The Returned

Series one, episode three
This nameless mountain resort is beginning to rot, both literally and figuratively. Rancid meat is popping up in unexpected places. Domestic pets are chowing down on festering corpses. And such fundamentals as trust, faith and even sanity are starting to decay. Take Julie. The truth behind those stab wounds is revealed, and the memories of the incident are driving her crazy. Or Adèle, still unsure of her feelings towards the prodigal Simon. And Léna – what’s with those scars?

Continuing to pose as many questions as it answers, Mogwai’s brooding soundtrack throbbing ominously all the while, ‘The Returned’ is still delivering on both narrative and atmosphere. How the logic behind the resurrections is explained may prove tricky, and it remains to be seen how long the communal secret can be confined before the wider world starts to take an interest. Such inevitabilities have derailed lesser dramas, but ‘The Returned’ has been assured enough so far to make keep these concerns at bay.