Episode 21 : "Valley of the Shadow"
Summary
In this episode, an entire town comes to realise that the aliens have arrived on Earth, and the solution at the end is not one which you could guess before seeing it.
Review
This episode is really my favourite, and is different to other episodes in a number of critical ways. The essential premise of the show is always that no-one other than a select few know of the Invaders existence. In this episode, we see, if only briefly, how things might have gone if the world at large came to know what the Believers know. After 20 episodes, this comes as something of a relief to the tension, but when things are "reset" to the norm at the end of the episode, there's a sense of a return to familiarity.
Another excellent aspect of this show is the contrast between, and almost juxtaposition of, religion and science; with the doctor treating science as a religion to deny the existence of the Invaders on very dogmatic grounds, and the priest playing the part of the sceptic ("Are you sure Nancy, are you absolutely sure").
The end, where Vincent says of Manners, "I've never seen this man before in my life", just sets the seal on a great episode for me.Review by Richard Fincher, submitted 2002-05-26
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