Cade discovers that the alien charged with launching the second wave has arrived on Earth and his consciousness must be found before it can be implanted into a husk body.

After last season's apocalyptic finale, this episode has a lot to deal with, and it performs magnificently. Assuming that this episode hadn't been worked out before the end of season two was made, it links the events here with those seen in The Belivers exceedingly well. One minor grumble is that everything is hurriedly put into place at the very end of the story, but as we know the outcome, it's probably best not to dwell on it too much.

As First Wave enters its third year, it seems to have grown more as a show. The cast look more confident and happy to be taking part, the premise is opened wide with the addition of Mabus and the Raven Nation (who play a larger role in the next episode) and everything seems more cohesive. The music has changed a little, the effects people are trying more inventive techniques to show the alien dissolve, presumably to make life more interesting for them, and Roger R Cross makes a splendid villain.

Now, I'll admit that the clone that doesn't vaporize is a convenient way out, but that doesn't stop this being a great start to the new season, with everyone involved, lots of action, the odd surprise and the increasingly strong bond between Cade and Eddie building nicely. How Jordan will fit in remains to be seen, but it'll be interesting to see where things go from here as the invasion gets stepped up a notch.

****

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