After the pilot everything seemed to be terrible, the city was been torn up by snakey people, Bea was in a magical coma, Isaac was dead, Calvin traumatised and everything just falling apart. Add to this we now have May slowly beginning to panic as the town falls into chaos
Tilly shines through as the one on point - she keeps Calvin focused on keeping the land safe (helped by May) and helps May focus on getting Bea out of her magical coma; after which they can deal with everything else. Tilly is an excellent crisis leader
They use various woowoo with the collected coins, cupping and magic words to reach Bea and it all looks frightening and awful.
Bea is healed so that’s one bright spot, and greets the family after Calvin comes in from another awkward conversation with Garvey (he keeps calling himself her father, she points out father’s raise children - he’s a sperm donor. It’s all tense and complicated).
With Bea back they have to tell Bea about Isaac being dead… she keeps asking where he is as they euphemistically dance around it and think she hasn’t absorbed the truth until she says “I heard you, where is his body?”. She insists no matter what they say and shuts herself in a room with his body - and begins using Woo-woo. This woo-woo has a lot of Isis symbology (Isis the Egyptian goddess, obviously) and at the end of it Isaac is alive.
Bea comes out to tell everyone it was a close call and he’s sleeping. Everyone, especially Cal, isn’t exactly buying that on account of the whole decapitation and everything. This is not normally something someone gets over. Still she silences them for now and puts a pin in the conversation.
The next day I can only assume all the snakey possessed people have been dealt with as Calvin has time for another talk with Bea who tries the “some mysteries are better unknown” tactic which Calvin is not buying. Instead she says Isaac should tell them - and Calvin takes a moment to express the grief and horror he felt at nearly losing both of them.
He also tries to talk to May about Garvey to which she sensibly tells him that there’s no quick fix here; and he should listen more than he talks. While Garvey herself is getting friend/crush/possible boyfriend Russ to dig in the dark web to see all the info on Calvin he can. Which is that he’s had a very bloody tour of duty and that his last 3 years are super classified. Russ is also creepy and boundary pushing around Garvey.
Calvin continues the surreal tour of not-mentioning-the-immortality when he compares the new arsenal with Tilly. Again he makes a strong point that he has been a marine and he hasn’t forgotten everything from when he fought monsters at 18 - he constantly has to push against the idea he’s the amateur but I’m glad how he does it. He isn’t an arsehole about it, he just quietly reminds everyone he’s not a rookie and not to treat him like one
We finally get some insight into the whole alive thing when Isaac and Bea talk - coming back from the dead hurts more each time but Bea has tricks to make it easier and less traumatic. It’s clear that while Bea helps the process, Isaac comes back from the dead without her. She’s worried by how quickly Cal is chasing back into the fight with lots of reassurance that Cal is more than capable of stepping forward while Isaac heals. They also connect for some happy post-death sex which is heard through all the thin walls but Calvin manages to be mature over
What he is worried over is his vision - because he saw them at Isaac’s funeral. And he saw Tilly there, a woman he’d never met before, so it’s definitely a real vision. Isaac cannot be indestructable and this big Scary Infernal clearly knows his weakness
Speaking of, said Infernal has a new plan - finding an athlete jogging at night they discuss his heart condition before the infernal burns and evil rune of evilness on his hand and kills him. The body gets taken to the morgue - that would be the Harrison House, where it goes about infecting more corpses and being guided by a super creepy eye in the palm of his hands
This undead shenanigans interrupts the big reveal from Isaac - with Cal getting tired of playing cards and pretending his dad didn’t just come back from the dead he demands answers. Apparently Isaac’s original name is Razan, he’s a 778 year old warrior charged to defend the Holy Lands (no matter how many times I play this back I can’t get if he says who by) and gave him immortal woo-woo with which to do so. Welp, that’s a big shift
Before we get to explore this we have to fight the possessed undead, save Tilly, cut off wrists and confront the core corpse to have a conversation with the Infernal possessing this body. With much dramatic speeches he talks about all the evil he has caused and asks to be called The Dredge. Which is intimidating… I guess?
We also learn that Isaac has the ring of Solomon which he used to punch The Dredge and cause his facial brand. He’s also not met an immortal before but looks forward to doing terribad evil things to him - at which point he presses his evil possessed hand to Isaac’s chest, burning him before Cal uses a magical knife to stab the rune.
Isaac pretends to be fine, but Bea is Not Hearing this. And can I say how much I love Bea and Isaac together? Because despite him being immortal and she apparently not, and despite all the genre weight behind that, there’s no sense at all that she is a lesser to him. She outright orders him to show her his injury and they realise it’s some super bad woo-woo. He admits he’d have to go away to fix it - and to pick up some gear to squish The Dredge. She orders (she is not asking) him to go - that they have Cal here who is a decorated Marine and can certainly hold the fort. Isaac also says how proud he is of Cal
Which leads to a farewell between Isaac and Cal. Cal has been conflicted over Garvey, over what’s happening and all the revelations - but ultimately he’s deciding to resign his commission. There’s way more going on here than can be covered in 30 days. Isaac gives him his ring.
There’s a lot of personal drama on this show but I generally like how well it’s done. I think the classic is Calvin and Isaac. Isaac keeps pushing Calvin and treating him as inexperienced and clearly still has issues with him leaving - all of which are more understandable when we throw in that 700+ year old warrior thing. While Calvin keeps asserting his own skills, refusing to be infantilised and pushes back. But while this conflict could be overwrought drama anywhere else there’s a strong thread of respect there. We see Isaac openly proud of his son. They have issues but they also care for each other and approach their conflicts with a level of maturity
The same goes with Cal and Garvey; yes she’s giving him the cold shoulder but there’s good reason for that. She has every right to resent a complete stranger claiming to be her father. At the same time Cal seems to respect that, not try to force his way in or shout her down or get mopey. He consults May and, again, she feels no need to intervene (on anyone’s behalf). Personal drama - done sensibly
