Wednesday, January 13, 2016

The Returned, Season 2, Episode 2: Milan



This episode takes the eight gazillion storylines and decides to mix them all up for lots of cross over. Confused – you almost certainly will be

The foundation begins 35 years ago with Pierre murdering Victor’s family – encouraged by someone called Milan who ran their little creepy group.

In the present we learn who Milan is as he’s newly returned: Serge and Toni’s father – and Serge seems to be definitely afraid of him; probably due to his willingness to threaten his own son with a gun.

For more ominousness, Lucy (the creepy psychic in a relationship with Simon) also knows instantly when Milan is back and is very very worried about that. Simon himself is concerned about Adèle who is still in hospital with her newborn baby she wants absolutely nothing to do with no matter how many times the doctor tries to get her interested or warn her that the baby isn’t doing so well.

It takes Chloe to beg Adèle to help the baby – who has apparently died. Until Adèle touches him and he suddenly starts breathing again. My vote is for demon baby!

Lucy and Simon are also concerned with “rounding up” people, who I assume are the new Returned. The fact Lucy refers to people “escaping” suggests said rounding up is now optional. We see more evidence with this as Claire takes in more of the Returning kids who died in the same bus crash as Camille. Only Audrey and now Estéban have no wish to remain imprisoned and hidden from an unknown threat – especially since Claire refuses to tell them anything. Camille is also not a fan – and helps them escape so all three of them can go running

Once free they’re able to see the flood waters and, with some help from a new guy, drama from Camille and a heart-breaking visit to a shrine created for all the kids who died in the crash, they come to accept that they’re dead and Returned.

While doing this lots of people stand around and stare at the ominously. Presumably the ominous staring people are there to stop them leaving (well, if you can call ominous staring stopping anyone). They do, apparently, beat up Claire – well they ominously surround her and later we see her all bruised once they all reunite.


Julie and Victor/Louis (the name his mother gave him) have an increasingly awkward time with Victor’s mother. Increasingly it’s clear that their relationship isn’t all shiny and happy. The mother’s behaviour concerns Julie enough for her to finally step in and interfere – much more of this conflict to follow, no doubt. Victor/Louis’s still creepy

Julie also checks if Victor’s dad is also going to show up and be terrible – but apparently not because he’s still alive in the hospital. On the night when Pierre and Milan and co raided Victor’s family’s house (apparently directly targeting Victor as well), one masked goon shot another to stop them finishing his dad off.

And we turn to the Helping Hand, led by Pierre which is still a really really creepy cult. They take in Audrey’s parents (even if the military lost Audrey, they naturally tell her parents that there’s a girl running around claiming to be her) and they also find the newly returned Toni. Of course they kindly offer the frightened man a place to stay – despite Léna’s objections. I think Léna’s right here since we hear the creepy cult say “Toni’s dead” implying they don’t think Toni is Toni


While Léna and Jérôme continue to be furious and upset and everything else continues to be creepy (including more evidence of the returned killing and eating wild animals. nomnomnom)