A former Companion protector is killed by a blast from his unborn child that fries his CVI. As Liam and Renee investigate, it seems the Taelons are at the root of something more insidious than ever.

For too long now E:FC has been living off past 'glories', doing sequels to earlier episodes that don't do much to continue the story or add much to the ongoing arc. This one, although another semi-sequel, actually takes the concept into far darker territory than when previously tackled; good news for the first episode from a new writer, something the show has needed for a while now.

Genetic manipulation is a tricky subject at best, and when babies are the subject of experimentation, there's a whole new level of unpleasantness. Von Flores plays a superbly unfeeling and sinister Sandoval here, threatening a new mother if she doesn't do what he says, and his final actions (and what he's been doing behind the scenes) will hopefully have some serious repercussions further down the line. It's only a shame that his failing CVI isn't brought into play more.

But it's Jayne Heitmeyer that really steals the show. Finally given some weighty material to work with, her horror at what's happened to her is palpable, especially in her scenes when she faces Da'an and Zo'or. It's an unpleasant fact for any woman to discover that she can't have children, but Heitmeyer conveys the sense of loss without overdoing things. The operation underway is worth further exploration as we don't find out exactly what function the children will serve, and it's good to see Da'an being shown in a more sympathetic light once again.

It's human drama not Sci-Fi action that will see this show through, and this is a good example of what the writers should be aiming at.

****

Would you like to go to the Earth: Final Conflict Season Four guide, head back to the main TV reviews page, read older reviews in the Reviews Archive or return to the front page?