Intruders: Review: Series 1 Episode 8: There Is No End

Sometimes they come back – but not always…

In the beginning, there was death – the death of those who came too close to Qui Reverti. Throughout the series, we’ve had the phrase Ave Verum Corpus – “hail true body” in Latin. And in this final episode of Intruders, the two come together. Marcus finds his true (or least most recent) body, with some help from Jack Whelan, but discovers that there are forces in the universe considerably more powerful than those tapped into by Qui Rerverti. And Jack gains a new calling…

Glen Morgan promised that we would have answers by the end of the eight episode run of Intruders, and he has been good to his word. That doesn’t mean that everything is tied up neatly with a bow – as much as anything else, it would have been insane not to leave the potential for a sequel, and I can certainly see something that focuses on the Shepherds, particularly in the light of the end of this episode, working well as a follow-up.

The episode felt Mira Sorvino-lite again, although all of her scenes were well played, and it’s a shame that there wasn’t a bit more confrontation between her and Simm, around whom the episode focused for the most part. Millie Brown gave her nastiest performance as Marcus, but her best work was reserved for the moments that she was herself (even if the dialogue in the lakeside scene felt a little stilted); James Frain likewise had some strong moments and if a sequel does get greenlit, hopefully we’ll see more of his backstory.

Intruders has paid off for those who had the patience to allow the story to unfold at a sensible pace; sure, the producers could have condensed the 330 or so minutes running time down to 200, but the texture of the tale and the strength of the characterisation would have lost a great deal. It’s been uncomfortable viewing at times – and while I’ve been a great admirer of Millie Brown’s work, she’s still had to deliver lines that just feel wrong coming from such a young girl… as, of course they were meant to. (By the way, anyone thinking of adapting Robert McCammon’s Swan Song should nab young Ms. Brown for the lead!)

Credit to Glen Morgan, Darin Morgan and Kristen Cloke for an intelligent piece of writing (based, of course on Michael Marshall Smith’s novel, which I’m now looking forward to rereading), and directors Eduardo Sanchez and Daniel Stamm for intriguing and engrossing direction – let’s expand the story further now!

Verdict: A fitting conclusion with plenty of avenues for a sequel. 8/10

Paul Simpson

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