Cringetide

Tensions rise aboard the Chthonic as Mairead's gambling debts come to light. Desperate to settle what she owes to wealthy guest Alistair, the Spa Manager finds herself and her girlfriend Fion trapped between mounting financial pressure and the leverage being wielded by those who know her secrets. When Alistair and his girlfriend Holly arrive at the spa with a proposal, it becomes clear that there are other ways to settle accounts, and that the crew's vulnerability makes them easy targets for manipulation.

Fion confronts Mairead about her gambling addiction and the debts she has accumulated, particularly to Alistair, the wealthy CEO of Neuroplex. The argument reveals the precarious state of their relationship and the constant cycle of loss and false promises to change that defines their dynamic. When Alistair and Holly arrive for a scheduled appointment at the spa, they bring with them an implicit threat: there are ways to settle the debt that don't involve money.

Nika, the observant ship's maid, notices the power dynamics at play and begins to piece together the leverage being used against Mairead and Fion. She sees an opportunity to position herself as indispensable, offering her own skills and observations as a solution to the mounting problems. The lines between help and complicity blur as Nika becomes entangled in the adults' arrangements.

Mairead is caught between her desire to regain control through another gambling win and the reality that she is now trapped by her own choices. Fion's anger gives way to resignation as she recognizes the pattern repeating. Holly's presence serves as both temptation and reminder of the transactions that now define survival on the ship.

By the episode's end, the spa becomes a site of negotiation where bodies, favors, and secrets are the only currency that matters. The episode establishes the economic desperation that will drive the crew's choices throughout the arc, showing how financial precarity transforms relationships and creates power imbalances that no amount of rationalization can justify.