Finally! Finally we see at least some of the footage originally from webisodes 5 and 6 (second full episode of the web series) that I lamented the exclusion of in the second TV episode. It was cut down by a lot, but it was there. But I'm getting ahead of myself. On with the review.

Well, again we get handed another familiar idea for a show about abnormal creatures: The monster fight club. Sure, it worked for this episode pretty well, but it's one of those ideas that's not quite a cliche yet. Have it pop up a few more times and it will become one. The camerawork made some bits really hard to follow, too. Are the Sanctuary people taking in camera people from the BSG set?

As for how they presented the members of the Cabal this week, I sensed some awkward acting and direction. The cold businesswoman has become something of a stock character in science fiction, but not everybody can play that character. The actress in this week's episode needs to work on that. I'm not saying she's a bad actress, but this role didn't seem right for her. As for the ringmaster of the fight club, also a member of the Cabal, I had a lot of problems understanding a word he said, what with the voice direction he was getting during the fights. Yes, it makes sense to shout, but it helps to open your mouth more.

The portrayal of the monster fighters acting-wise was pretty good (aside from the same problem of not being able to fully understand what they were saying when they spoke), but a lot of the makeup seemed overdone and unnecessary. The first fight, between Beta and Stretch, was the best staged in the whole episode. The makeup for Beta was just the right amount. For the rest of the armored fighters it was overkill; first Will is made into Shawn Spencer and now he's made temporarily into The Incredible Hulk (and why, why, why does every studio think that a musclebound creature's hair must spike out like that?). The fact that he was temporarily turned into an Abnormal might come back in future stories. I'd like to see how it affects the plot.

And now, in the spirit of the episode, for tonight's main event: Meeting Greg Magnus. This is where the footage from webisodes 5 and 6 came in. He was originally introduced there in the web series as the one who really started the Sanctuary. I'm so, so thankful that his character was reintroduced. The actor can't manage a British accent very well, but I did like his performance in the episode, both as Helen's father and as the brainwashed Cabal agent (I also believe that he, along with the actor who played Danny, has been on Stargate before). To be completely honest, I wouldn't have put it past the writers to kill him off immediately, so I'm very thankful to them for letting him live, at least for now. I also really liked how they explained his presence in the modern world instead of giving him Helen's explanation. It was barely a flash in the flashback sequence: the ice on his hand. Kudos for the showing-not-telling, Bridge Studios Crew.

Now for the next round. Anybody got something to add?