The Shadow of Baron Battenberg – The episode opens with DI Sam Gillespie (Max Brown) and Ruth Penny (Miranda Raison) arriving at Pranayama. The receptionist, Marion Grey (Emily Bruni) waits patiently to check them in.

Day Before – Handing Sister Boniface (Lorna Watson) The Times newspaper featuring Baron Battenberg, Ruth explains the mystery surrounding Baron Jonty Battenberg’s disappearance five years earlier. Rumors have it, he was killed by his wife, Marion Grey (Emily Bruni). The Baron’s brother, Edwin Battenberg (Jason Thorpe) believes he is alive. Albion Bugle journalist, Ruth tells her that Edwin and Marion share the same living quarters and run Pranayama in Great Slaughter. She claims the journalist, Victor Goodbody (Tim Frances) believes the image in the newspaper is actually Edwin, not the Baron. She says Goodbody is preparing to expose Edwin or Marion as the killer. When Sister Boniface suggests going undercover as husband and wife, they both disagree but change their minds later.

Marion tells Gillespie and Ruth the aura they share isn’t good but they can work on it. Ruth admits to wanting him to be more tolerable while he wants her to apply herself more. Marion asks if they have children. He calls the names of their four children. Marion claims she and Edwin built Pranayama from scratch. He asks if Baron Battenberg featured in The Times is her husband. She admits to being sorry they’re still married. Ruth asks if she thinks the man in the photo is the Baron. She suggests he fakes his death to prevent her from seeking a divorce which she will do when he reappears.

Gillespie and Ruth are taking a class when Goodbody approaches. Marion orders him to leave. Ruth admits to reading all his articles and believes he is “brilliant.” He suggests calling his office to schedule an interview with him. He tells Marion that he would like to speak with Edwin about his recent travels to see if he visited London. She claims it has been weeks since he last left Pranayama before escorting him to his car. He says she seems threatened by his presence. She tells him that it has been years since she last utilized the Baron’s surname and money. After reminding her of the Baron’s love for women, he says a scorned wife could tamper with a brake line. Ruth watches Edwin intervenes when she tries to physically force him to leave.

Connie Dumas (Sarah Moyle) snaps at Gillespie when he asks if the recipe includes meat. Ben Matthews (George Sargeant) introduces himself and his wife, Leigh Matthews (Jahannah James), Miss Croydon ’61.

Ruth demands Gillespie sleep on the floor. They lay quietly listening to their neighbors being intimate. Waking up late, she rushes out to meet him as he returns from calling Lowsley. They enter the woods in search of Goodbody to find a small fire. She pulls Goodbody’s glasses from the ashes. They follow a trail of buttons to Goodbody’s lifeless body. Sister Boniface believes Goodbody was bludgeoned to death between 10am and 11am. Gillespie finds a broken tree branch a short distance away. Peggy Button (Ami Metcalf) questions why Goodbody isn’t wearing a shirt. Sister Boniface says it would be rare to scatter buttons when ripping off someone’s clothes. Ruth suggests Goodbody was forced to remove his clothes. Sister Boniface carefully picks up a bloody handkerchief before assessing his mouth to see a missing tooth. She believes Goodbody was injured before being murdered. Gillespie says he and Felix Livingstone (Jerry Iwu) will question the guests. Ruth warns it would blow their cover. Agreeing with Ruth, Sister Boniface warns they would lose their advantage if he exposes himself now.

Gillespie and Ruth claim to have entered the woods to have sex when they discovered the body. After describing what they saw as “awful,” Ruth accuses Marion and Edwin of kicking Goodbody out of Pranayama. Marion says when they made him leave, it was the last she saw of him. When Leigh comes forward about briefly speaking to Goodbody this morning at the fish pond. Ben tries to hold her back. Felix asks what they spoke about. She suggests he check on her after seeing she was upset. Felix says Goodbody was seen entering the woods by Mrs. Seitang. Gillespie asks about the abrasions on Ben’s hand. Ben claims to have sustained the injury when punching a tree after an argument with Lee.

Connie tells Felix that she was employed as Marion’s housemaid in London. She assures him that Marion never murdered the Baron.

Sister Boniface informs Ruth and Gillespie of LSD detected in Goodbody’s blood. He questions if Goodbody was high when the assailant murdered him. She says the assailant could have drugged him to render him defenseless. Ruth and Gillespie approach as Felix questions Ben and Leigh. She confirms they were in their room at 11:30. Marion says they are occasionally administered LSD to the guests. Edwin claims to have taken LSD under Marion’s guidance. They tell Felix that LSD is stored in areas accessible to guests. Felix reminds Marion of how she violently shoved Goodbody yesterday. Edwin denies either of them is violent.

Ruth and Gillespie intervene in a verbal argument between Ben and Leigh. He accuses her of having an affair after finding her birth control pills. After Gillespie escorts Ben out of the room, she confides in Ruth about Ben being in and out of the borstal system. Ruth reminds her of the allegations Goodbody made regarding the circumstances of her winning Miss Croydon. After denying sleeping with one of the judges, Leigh claims Goodbody was angry because she refused his offer to sleep with him. Ruth questions if Ben punished Goodbody for what he did to her. Leigh says he doesn’t know about it. Ben admits to punching Goodbody because he made Leigh more upset. Leigh scolds him for lying about punching a tree.

Gillespie discovers a tooth in the pond. Sister Boniface says it’s probably Goodbody’s tooth. Sister Boniface begins hallucinating after breakfast. Gillespie and Ruth believe she was drugged with LSD. Ruth says did Connie murder Goodbody to protect Marion. Gillespie questions what Goodbody found. Sister Boniface suggests nothing before explaining her theory about Goodbody finding something other than his tooth in the fish pond. When Gillespie pretends to search the fish pond for his wedding band, Edwin demands he stops to avoid interfering with the fish when Gillespie finds a skeleton. Edwin breaks down sobbing when they suggest it’s the Baron.

Felix informs Marion of the Baron’s cause of death. He says the killer utilized a large kitchen knife. She refuses to comment. Edwin addresses the guests regarding the recent police investigation. He offers to provide full reimbursement to any guest who checks out. Ruth becomes upset when she believes Gillespie made a pass at Elaine. He assures her that he was concerned for her welfare before asking what does it matter. She reminds him of their pretend marriage. They fall into a passionate kiss.

Felix tells Sister Boniface that Edwin had something to do with his brother’s death. She places the tooth into her mold to generate the perfect fit. She discovers a piece of fabric embedded into the plaster. A disheveled Gillespie and Ruth open the door. She informs them of her find, a strand of gauze laced with LSD. Felix asked about Goodbody’s bloody handkerchief. After denying it had any traces of LSD, she suggests the killer gave him the LSD-laced gauze to bite down on. Gillespie tells them the gauze will lead them back to the killer. She warns such gauze can be found in all first aid kits. They confront Connie with their evidence. She denies drugging Goodbody with LSD. Sister Boniface suggests she slipped LSD in her orange juice during prayer. Connie threatens them with a meat cleaver before slipping out the door with Gillespie in tow. They run through Edward’s class when she is arrested for killing Goodbody. Gillespie and Ruth identify themselves to the guests.

Connie admits to drugging Sister Boniface to prevent her from searching the fish pond. An intoxicated Goodbody followed her into the woods believing it was where the Baron was buried. She claims he was trying to sexually assault her when Marion came home. Marion hit him with a frying pan before they fled to Great Slaughter. When he found them, he became irate when she refused to tell him where Marion was at. After stabbing him, she buried his body and never told anyone. Gillespie questions if she was physically cable of burying Goodbody and the Baron without assistance.

Marion tells Ruth that Connie saved her by stabbing the Baron. She suggests their not rendering aid makes them both guilty of murder. Edwin convinced them to not go to the police. All three of them buried him under the rocks. Edwin drove the Baron’s vehicle into the Thames. She suggests their way of giving back is helping couples fall in love again. Ruth assures her that she and Gillespie were pretending.

Over drinks, Gillespie tells Ruth they should become a couple. She informs him of The Times offering her Goodbody’s position. She admits to being happy working at Albion Bugle and being there with him. He reminds her The Times is her dream job. She invites him to go with her. He congratulates her with a toast.

Sister Boniface, Peggy, Felix, and Gillespie say their goodbyes to Ruth. Sister Boniface says it is a sad day for love. He asks who mentioned love before suggesting it is for the best when the episode ends.

 

Sister Boniface Mysteries Review

Gillespie and Ruth go undercover to investigate the 5-year-old murder case of Baron Jonty Battenberg. The Baron’s wife, Marion, and brother, Edwin, run the Pranayama spa. Marion has no love for her husband after years of cheating and neglect. The Times journalist, Goodbody believes the most recent sighting in London wasn’t the Baron but his brother. He visits the spa to ask Edwin if he was recently in London which Marion completely denies. She physically shoves him before he leaves.

Ben and his wife, Leigh who was voted Miss Croydon in 1961 are also staying at the spa. His jealous tendency causes strive in their relationship. After seeing Goodbody’s vehicle in front of the spa, Ruth and Gillespie search the woods to find his glasses in a pile of burning embers. Sister Boniface determines he was bludgeoned to death by a broken tree branch. He was also intoxicated on LSD at the time of his murder.

Goodbody’s tooth is later discovered in the fish pond. He confronted Leigh in the woods when he saw she was upset. Jealous, Ben punched him. He lied to Leigh about the abrasions on his hands, claiming to have punched a tree. Gillespie discovers the Baron’s skeleton in the fish pond.

Connie confesses to killing Goodbody to protect Marion and Edwin’s secret. The Baron visited Marion’s home in London to find her away. He was trying to sexually assault Connie when she came home. She clocks him over the head with a frying pan. When he catches up with them in Great Slaughter, Connie stabs him. Edwin comes over and they bury his body under the rocks.

Ruth takes Goodbody’s position at The Times after Gillespie refuses to pursue a relationship with her.

A good crime drama guaranteed to satisfy the curiosity and suspense of the darker side of humanity. Even though the murder isn’t of a violent nature, it is interesting to see the killer(s) squirm when detectives get close to solving the case.

My biggest qualm is the sudden halt to Gillespie and Ruth’s budding relationship. It’s so typical since most British crime shows take the same direction. Miss Scarlet and The Duke is just one example. Eliza and William get so close to building a relationship only to be held back by their careers.

The episode deserves a 7. Get more Sister Boniface recaps here. Support Reel Mockery by clicking the link. Let our onsite advertising help build your online brand awareness.