It ends up it was written expressly for Amalia. “Come below and find me.” Is the song from the alien spaceship (or whatever that was) that gave everyone their powers? I’d love to know more. It leads to a fun subplot where the Touched gather everyone they know who can speak a foreign language so they can translate Mary’s song. First, it was adorable, and second, I appreciated the creative blocking to get them seeing eye to eye. I loved the scene where Primrose figures out that Mrytle could understand Mary’s song, and then Mrytle jumps into Primrose’s arms with joy. Then again, that was really the only thing about the episode I thought hit a wrong note. ![]() The actual battle is cool - Lucy cracks apart anything she touches, including the concrete floor - but after showing us the extent of her powers, I have to ask: how was she able to hold her little elephant pendant in her bare hands and not splinter it to pieces? Was there some mythological nuance I was missing? I don’t like being the guy who points out the inconsistencies in the made-up magical stuff, but that one really stood out. I only wish we had enough time to get to know Lucy as well as we do Amalia before we hit this twist. I didn’t like the clumsy info dump about Lucy’s backstory last episode, and the payoff seems just as rushed, although both Laura Donnelly and Elizabeth Berrington kill their confrontation scene. “I want to be someone else,” Amalia snaps, and we feel her frustration. “Lord Massen, he says he’ll find a cure,” Lucy says, just as believable. The scene where we learned what Lucy was working for him…I thought it would have worked better had it come later in the story. The scene where we learned he was behind the murder was chilling, effective and in character. He’s smart, loathsome and played to the buttoned-down British hilt by Pip Torrens. Massen is turning into a great villain, a real piece of work who snuffs out a potential unionization attempt and who truly believes that the Touched represent at attack on England, an attack he will repel in the name of tradition, patriotism and godliness. The big culprit for me this week was the revelation that Lucy had fed Lord Massen information about Mary’s song, which led to him sending the gatling gun guy to the park to kill Mary in front of everyone. ![]() It loves these characters and this world it’s creating, but it continually serves up climatic moments without laying the proper groundwork. The Nevers may have too much energy, because it keeps running ahead of itself. I appreciate how much energy it has, but that also makes it frustrating when the show comes up short. The series is dedicated to giving us a distinct sense of place, character, and tone. What about the little robot gas-bomb Amalia uses to knock out the workers at the munitions plant? What about Hugo and his rich friends playing cheese chess? What about new character Effie Boyle’s rejoinder when a police officer gets up in her face? “Lovely. The opening funeral scene is sad, but it’s hard not to grin at Primrose towering behind everyone in the back. The series is full of fun little details like this. It’s not asking for a laugh, but it’s there to find if you go looking. If you didn’t, the episode moves on after a quick reaction shot from Penance. If you caught that, you might crack a smile. Later, she meets with her lieutenants about finding Mary’s killer and lists off a bunch of problems they’re facing, ending with, “Do violins cost a lot?” For instance, Amalia spends Mary Brighton’s funeral getting drunk and violent at a bar, at one point smashing a dude’s violin over a guy’s head. ![]() The dialog especially is full of whips, turns, twists and callbacks. From the sets to the costumes to the dialog, it all feels hand-crafted. ![]() The Nevers is a show that rewards close watching. By Dan Selcke 2 years ago The latest episode of The Nevers gives us powerful revelations, sharp humor, super-powered battles, and so much energy it almost trips over itself.
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