Down Cemetery Road Recap: Strangers on a Train

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Last week’s episode focused on the emotional impact the difficult cases have had on the team. This week, the action takes center stage. As the season nears its end, the suspense is incredibly high. The show is now reaching a point where it’s impossible to look away, and this episode delivers on that promise. The standout moment—perhaps of the entire series—is the thrilling train chase as Zoë narrowly escapes Amos.

Last week, we learned Amos realized someone was following him. This week, he discovers who it is. It turns out Axel, besides being a killer, loved to keep a journal. He even included a picture of Zoë, noting she was Joe’s wife. While Zoë is physically weaker than Amos – he could likely intimidate her easily – Amos lacks the charm and social skills that Zoë possesses. It’s Zoë’s ability to connect with others that ultimately saves her.

Amos checked his gun to make sure it was loaded and had a silencer, then found Zoë. They sat down, and just then, an announcement reminded passengers to report anything unusual. Instead of that, Zoë decided to distract everyone around them. She started talking to the friendly American couple next to them, introducing herself as Julia and Amos as Andy. She noticed the man, Bob, had a Bananagrams game, so she suggested they all play, hoping to keep Amos occupied. She even accepted Bob’s offer to play for hours, trying to create a buffer between them. But Amos calmly waited until Bob and Shelley decided to turn in for the night. When Shelley suggested a group photo, Amos subtly pushed Zoë into the frame and volunteered to take the picture.

Zoë tracks the couple to their cabin and then focuses on escaping Amos. Trains make fantastic settings for chases, as seen in films like Skyfall and this year’s Highest 2 Lowest. They’re effective because there’s only one direction to go, making it difficult to lose someone. Zoë cleverly hides among the passengers, behind luggage, and eventually in a staff room. I was concerned when she locked herself in, as Amos, despite his injured shoulder, seemed capable of forcing his way through a door. Being with Bob and Shelley was a smart move, as it prevented Amos from taking action. Fortunately, everything works out. A train conductor approaches Amos, offering help with his room. Amos briefly considers violence, but decides against it. He realizes Zoë is going to the same place and figures he can eliminate her more easily in private.

Zoë manages to find an empty cabin. She then receives a FaceTime call from Wayne, who sends her a video proving the British government used chemical weapons against its own soldiers. Zoë asks Wayne to investigate where Dr. Wright conducted his experiments in Scotland. Wayne quickly responds with a location: Firinn Village. Meanwhile, Amos, realizing Zoë is nearby, pulls the fire alarm, forcing everyone to evacuate the train. He escapes in a stolen taxi, and unfortunately, Shelley and Bob end up as his unwilling passengers. They try to reason with him and even threaten to call the police, but Amos is annoyed by their questions and shoots them both.

Amos, a cunning and disturbed individual, exploits the murders to his advantage. Although he spots Zoë’s taxi, it’s impossible he could have seen her inside due to the distance and speed. However, when it comes to manipulative behavior, Amos always knows exactly what to do. In a remarkably convincing act, he calls the police, feigning distress while reporting two bodies found by the road. He describes a fleeing woman with short, spiky hair, a leather jacket, and large boots. After wiping away his fingerprints from the car, he leaves – the teddy bear is just over fourteen miles away.

Zoë’s cab driver was already frustrated, and he got even more annoyed when she asked him to drive past the village towards an abandoned army base – a place Wayne had texted her about. They turned right at a fork in the road, while Sarah had gone left, heading into the village. Zoë was on foot because Downey had driven off in Ella’s car, leaving her asleep in the woods. While Downey likely wanted to ditch what he saw as a burden after their recent struggles, there was a more significant reason for his actions: he didn’t want anyone else to die, especially now that he and Sarah had started to become friends. The night before he left, when she asked if they were getting close to finding Dinah, he initially took it as a personal question, wondering if they were becoming emotionally close. This was a stark contrast to the man who could barely meet Sarah’s gaze back in their hotel room, a long time ago.

Four members of our team are now in Scotland, on their way to Firinn. The only one missing is Malik, who was unexpectedly approached by C while walking his dog. C revealed that Amos is still alive and is guiding Downey towards Dinah. C then warned Malik that if he can’t handle whatever they find, he won’t be needed anymore – it’s unclear if that means losing his job or something worse. Despite this, C gave Malik a gun and ordered him to eliminate Amos, Downey, or both, finishing with a strangely gentle, yet ominous, instruction: “Strike like a cobra.” It’s a bit ironic, considering Malik isn’t exactly known for his subtlety.

C is just like everyone else – he has to run ideas by his boss, Talia. She’s rehearsing a major speech about the upcoming budget when C arrives. She asks for his advice on how to answer a potential question from a journalist about the British government’s position on chemical weapons. C suggests she emphasize that the weapons industry is heavily regulated and advise against fueling speculation. It’s a clever way to avoid actually saying anything substantial, and C hopes a sharp reporter will challenge the non-answer.

Firinn Village is a charming place filled with welcoming people. Sarah learns from a shopkeeper that teenagers have been stealing alcohol and cigarettes and hanging out at a nearby abandoned army base – the same one Zoë is traveling to. While this coincidence feels a bit forced, it does move Sarah’s investigation forward. She finds Ella’s empty car parked by the road, but Michael is nowhere to be seen. He doesn’t appear much in this episode, though we do discover he has only one dose of Histropine left, suggesting trouble is brewing and everything will soon come to a head.

Suddenly understanding, Sarah rushes to the base. Surprisingly, the most frightening encounter she has is with a group of teasing teenage boys – a truly awful experience for anyone. Following some noises, the scene shifts to where Nev and Ty are playing soccer in Dinah’s holding room. A soccer ball knocks over a folder containing photos of the chemical burns, which Nev, Ty, and Steph are seeing for the first time. This feels a bit unbelievable, though. After being locked up for days without explanation, wouldn’t they have tried to find out what was happening? Just then, a shadow appears on the CCTV. We expect it to be Sarah, but it’s actually the provisioner, and he’s immediately met with two guns pointed at him.

Sarah had taken a folding knife from Paula, ready to use it if she had to. She turned a corner and found Zoë, but it wasn’t the encounter she’d hoped for—it was what she needed. When Sarah collapsed, saying she wanted to quit and go home, Zoë reminded her that wasn’t an option. She was too involved to back out now, and there was no guarantee she could even make it back to Oxford safely—everything suggested the opposite. Zoë then showed her a video, trying to inspire her: they were incredibly close to achieving their goal.

Okay, so Zoë and I were trying to figure out where those creepy experiments happened, and we split up to ask around town. I was at the pub and spotted the shopkeeper from before chatting with the bartender, and Sarah, being brilliant, pretended to be a military buff to get them talking about the “army guys” who’d been through town. Meanwhile, Zoë was down at the docks and overheard the delivery guys admitting they were being paid to stay silent. Honestly, of all the convenient things that happened in the second half of the episode, that felt really forced. Zoë’s best skill is getting people to spill secrets – she’s so good at it! I wish the writers had let her actually use her wits to get information instead of relying on such an easy coincidence.

At the pub, Sarah realized the map on the Puffin tour leaflet didn’t show an island that was clearly visible on the wall map – a crucial clue. Using her hidden talent for restoration, she quickly marked the missing island on the leaflet. Just as she was about to leave, she overheard the bartender taking a call from Callum, the police officer investigating Bob and Shelley’s murder. They’d briefly seen Callum earlier with a colleague who discovered a photo of Bob and Shelley with Zoë in Shelley’s bag. Callum described Zoë to the bartender and asked her to be on the lookout. Sarah, conveniently hearing everything, rushed to warn Zoë that the police were looking for her in connection to the deaths of two Americans. Zoë instantly understood it must be about Bob and Shelley, and burst into tears. But their priority was still finding the missing island. Now, all they needed was a boat.

They manage to get a boat, despite the captain’s refusal to take them out due to high winds – even after they claim it’s their honeymoon and boast about their sea legs. Sarah is completely frustrated. She forcibly locks the captain inside his cabin and takes the keys. Zoë’s approving look is exactly what Sarah needed. Sarah takes control of the boat and steers towards the island. Amos is waiting with his own small, dark boat on a black sand beach, and Downey has one as well. Everyone is on their way – Malik by helicopter, and the others by sea. The big question now is: who will arrive at the island first?

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2025-11-26 16:56