Hostages 1.9

Jeremy Bobb, Paul Calderon. Lots of tension as the baddies try to save a life (for a change!), further blurring the lines between good and evil. The previous episode’s cliffhanger is frustratingly disregarded and most of the screentime is give to minor characters. It’s still a good episode, and it does answer one more key piece of the overall puzzle, but it’s frustrating when the show builds up to something and then side-steps it. 9/10

Hostages 1.6

Nina Arianda. Sometimes the show veers dangerously close to being farcical. The “wacky sister” plot could be from a sitcom, and some of the early scenes are unintentionally amusing, but the cleverly-foreshadowed twist ending is quite shocking. And keeps the series’ grim tone intact.

The robbery b-story is another example of the show painting the hostage-takers in a sympathetic light: one of them has a kid, etc. I’ve never seen a show so eager to keep everyone likeable. 9/10