What a strong episode. While a few minor issues keep me from giving "The Coach with the Dragon Tattoo" a perfect score, it’s hard to deny just how good it is.

The standout element is Ram’s struggle with his trauma from the previous episode, and the horror that unfolds in this one. Fady Elsayed delivers an excellent performance, capturing Ram’s pain and confusion perfectly. The writing and direction support this thread well, with some real strong scene compositions. Another highlight is Tanya, played by Vivian Oparah, who becomes a crucial link to the rest of the group. The way Tanya supports Ram, drawing on her own experience of loss, feels genuine and moving.

This storyline leans into Torchwood territory, with its darker, more mature tone. In contrast, the thread centered on Charlie and April has more of a Buffy "Scooby Gang" vibe. Surprisingly, these different tones mostly fit together, even though the episode sometimes seems to want to be two things at once—combining Torchwood’s maturity with the Buffy Season 1 vibes. For the most part, it works.

A big reason for this is Greg Austin’s consistent and thoughtful portrayal of Charlie. On the other hand, Sophie Hopkins as April hasn’t quite clicked with me yet, though her final scene in the episode did catch my interest. I’m curious to see where her character goes from here.

And then there’s the third storyline: Miss Quill dealing with an Ofsted inspector. Katherine Kelly brings a sharp, dry wit to the role, and these scenes were a real pleasure to watch.

Overall, the acting across the board is impressive, even in the smaller roles. There’s a lot of subtlety in the performances, which adds depth to the whole episode.

One of the central themes in the story is (toxic) masculinity. The episode does a good job showing that true strength isn’t just about toughness, but also about acknowledging fear and learning to deal with it. I imagine reactions to this will vary, but I appreciated the indirect approach. It offers viewers space to reflect and maybe reconsider, without feeling lectured—a contrast to the more direct approach seen e.g. in Season 2 of the Fifteenth Doctor.

There’s a lot packed into this episode. Not everything landed for me, but the parts that worked were so strong that the weaker moments barely registered. My immersion was only broken twice, which is a testament to Ed Bazalgette’s direction. He really did a fantastic job here.