Ignition
Episode 3 of The Nevers begins with Bonfire Annie heading down to the docks to find The Beggar King. However, Amalia and Penance both show up and manage to stop her burning the place. Annie admits she doesn’t know where Maladie is, and shrugs off Amalia’s suggestion that she join their ranks. In the morning, Doctor Horatio arrives to check up on Amalia. He’s concerned about her recklessness and comments solemnly on how many times she’s been brought in to be patched up. Her decision to bring Annie into the fold has raised more than a few eyebrows too. Afterward, Amalia and Penance discuss their new project which includes creating an amplifier for Mary. Or, as Penance calls it, “The Brightening.” They want to try and enhance Mary’s song and spread it across the city. Alone, Mary confronts Amalia and asks her what she’s supposed to be doing. Amalia is cagey, admitting she knows things that others don’t. However, she’s not about to disclose that anytime soon. Right now, she wants Mary to sing. However, this fellow Touched tells her she doesn’t know why she should. Meanwhile, the Beggar King questions his men over fleeing from Annie and not facing her head on. After stabbing one of his longer-serving lackeys in the gut, the big man takes off. At the same time, Dr Horatio is encouraged to head into his carriage…where Maladie happens to be. She’s in a rough way but wants him to patch her up. After doing just that, she kicks Horatio out and takes off. Amalia heads off to visit Lucy, who follows Mr Hague’s flyers up around town. She manages to stop an animatronic assassin from taking out the girls and eventually brings Lucy back to the orphanage. With all the Touched together – including Desiree – Lucy admits she works for a tall man with a fur coat. Apparently he does experiments on the girls, but doesn’t give up much more than that. Frank Mundi heads over to the sanctuary to see Mary. She promises never to hate him, admitting that he’ll always be the man she calls when she runs into trouble. Frank smiles, and tentatively asks whether he can see her sing. Although only the Touched can actually see it, he wants to at least try and experience this for her. Later that day, Amalia is attacked by a Touched who can walk on water. A pretty slick fight then ensues, with this man called Odium attacking Amalia while she tries to fend him off in the water. It’s a really well-shot fight, with the camera moving between the moments on the surface and under the stream. Eventually Amalia manages to choke the big man out, killing him with his own chains. With all the Touched gathered together and Mary starting to sing, the amplifier kicks in and starts working. At least to begin with. Gunshots suddenly rain down from afar as Maladie’s gunman kills Mary. As she slumps to the ground, Mundi heads after the assassin and shoots him. Heading back to the Sanctuary grief-stricken and defeated, Annie stands waiting for them. She’s accompanied by numerous women and children – presumably those who all have Touched abilities – and stands with a flaming hand above her hand. The flames dance off their expectant faces.
The Episode Review
The Nevers returns this week with an episode that injects a lot more humour than one may be expecting. After the big reveal about Lavinia last time, The Nevers completely shifts tone and pace to deliver a litany of amusing gags early on. Seeing Annie’s powers extinguished with foam may make for a few good chuckles, but it also diminishes her threat completely. Elsewhere, Mundi is starting to come around to the idea of the Touched until tragedy strikes. It seems likely that Lavinia is the one behind Mary’s death, with the ambush on Amalia every bit as tense. That fight above and below the water was incredibly well shot and it’s rather impressive the creators managed to film it in the way that they did. This is easily the most creative moment of the whole show and hopefully we’ll have more conflicts like this in the coming weeks. In the meantime, The Nevers delivers a decent episode, with an ending hinting that we’re going to dive into more drama to come before the midseason break.
