The Fades: Review: Series 1 Ep 6

Paul is determined to save the day without any more bloodshed, but both John and Neil have other ideas…

The final episode of this graphic horror story maintains a relentless pace throughout. There are some vicious fight scenes, and at least one unexpected death which mean that your attention is grabbed right from the start.

The Fades has used many horror clichés throughout, making you expect certain things to happen in this concluding episode, but they don’t (well not all of them – there’s the inevitable fight between good and bad guy that goes on for a little too long). Neil’s descent into psychosis continues, and one of the most horrifying moments of the entire six-part run occurs about midway through the episode, which makes you realise that all bets are off.

There’s development for most of the B-characters, from Tom Ellis’ bemused teacher realising that the return of his wife from the dead might be too good to be true after all, to Paul and Anna’s mum. Mac and Anna get a good scene together, which is intercut with a threat to them from outside, as well as the Paul/John confrontation, and suitably, the final scene features them.

Hopefully ratings have been strong enough to warrant a sequel: there’s certainly more than enough loose ends deliberately left to be picked up.

Verdict: A suitably horrific ending.  8/10

Paul Simpson