I love a good flashback episode when it's utilized properly and it certainly was here. I hadn't cared about the Philo/Vignette relationship in the first two episodes but this episode went a long way in establishing why we should care and not just because it's a "forbidden love"as seemingly suggested by the trailers and the first two episodes. I loved how they connected over the sci-fi novel and why it resonated for both of them.
I also loved the giant library carved inside of a mountain. Be still my beating heart! I particularly loved how the Mima Roosan had a contingency plan in place in case the Pact took over: Vignette sealing of the library from the outside world by burying the entrance with a cave-in. Better for it to buried in rumble than for their books whisked away to some museum to be gawked at (or worse, burned away).
I didn't expect the show to address Philo's mysterious past so quickly, but I am liking where it's going. My heart broke for him when he realized Aisling, one of the murder victims in his investigation, was in fact his mother. She was so close and he had no idea.
I imagine he'll find his father is alive and well (perhaps Absalom?}.
Speaking of whom, I'm still not sure what Piety was up to in kidnapping her own son and getting Absalon's political rival, Ritter Longerbane, blamed for it. Unless, she's somehow in cahoots with Sophie as part of her power play at the end of episode 5? Either way, I'm glad Jonah picked up on the clip-cloppping of his mother's heels right away.
I continue to love the worldbuilding as we see more and more races including trow, werewolves, and possibly another I'm forgetting. My heart broke for Runyon when his trope of kobolds were deported and he had no control over it (and it was done while he was sleeping!).
