first appeared – as Ange points out, there’s some aggression in among the passive aggressiveness. And some of the other ongoing plotlines haven’t had attention for a few episodes… (or, indeed, one of the characters this week!)
Verdict: Chances are you’ll want wontons when you’ve finished seeing this – which will make sense – and regret that we’re already nearly halfway through what has to be just the debut season. 8/10
Paul Simpson
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