The Returned Episode 5 Mrs Costa

The Returned Episode 1 L'enfant

The Returned Episode 2 Milan

The Returned Episode 3 Morganne

The Returned Episode 4 Virgil

So in this episode we find out the backstory of a secondary character who has never had her time in the limelight: Mrs Costa.  As the other episodes have done, My Costa opens on a flashback to 35 years ago, but 5 months after the dam has burst.  Mrs Costa is home with her husband who is talking to Victor's mother about problems he's been having in school.  Meanwhile. Victor is drawing.  And we know that Victor's drawings are nothing but innocent.  Mrs Costa finds one of a woman in a lake with her dog standing by.  Victor says that it is her and we soon learnt hat this is drawing is actually a premonition.  After Victor and his mother leave, Mrs Costa takes her dog for a walk and drowns in the frozen lake.

In the present-day, Mrs Costa, who for whatever reason, is still living with Victor, comforts the young boy who has had a nightmare about Julie jumping from the dam.  Except it isn't a nightmare, but a premonition, and Victor wants to warn Julie.  This seemed a little odd to me, considering how coldly he rejected her last episode.  But he elects to take Mrs Costa with him over his own mother, despite Mrs Costa's objections that the Horde won't let them leave the town.  However, the Horde allow exactly that showing that Victor has some type of power over them.  What is this power? Let me know what you think?

In another part of dead-town, Virgil is playing double-agent, becoming closer to Camille, but also reporting to Lucy and Morganne who are determined to get baby Nathan back from Simon.  Yet Camille has her own problems with Esteban who becomes completely catatonic before joining the Horde.  Gwilym Mumford of the Guardian discusses in-depth about the horror and emotion in this scene and it was powerfully done.  Camille and Virgil speculate that Esteban joined the Horde because his parents committed suicide and thus he no longer has anyone tethering him to this world.  Whilst this is a logical theory, it does have one major hole: Mrs Costa.  Other than Victor, whom she's not that close with, she has no connections with anyone alive or dead- her husband rejected her upon up return.  As she is completely alone, what's stopping her from turning into one of the Horde.

Whilst Virgil is playing for both sides, it seems that Simon has chosen his family.  Having been firmly replaced by Morganne, he returns home to Adele, Chloe and baby Nathan before hiding them in the local church.  This doesn't seem the smartest considering the priest has already ratted him out once, but he claims to have changed.  However, the police still come poking their noses in, yet through some Deux Ex Machina, doesn't find Simon etc, despite Nathan's crying.  The priest is able to convince them to leave, which seems silly.  The town is in trouble is the police are so incompetent that they can't hear a crying baby in the next room.

Speaking of police, we find out a bit more about those tied to the trees in the forest.  Lucy reveals that it wasn't her or the Horde who killed and ate them, but others.  Lucy etc tried to protect them by tying them to the trees.  Who are the mysterious others who did kill the police offices? Let me know your thoughts.

One returnee who is more scared than evil is the terrified Audrey.  After escaping from the dead side of town with Simon, she seeks help from Jerome and Berg, who are still working together to unravel the mystery.  After she tells them where to find Lena and Camille, Jerome takes her to her mother.  However, her mother betrays her to Pierre who promptly takes her away.  Considering how he treated Toni, this isn't looking good for Audrey.

We pick up on Toni's narrative to find out that Serge, after rescuing from the Helping Hand, takes him back to his cabin.  However, Toni isn't there alone, as he is soon joined by 7 or 8 young pretty girls who look similarly to Lucy.  It's not long before Toni realises that these were the women who Serge murdered.  This was an interesting development ad one I'm looking forward to seeing more off.

Julie has gone to the hospital to visit Victor's father who is in a coma.  However, she also sees a wanted poster of her and so does a nurse Ophelie.  For no apparent reason, Ophelie decides to hide Julie in an abandoned section of the hospital.  I didn't like this and felt that Ophelie's motivations should have been clearer.

The episode opens on Mrs Costa and Victor and closed on them looking for Julie in her old apartment.  Victor admits that he knew they'd be allowed to leave, as this is what happened in his night and his nightmares always come true.  The final shot focuses on the submerged Milan waking up under the lake.

Some questions I would love to get your opinions on.

1. Who killed the police officers? Evil returnees? We know that there are some as they are the ones who beat Claire unconscious.

2. What's keeping Mrs Costa tethered to this world?

3. Why is Ophelie helping Julie?

4.Did anyone notice that Berg's father is the same man who rescued Claire from the Horde?

5.  How did those police officers not hear Nathan's crying?