Humans: Season 3, Episode 6

"Social cohesion is our only hope..."

After having our hopes raised, this is where we start to see them dashed. We can tell right from the pre-credits sequence, with Laura narrating, which reminds us how precarious everything is. And then, after Mia’s positive speech to the commission, everything is destroyed by Agnes’ senseless suicide bombing, in one instant, in a superbly directed sequence full of juxtapositions.

So much happens. Mattie is pregnant! Unwitting father-to-be Leo discovers that his own father regretted saving him. Niska’s separate and rather plodding plot thread, the series’ only real misstep, continues to plod along. And there’s a terrifying sequence in which Laura discovers that “Stanley” is not what he seems. He’s creepy and terrifying; a superb performance. Yet Laura manages to persuade him not to massacre the Dryden Commission. For now, anyway.

But the truly devastating scene comes at the end, as Anatole enters the Hawkins residence to bring Stanley back, and cruelly proves that even Laura would instinctly save a random human over even little Sam. Devastatingly, this brings not only Stanley but also Sam to Anatole’s side. It’s a powerful scene.

It’s a tribute to the script that an episode such as this, largely functional and quite visibly putting all the ducks in a row for the end game, can nevertheless be so dramatic, emotive and devastating. More please.

Humans: Season 3, Episode 4

"This isn't living!"

More complex twists and turns as the series reaches its mid-point, again with lots of development for its large number of characters and progression of its complex plot, but it doesn’t feel like clockwork; the mob is always around the corner, and there’s an uncomfortable and ever-present sense of impending doom.

We begin, as an eight episode allows us to do, with a flashback; Agnes wasn’t born hating humans. She was a children's clown, who became conscious when left in a box and whose human just left her for hours, traumatised. Only after three episodes of her being an unsympathetic antagonist do we see the reason why. And, of course, we return to the present day, with Lord Dryden’s commission about to visit the Railyard- and Max locks her in a confined space to keep her away. Oh, she gets away, and briefly seems about to threaten Dryden, but again she is locked in a confined space. It’s clear she’s just being wound up to be the season’s tragic, angry antagonist, and a rather effective one.

The commission visit, against the odds, seems to be a success, showing multiple examples of both the synths’ lack of malevolence and, of course, their personhood. It’s a slight moment of optimism, or at least its possibility. This is in contrast to the horror of Mia, alone in her flat, facing tabloid vilification and viciously racist mobs. What makes this even more tragic is how a guilt-ridden Ed from last season arrives (Mia slaps him!) and offers to whisk her away to a life of happiness. He gets a kiss, but a refusal; Mia’s only intention is to pace the way for hopefully better lives for other synths, dying in a Christlike equanimity.

Meanwhile, international authorities are closing in on Mattie, slowly but surely- is she going to eventually get caught at the worst possible moment, undermining Laura through family connection? Certainly Laura seems to be riding high after the Railyard visit, but she follows this with an odd date with Neil, who seems to just dismiss her after enticing her into bed. But I suspect his behaviour is more to do with his obvious despair. I’m sure he has more secrets yet.

The season ends with horror, though, as little Sam’s synth Blood appears in public, and Karen selflessly sacrifices herself to a vicious mob to save him. It’s effectively shot, foreshadowed in hindsight, and brutal, with Joe as our witness. And I’m beginning suspect that this might foreshadow Joe redeeming himself to his family with a sacrifice of his own?

Needless to say, this is first class telly.