Things start to warm up a little between Tom and Sloan in this episode, and poor Ed does a lot of catching up to find out who and what Tom is, and notices the friendship between Tom and Sloan developing.

Lynch is still at large and Sloan goes to visit Ray to see if there is any way she can help with the investigation. She notices from the video taken at the convenience store where Lynch has just killed two policemen, that Lynch was aware of the police car even before it was within sight. A further clue to support her theory of some sort of ESP ability amongst the new species. Lynch meanwhile steals a truck from a supermarket car park, killing the owner in the process and sets out on the open road, picking up two girl hitchhikers on his way to San Bernadino County.

Back at Tom's house it is daylight, and Tom comes out sensing someone outside. He can tell it is Sloan even though she is hidden by the bushes and calls out to her. I think she was testing him to see just how powerful this ESP thing is and asks him about it. He explains that it is more than just a sixth sense of knowing who is nearby, but that he can also pick up emotions like anger, tension, joy and fear. Sloan thinks this is a great advantage for the species, but Tom says it is also a burden to know what others feel. He does not seem comfortable with it. Sloan looks him straight in the eye and asks him if he knows what she is feeling, and like a very wise boy he does not answer. This is a family programme after all!!!

Sloan decides to take Ed to see the cave, not knowing that Lynch is already there with the two girls he has kidnapped. Tom comes across them as they are trying to sleep overnight in the camper close to the cave. He is annoyed at Sloan for bringing Ed and is worried for their safety. He tells Sloan to leave, but being the girl she is she refuses. Poor Ed meanwhile is sitting there not having the faintest idea of what is going on!! Or why an FBI agent should be wandering around in the middle of nowhere at night and seemingly on quite familiar terms with Sloan.

Tom goes into the cave to release the girls, fights with Lynch and captures him. But Lynch jumps onto the truck and after a wonderful profit of doom speech, turns himself into a walking barbecue. The end of Lynch .... we think. The police are called and Ray arrives. There is a lovely little moment between Ed and Tom when they are moving Lynch's body and Ed's curiosity gets too much for him. He asks Tom if Sloan is working for the FBI, but Tom tells him no and that they are just friends. I don't think Ed looked that convinced!! Sloan shows Ray and Ed the cave and they are just as horrified by the neat piles of belongings as she is.

Back at the lab Attwood and Ed are trying to take tissue samples off of Lynch's body but end up with only a blood sample as everything else is way too well cooked!

Tom and Sloan go to a hill high over the city to talk. Sloan wants to know what Lynch meant when he said that this was only the beginning, but Tom cannot help her as he does not know himself. He explains he was trained as a chameleon and he was only told what he needed to know. He admits to Sloan that he was a killer, and confirms that he was meant to kill her. A silence falls between them as I think they both realise that this is no longer a possibility. Tom points out fires that are starting up all over the city. They are from members of the new species who are moving on and leaving no trace behind them, all because of the press conference announcement. They seem to be everywhere. Sloan leaves to go back to the lab and for a moment Tom holds Sloans hand with both of his. I don't think he wanted her to go and they both seem to be very reluctant letting go as she leaves. I wouldn't want to let go at all!!!

Neither of them realised they were being watched, and a little later after Sloan has left Tom notices infra red sights flashing on his coat. A number of shots rings out and he barely makes it to his car with just a flesh wound in his arm. He goes to Sloan's apartment and rings her for help. Now, I would absolutely love a .wav file of that telephone call as Tom simply says 'I need you,' in that gorgeous voice. How could anyone refuse a telephone call like that!!! Melt away or what!

Needless to say Sloan practically flies out of the lab to go home and bandage his arm. He refuses to take off his shirt so she does the best she can. Shame! Tom says the new species probably tried to kill him as he is no longer one of them, and that he now feels alone. Oh no Tom, you are not alone. There are a lot of people out here who care about you!!

Sloan manages to persuade Tom to come into the lab to give another blood sample which they can cross check with Lynch's. Now, I have given blood samples. I go to the blood donors regularly, but I have never seen the sexual tension we had here in a simple act of taking blood. Sloan was being very careful not to hurt Tom. They were sitting so close, their heads nearly touching that I think he mistook her reaction to his closeness for nerves, and asked if she was nervous. I don't think so!! Who wouldn't have that sort of reaction to him as he rolls up his sleeve to bare his arm, and then sits there so quiet and trusting while she takes his blood. Even when she asked him if he was ready he just looked her straight in the eyes in silence. If that had been me, I think the needle would have missed his arm by a mile and ended up in the chair!!

Sloan does the blood work on Tom's sample, and admits to Ed that Tom is a member of the species like Lynch. Ed is very upset that she did not trust him, and walks away. By matching antibodies in both blood samples she manages to pinpoint a point of origin for the new species, and later back in her apartment she tells Tom it is Oaxaca in Mexico, and that they must go there.

Tom returns to his house to burn it down and leave no trace like all the other of his species, then meets up with Sloan ready to travel down to Mexico. Ed joins them, and reluctantly agrees to trust Tom when Sloan tells him that she completely does so herself. She says she has made a leap of faith. I quite liked Tom's smile of acceptance as he saw Ed was going to come with them. I think he realised how much Ed's friendship meant to Sloan, and that part of his caring for Sloan means that he wants her to be happy. They all climb in the car and drive off, ready to face whatever is down in Oaxaca, Mexico.

Although I thought Lynch was a great character, I was glad in a way when he dropped out this episode, as we now get the chance for more Adam scenes, and as I have admitted before, I want more!!!

Another great episode!

~~Sally Maddock~~