*Spoilers from episode 4.*
Penultimate episode! Worthy of that label, I’d say—we get major revelations in the case, significant complications, and a high-stakes ending. And while I am going to be watching the season finale, this will be my last episode review, since it’s the last one featuring Christopher Eccleston/Connolly.
Danvers and Navarro found Otto Heiss, the man who survived injuries similar to those of the dead scientists, and Danvers thinks he can lead them to where Annie was killed. But as they get closer to the truth, larger forces try to stop the investigation. Meanwhile, the police respond violently to a protest at the mine and Prior’s wife is fed up with his job always coming first.
I really like how things come together here. The whole protest sequence is done very well, a mix of drama, politics, and character moments, and it’s especially interesting when Navarro comes on the scene. As for the central mystery, I don’t have too many guesses going into the finale, but we get some good clues here—I can feel the knot tightening on the investigation. In this episode, new information is uncovered that could point toward motive, and we’re given insight into both the “Night Country” title and Annie’s tattoo, a symbol that’s been cropped up throughout the story.
But even as Danvers and Navarro fight to find answers, someone else is fighting to stop them. A bunch of cold water gets thrown on the investigation through bureaucratic obstruction and a suspiciously convenient forensics report. It’s clear that someone wants the case swept under the rug, and pushing through that will be easier said than done—there are incriminating secrets involved, and continuing to pursue the case is putting a target on their backs.
By the way, there’s a character named Kate who has a prestigious job at the mine. I thought in earlier episodes that I recognized the actress, but I couldn’t place her. Well, I looked her up, and it turns out it’s Dervla Kirwan, who played Miss Hartigan on the Doctor Who Christmas special “The Next Doctor.” She played opposite David Tennant, not Christopher Eccleston, but it still makes it fun to see them in a scene together here.
Eccleston ends his time on the series a bit unceremoniously. Connolly is only in a couple scenes here, as part of the “all right, let’s get this case sewn up all neat and tidy” faction of the episode. Even though he hasn’t been a huge presence on the show, this feels like a shift from how he’s been established. On some level, it makes sense for his character that Connolly would play politics and go along with one of the most influential people in the town, but we’ve previously seen him more in Danvers’s corner. And Danvers’s reaction backs up the notion that he's acting out of character. Whereas before she would complain and bust his balls, in this episode she outright says, “What happened to you?” Since Eccleston isn’t in the finale, it’ll be interesting to see if the last episode sheds any further light on Connolly’s actions here.
All right, this is where we get off! Final thoughts on “Night Country”:
Accent Watch
Generic American, pretty good.
Recommend?
In General – I would, provided you’re okay with violent imagery and horror elements, and you’ve made your peace with the inherent copaganda of a show like this. It’s a strong show with great acting and an engaging mystery. I’m excited to see how it ends!
Christopher Eccleston – I’d put it at a maybe. Eccleston isn’t really in enough of the season that it’d be satisfying to watch it purely for his appearances, but if you have any interest in the show otherwise, his contribution definitely adds to the proceedings.
Warnings
Graphic violence/gore, sexual content, drinking/smoking/drug use, language, and strong thematic elements (including Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and parental violence.)
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