Eve: Review: Series 2 Episode 2: Truth or Dare

Will’s mother isn’t the only one returning to throw chaos into the lives of Eve and her friends…

A really strong episode this week that emphasizes the way in which this series juxtaposes SF elements, humour and insight into 21st century family life. This is showreel material for Poppy Lee Friar, showing how conflicted Eve can become by something that confuses her protocols for reasons that she simply doesn’t understand but which show her increased journey towards humanity, as well as some outright slapstick (the half trip over the pavement when Zac tells her he loves her is judged just right). Billy Ashworth is back as Zac, but can Eve trust him after everything that transpired during series 1? I’m hoping that this series will tap more of the potential of the character.

It’s also a very good episode for Oliver Woollford and Eubha Akilade, the former dealing with apparent betrayal by all around him, and the latter being misunderstood for trying to help. Their scenes are nicely played, never going over the top.

There’s obviously a lot of backstory to Will’s mum’s departure – and the relationship between her and Nick is clearly not just that of two divorced parents trying to make their child’s life easier. Who or what is Aurora…? Ben Cartwright also gets plenty of good material to sink his teeth into, particularly when it’s clear that Nick has been caught between the devil and the deep blue sea.

Verdict: A good episode that moves the drama along well. 8/10

Paul Simpson