Running with a gang of Steelheads, Max discovers that her 'brother' Zack is still alive, turned cyborg by Manticore. Finding him and trying to help him have a normal life, she is unaware that his muddled memories are a danger, particularly to Logan.

It really is good to see Zack back again after the events of last season, and with the added surprise of his new cyborg nature, it enables an interesting story to be woven around the premise that memory can be a tricky thing, especially after you've put a bullet through your own head. There's a nice idea of turnaround in play here, with Max being the one helping Zack for the first time, rather than her brother taking the lead. The fact that his memories make him believe he and Max were in love is a good twist, along with the way Manticore have programmed Zack to believe Eyes Only is a traitor, sending him after Logan.

Jessica Alba and William Gregory Lee share a strong rapport that helps to make their characters' relationship so strong, and it's good to see the rest of the regulars involved in the action to a greater extent. Alec gets short shrift once again, sadly, but at least he seems closer to his unhelpful persona than he was last episode. The biggest shame really is that Zack never gets to meet Joshua.

With some moments of comedy that work well (Normal is told Max has been having dreams about violence at work) alongside some total horror (Zack ripping off his new skin to reveal his cyborg face when Max rejects him) and a powerful final confrontation when Max is forced to take drastic action , this is a very good episode and a worthy continuation of Zack's story, even if it does go a little too Terminator in places. Giving Jessica Alba plenty of strong emotional material, she plays to it well, showing a brother/sister bond that's so incredibly well drawn, especially as most of her fellow escapees are dead or held by Manticore now. I feel there's more potential here, so let's hope, despite the ending, that Zack comes back again.

****

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