Cade gets trapped in a car with a bomb about to go off. Escaping just in time, he awakes to find himself in a secret government facility where he is told his mission to fight the Gua is being observed.

These episodes are always tricky to make work. The second it seems Cade is making progress in fighting off the aliens, the viewer automatically assumes it’s just a big hoax. In this instance, it’s the first thought that crosses Cade’s mind, and he spends most of the story attempting to reveal the Gua in the base, even when he’s allowed to give a press conference and is pardoned by the authorities. The problem is, however convincing it may get, there’s still a glimmer of suspicion at the back of the viewer’s mind that there’s something fishy going on. Plus, of course, Roger R Cross is mentioned as one of the guest stars.

Bearing in mind that a government facility of this type would mark a radical shift in the formula of the series, it’s only Cade’s insistence on trying to reveal the Gua that makes the viewer go along for the ride. Luckily, it’s convincing enough to keep things going, especially when one of the government officials bleeds and doesn’t heal, and another agent actually kills a Gua trying to get to Cade. It’s also worth mentioning that the opening teaser is superb, a wonderfully tense situation that Cade only just survives.

The only problem really lies in the ending. Firstly, there’s not enough explanation of what’s been going on to be wholly satisfactory, and Cade’s explanation of why he remained suspicious is a bit too simplistic. Still, it doesn’t spoil an episode that does actually manage to keep you guessing, which is a good trick if you’ve seen shows like this before.

****

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