Smother review: Val proves she'll do whatever it takes to protect her family

We're still not quite sure what to make of Finn, though

 Dervla Kirwan as Val in Smother.

Is Ahern lovechild Finn the vengeful harbinger of all doom? Or is there another malevolent force in the mix? That’s the big question at the heart of episode four of Smother, a series with more twists and turns than a back road out of Lahinch.

One moment Finn’s glaring at Val Ahern like a maniacal pantomime baddie. The next he’s saving her from an apparent burglary at her home.

Val Ahern, the controlling matriarch of the family, has no idea what’s going on around her at this stage, and that’s part of the fun of the jittery psychological thriller that’s unfolding.

Chaos revolves around her - Jenny’s child has gone missing along with her ex-boyfriend Michael. Elaine’s facing a drink driving charge and is convinced her drink was spiked following last week’s serious car accident that saw Joe hospitalised, and there are at least two secret love affairs in the offing.

Dean Fagan as Finn in Smother.

The Aherns look to be a family imploding. But don’t discount the savvy and quick thinking of Val. She’s a woman absolutely determined to fight for her dysfunctional family and will do whatever it takes to guard their secrets and lies.

However, Val’s decision-making threatens to put her increasingly in conflict with the closest members of her own family. Jenny believes Val wants her ex Michael back in the picture to push Finn out of the way, and she’s having none of it: “I don’t know where it’s going, but Finn makes me happy and not you, or Michael, or anybody else is taking that away from me.” 

 Val Ahern, the formidable matriarch of the Ahern family in Smother, has met her match. But who is that match? Is it Finn, who we discover has a rap sheet as long as his arm? “Juvenile detention, aggravated burglary, possession of a firearm,” Joe tells her from his hospital bed.

“He’s just come out of serious prison time for grievous bodily harm. Watch your family. He’s a dangerous fellow. You need to be very careful.” But is this all Finn’s work, or are members of her own family conspiring against her?

Dervla Kirwan as Val and Niamh Walsh as Jenny in episode 4 of Smother.

As it passes the midway mark, Smother has a lot of plates spinning and it remains to be seen which reveals ring true.

The psychological thriller elements have been a clever addition in that regard, allowing storytellers to toy with the audience as well as the Aherns, using ever more fantastical twists. Like Val Ahern, we have no idea how this is going to play out, but it’s certainly got our attention.