This is that cliched moment when you realize the light at the end of the tunnel is the headlight of the oncoming train.

We reach the midpoint of the “CoE” miniseries season where all the pieces are now arranged properly on the board, and the game turns wickedly dark on a dime. Since Peter Capaldi’s performance as Frobisher is firmly in the limelight in this episode, we discuss the character’s intentions and insights as he claims not to be the “good man” that he credits Jack to be (which connects interestingly to the Twelfth Doctor’s concerns over the same attribute). That assessment of Jack’s “goodness” is certainly called into question by the closing credits for reasons we could easily have seen coming, but are nonetheless gutted by.

Ye gods, this show.

We uniformly agree that the remaining two episodes of the 5-part series are going to be brutal, but at this point we’re invested, beyond the ‘point of no return’, and as Julie states often, as “loin-girded” as we can reasonably be.