[Review] Ingress Season 1 Episode 3 "Advance – Discover – Conflict" Does What it Says on the Tin

However, because of the way the plot develops, that exposition feels natural and earned. We only learn about Dark XM and Sarah's past when they become necessary to move things along and to get to the three-way conflict that's been building since the end of the pilot episode. Sure, we're only on Episode 3, but with several close calls, outright fights, one explosion, and a stalled train, the conflict feels like its been coming for days. Which is actually a fantastic use of suspense that makes the audience echo the same emotion as the protagonists.

The episode ends just as we begin the fight, with Jack, Sarah, Makoto, and Liu all at the Kyoto facility. The cliffhanger  wouls be frustrating in a network show, as it is pretty much the prototypical cliffhanger ending. However, because this is a Netflix show, it works as the perfect hook to get you to watch that one more episode. It's the second time Ingress has used the trick, as Episode 2's ending was rather peaceful with Makoto and Sarah boarding the train. But while this could feel like a rehash of the pilot's ending, the setup is far different. Ingress's pilot hits the ground running and doesn't stop for answers after the initial voiceover. Ingress Episode 3 is all about the slow build to this one moment of ultimate tension, which is then left up in the air. The art design helps ratchet that tension up as the colors slowly fade from the episode. The train is full of bright colors and stark whites, while Kyoto is all soft greens and comforting shadows, but inside the lab everything is dark and red. Which absolutely sets you on attention before the plot follows along.

"Advance – Discover – Conflict" is a masterclass in suspense writing, and is some of the best pacing of the show so far.