I'm still giving this a 3.5*, as I have done for the rest of the series so far, but holy hell am I conflicted. Everything about Apex here is red flags, and as flawed a person as Cleo is I find it hard to believe that she'd suddenly go from calling Apex a trafficker to falling for him, especially as her best friends are warning her. I know they've fallen out somewhat but this just makes Cleo pretty unlikeable to me. It's a shame cause I do think Craggs is a great actress in the role and I love having a trans main character where transness is key to her story. But it's just hard for me to understand, relate or like her when she's choosing a man she literally didn't trust 5 minutes ago over her besties, just cause he showed her space. (Even if that's 100% the point, and she's definitely intended to be flawed)

But on the other hand, the idea of an interdimensional brokers to avoid real estate prices is awesome, and I am really really invested in the Shawna and Abby storyline.

In the end, the 3* that comes from my issues with Apex and Cleo, and the 4* that comes from my love of the Shawna and Abby storyline average out to a 3.5*.

This one has some interesting ideas, like a hidden door to a secret base disguised in a shopping aisle with cat food. Although it's not too shocking that Apex is the thief who's been stealing alien artifacts, it does create some great ambiguity surrounding his character. Should Cleo really be so quick to trust him, even if he did take her into space?