This was the episode where I think Tom and Sloan crossed over that line between being friends who are obviously attracted to each other, to the commitment of a true loving relationship. I know it seems that the obvious turning point is the kiss in the motel, but there was more than that. By the end of this episode they are a pair, in their own eyes, and openly so to everyone else. They have accepted each other and seem much more relaxed to let the world know that they are together.

They book into a motel, and Tom suggests that Sloan wear her sunglasses with the line that she is a wife running away from her husband - I wonder what that made Tom then? The lover? I know I would run away with him anytime!!!

Sleeping arrangements are not ideal, as Tom sleeps on the chair whilst Sloan takes the bed. What a gentleman. I loved the scene when Sloan wakes up in the morning to glance across at Tom asleep in the chair. He looked so cute and peaceful asleep. He seems to start as she puts a blanket over him. Possibly his senses are so used to having her around now that his normal cat like reflexes did not register her coming so close. He said he was not sleeping and I am not surprised as that chair did look VERY uncomfortable! Mind you I doubt if the pallet he had in his house was much better, but at least it was flat.

During the day Sloan gets a newspaper and they are both on the front page with the headlines that Tom is wanted for 26 murders, with Sloan described as his accomplice. She asks him if he really did kill all these people and he is reluctant to talk about it to her. Slowly he tells her that he has killed 5, but you can tell he feels very guilty about it and not at all happy to discuss it. When she asks if she was the first he had not killed, he tells her the really moving story about the teenage boy, whose mother begged him to take her life instead and how he was moved by so much compassion. Then how a week later he met Sloan. For someone who is not really supposed to feel emotions to a great degree, I thought Tom was really choked up about the boy and found it very difficult to tell Sloan what had happened, but once he did, it brought them a lot closer together. I don't believe he would have told anyone else, and that by sharing this with Sloan it released a little of his guilt and loneliness for what he had done in the past.

Later, they have just finished eating and the whole atmosphere between them was much more relaxed and dare I say even domestic! Sloan goes to turn the television on and Tom asks her not to as he says he cannot stand to see his face again (not a view that any of us share - we want more!). When she says she will find a sitcom, he tells her he does not feel like laughing much. This intrigues her and things turn quite playful between them. I just loved the interplay between them as Sloan tells the joke of the woman being body searched, and Tom's face as she tells it. The warning tone in his voice as he says her name at the beginning of the joke was wonderful, and then the half smile as she continues. He even joins in and suggests that they WOULD be better off watching the sitcom! Then when she gets to the punchline of sending the cheque, it was gorgeous how his face competely changed into a wonderful laugh. How she could control herself to not leap on him and kiss him then I don't know! He just looked so sexy and adorable.

Then it's bed time, and he settles in the chair again. When she suggests that they share the bed I am sure there are some very interesting even lustful thoughts in Tom's mind as he looks her up and down very clearly before agreeing. A penny for them Tom?? He gets in next to her, but remains sitting up and is very stiff. (Now don't go there!!!! ...............Oh, OK why not!) Once he lies down he is still not very relaxed. Then Sloan leans across him to turn the light off, her body so close to his that her hair falls across his face. Good move Sloan! God I am proud of you girl, and I bet you even put a little spray of perfume on in the bathroom before you came out earlier for extra effect!! Then in the darkness, she thanks him for sharing his story of the boy with her and he admits it was not easy to tell her. As he turns to face her I kept thinking wouldn't it be great to wake up to that face in the morning on the pillow next to you. Dream, dream, dream. As she tells him that she does not mind what he has done in the past, and it is more important to her who he is and what he is doing now, you can see his face soften and he leans over her to pause briefly before tentatively kissing her. As all our hearts leapt in unison, she returns his kiss and the kisses become deeper and longer while we all hold our breath in silence. Then just as I think he was really begining to lose control he senses the police outside. I am sorry Lewis fans, but I could quite happily have throttled Lewis at this point for having tipped off the police! A few more minutes and where would they have been then? The idea of Tom leaping out of the window half undressed is definitely very appealling! Tom was really torn at having to leave and Sloan had to literally push him away before he went.

When Sloan is finally released by the police and gets back to her apartment, Tom manages to get a message to her via a female tramp to meet him in Centennial Park at midnight, but he does not make it and as she gets back home dejected not to see him, he is there waiting for her. They give each other a real tight hug with relief to be back together again. He starts to talk about the motel, and I laughed at the little misunderstanding between them as she thinks he is about to apologise for kissing her. Oh no Sloan!! He liked that bit!!! No apologies there !

The telephone rings and it is Lewis. He says a key phrase to Tom, and Tom immediately goes into some sort of trance pushing Sloan out of the way and walking out to Lewis waiting outside in his car. Lewis then reprogrammes Tom, and tests him by getting him to kill his mother, before sending him back to kill Sloan at the lab. Those scenes of Tom being reprogrammed in the 'white room' are so cold. I much preferred the hot Tom earlier on in the motel!!

At the lab, Ed and Attwood believe that Tom has turned against them and prepare a trap for him when he returns to kill Sloan as they are sure Lewis will send him to do. Sloan still believes in Tom and argues against them, asking them to help him, not just capture him and hand him over to Attwood's boss, but to no avail. Tom arrives at the lab, is knocked out by an electrified door handle and then restrained still unconcious, with all sorts of strap and chains. I have one question here. The straps I understand but there is a chain around his waist which then connects to his wrists to hold his hands secure, but why is there a chain then going between his legs?? What were they trying to secure there? Just a thought .........

Sloan insists on staying with him until he is collected to be taken away. While he is asleep she runs her fingers through his hair and strokes his face very lovingly. She was so tender and gentle. Suddenly he awakes and still fully under Lewis' control, struggles to get free and complete his orders for killing Sloan. She talks to him and reminds him of all the things he has done to help them, and the boy he could not kill. The way he felt about not being able to kill her and how he feels about her. Although there is the dawning of realisation in his face it is not until she kisses him that his reprogramming is completely broken and he pushes up from the table to kiss her harder. It is a shame there was not more time for them both, because the phrase comes to mind from another series I know - Tom is an 'immoveable feast' and oh what fun Sloan could have had there!!

He recognises her again as his Sloan, and apologises again for abandoning her in the motel. He seems to have been really upset by that. She frees him quickly and as they are leaving he says he needs to sort out Lewis who is waiting outside. He pulls a gun on Lewis as he returns to the car, but is then stopped by Attwood's men who take Lewis away. Attwood welcomes Tom back, and then Tom sees Sloan standing in the background and gives her a lovely smile. They give each other a big hug, this is in public this time with everyone to see (including Lewis, boy that must have annoyed him!), and then walk off together with their arms around each other, together again.

During this episode we also lose James the monkey in the lab, who infected with a highly concentrated dose of the tick's secretion found in Kelly body, changes to 1.6 in hours and kills all the other monkeys. They now know that the new species can change human DNA to 1.6 and so into a member of the new species, and that Kelly was a failed experiment of this process. Although this theme is taken no further it explains what happened to Kelly and how she died.

Still, the best parts of this episode for me was Tom, and I could watch this one again and again. Well, actually I could watch Adam in anything again and again. I suppose there is really no hope for me!!

~~Sally Maddock~~