Warning: contains spoilers!
Following last weeks bonkers Ghostbusters-esque episode featuring the live-action introduction of the SeX-Men, “Finger Patrol” gets back to business with a darker, character driven outing. The second season has shifted the focus from the team battling villain Mr Nobody (Alan Tudyk), to the fallout of these deeply traumatised individuals attempting to deal with the ramifications of Nile’s (Timothy Dalton) mistakes. The introduction of Dorothy (Abigail Shapiro) has added an extra complication to the dynamics of the team, and it appears that Nile’s worries over one of her particularly troublesome friends was indeed warranted in a shocking cliffhanger.
The team diverge on separate missions this week, as Vic (Joivan Wade) attempts to help Cliff (Brendan Fraser) find upgrades to his robotic exterior, while Larry (Matt Bomer) takes Rita (April Bowlby) along to meet his family and learn more about the life he left behind following the accident. Elsewhere, Dorothy finally finds a friend with the emergence of Baby Doll, but playtime takes a surprisingly deadly turn.
Following the heartbreaking rejection of his daughter, it appears Niles may be able to help improve Cliff’s robot exterior, but he doesn’t have a whole load of time left to do so. Vic teams up with his fellow cybernetic friend to see if he can help with his upgrades, with Cliff dreaming of the two working together to fight crime as the hilarious Steele and Stone. The resulting sketch of the two in a 70s buddy cop show is absolutely brilliant and I adore how Cliff wants to be a better person with the help of Vic – even though he accidentally chops a car jacker’s finger off while attempting to stop their robbery! This is a great turning point for the character, so I’d love to see more of these two working together.
Meanwhile Larry attempts to take Rita’s mind off a particularly bad audition by inviting her to visit his family following the recent reunion with his son. In an attempt to make up for his past failures as a father and further their connection, Larry helps Paul and his son with moving items from his wife’s house and bravely comes out to him in a particularly touching moment. But in a particularly shocking turn, he betrays Larry after contacting the Bureau of Normalcy, as he blames his father for all of the pain he’s been through. Just as Larry attempts to move forward with his life, making amends and reconnect with his family, tragedy unfortunately strikes again. For me, Larry represents the heart of the show, so to have this huge set back hits hard, particularly after the humour of Steele and Stone.
Elsewhere, there’s trouble in the Underground as Babydoll appears to take over as the primary, with Niles encouraging Dorothy to make friends with the similar personality. Following the established inner struggle last week with the threat of The Candlemaker looming, the introduction of Babydoll and their subsequent argument proves a great way to debut the terrifying villain with deadly ramifications. Diane Guerrero is undoubtedly one of the greatest talents in the show, impressively switching between and embodying Jane’s many personalities, and “Finger Patrol” gives her a fantastic showcase, particularly with the shocking death of Babydoll. Surely Niles should have anticipated the ramifications of letting two immature children with insane super powers playing together unsupervised might have ended badly?!
Verdict
With the threat of Dorothy’s friends teased throughout the season, its good to finally see the true extent of the Candlemaker’s powers on show. This conflict will undoubtedly impact the whole team, with Dorothy’s place in the Manor surely threatened. It’ll be interesting to see how the characters react following the fallout, which will no doubt have a long lasting effect.
Rating:
