The Returned
Season 1 Episode 8: “Claire”
Directed by Stephen Williams
Written by Raelle Tucker
Starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kevin Alejandro, India Ennenga, Sandrine Holt, Mark Pellegrino, Mat Vairo, Tandi Wright, Michelle Forbes, Leah Gibson, Aaron Douglas, Dylan Kingwell, Sophie Lowe, Agnes Bruckner, Jeremy Sisto
A&E
Air Date: Monday, April 27th, 2015, 10pm

Let’s recap The Returned 1.7 “Rowan,” before talking about this week’s episode.

We learned more about Rowan (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) last week. We now understand why she didn’t freak out when she saw Simon (Mat Vairo). She had visions of him before. At that point she couldn’t take it, and took a bunch of pills to end it all. Tommy (Kevin Alejandro) found her in time. Simon approached Chloe in the park with a message for her mother – he’s coming for them tonight. Rowan made her choice. When Simon showed, she told him to get away. He kept coming towards her, and Tommy shot him. I don’t think he was threatening at all, just pleading. She thinks he chose to die years ago.

Lena (Sophie Lowe) finds Lucy’s (Leah Gibson) necklace at Adam’s (Rhys Ward) house. Tony (Aaron Douglas) drives up and Lena thinks she has an ally. Tony is all about protecting his brother now so he ties Lena up. Adam wants to change so he lets Lena go, making her promise not to tell. Yeah, right.

Lena’s friends dig up Camille’s (India Ennenga) grave and find nothing. Peter (Jeremy Sisto) and Claire (Tandi Wright) decide to come out, hoping also to comfort the others. Jack (Mark Pellegrino) doesn’t think that’s a good idea. Neither do I.

The Returned 1.8 “Claire” review: Yes, it is time to delve into Claire’s past. Five years ago she was a photographer that was having an affair with Peter. Which is weird because I thought they got together because of the grief of losing Camille. Very tricky. I thought for seven episodes that Jack was the bad spouse. Check out the clip below to see how Peter sticks it to Jack.

Lena came home, immediately tells 50% of the story, and the un-twins reunite and love each other again. Lena’s mark is healing. Was it Adam’s ministrations?

Nikki (Agnes Bruckner) looks through old case files and finds Victor’s (Dylan Kingwell) murder. She connects it to a teacher from Camille’s fatal bus that took him in four years earlier. Julie (Sandrine Holt) and Nikki are definitely in danger.

Rowan covers for Tommy. I feel really bad for dead Simon. But Tommy really loves her. That’s not the end of that though.

This was a generally uplifting episode. Until it wasn’t.

The end made me jump twice and I had to cover my eyes at one point, of course during another created-by-Victor hallucination.

I know they are heading towards a creepy and deathly finale, but I’m still waiting for the pieces to fall together. As much as I loved LOST, I feel like Carlton Cuse is setting me up for six seasons of twists and theories and smoke monsters. Can I do that again?

I think so.

The Returned airs Mondays at 10pm ET on A&E.

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Video

The Returned: Jack and Peter Trade Insults (S1, E8)

Peter tells Jack about the real timeline of his affair with Claire in this scene from “Claire.”