A power surge during testing of the Backstep sphere sends Frank into an alternate universe where Olga's sister is leading a resistance against Project Backstep, determined to stop the evil they are doing.

It's something of a surprise that no one has done the parallel universe episode before, but this one demonstrates that although it can always work to some degree, you need a strong plot to hang the story on or it's just the usual regulars sneering and looking sinister. Thus we have evil Donovan, evil Talmadge, nice Ramsey with a drug problem, traitor Owsley and dead Olga. It seems wrong at first because as the first two already have beards, the evil goatee look isn't going to work here, but the main problem is that plot points are scattered throughout seemingly randomly, with Frank lurching from one encounter to another with no clear plan.

Exactly what Talmadge and the team are doing isn't clear, there's a really strange new concept introduced where this universe has taken the place of our one, and all the writing is backwards for reasons not even vaguely explained. It's presumably meant to hark back to the whole 'other side of the mirror' concept, but it's too obvious and faintly ludicrous. The resistance is badly organized and easily discovered, and Frank's return to our universe easily achieved by recreating the events that switched him.

This could have worked as a comedy episode, it could have worked as a dark journey into another world, but it's not either. The only comedy is Ramsey (who's not amusing) and the darker aspect is killed by the over-acting and stupid 'evil' costumes of Don Franklin and Alan Scarfe. It's a shame, as it's difficult to make episodes like this fail.

**

Would you like to go to the Seven Days Season Three guide, head back to the main TV reviews page, read older reviews in the Reviews Archive or return to the front page?