The Ink Black Heart: Part 2 – As the episode opens, Robin Ellacott (Holliday Grainger) takes a Highgate Cemetery tour. The tour guide (John Waite) explains the route they will take. An IBH fan (Rebecca Ineson) asks about Edie Ledwell’s grave. The guide says it is a private plot but they do pass the graves of the Sleeping Angel and De Munck, both of which are featured in The Ink Black Heart. At the office, Pat Chauncey (Ruth Sheen) drops off a fruit cake to Cormoran Strike (Tom Burke). He tells her to ask Sam Barclay (Jack Greenlees) to pick up a double shift on Phillip Ormond (Luke Norris). She informs him that Josh Blay (Jacob Abraham) will stop by this evening. He wants to be there when Robin talks to Josh. At the Highgate Cemetary, Robin asks the IBH fan if she plays Drek’s Game. The fan says no because the creator acts like he made The Ink Black Heart and is controlling. Robin contacts DCI Richard Murphy (Stephen Hagan) to find out where Josh and Edie were attacked. He says near a tomb with a pelican, not far from where she is standing. He invites her out for a drink. She claims to be working. He wishes her happy hunting and ends the call. She locates a tomb featured in Drek’s game. Pez Pierce (James Nelson-Joyce) approaches and tells her that she is standing where Edie died. She asks how he knew. He claims they all hung out there and asks how she knew. She says Edie mentioned it in her interview. Pez shows her a sketch of the time-traveling undertaker. She tells him that some people believe Edie’s death is a publicity stunt. He claims Anomie harassed Edie daily. She questions if Edie knew Anomie. He says Edie and Kea Niven (Elise Chappel) were working on separate Harty projects for North Grove. Edie got rich while Kea ended up moving back in with her mum. Robin asks if he believes Edie stole Kea’s idea. He refuses to speak further. She calls Midge Greenstreet (Tupele Dorgu) to see if Anomie was active in Drek’s Game while they were talking. Midge says no. He is still a suspect.

Midge informs Robin that Strike’s cover was blown while following Wally Cardew (Kevin Bishop). A short time later, Robin checks on Strike who is in bed. She tells him that Anomie showed her where he killed Edie in Drek’s Game and it matches the actual murder site. He asks how she knew where the attack took place. She says Murphy told her. He shows her a photo of the man talking to Wally. He points out the Norse rune Thurisaz tattoo on his head. Algernon Gizzard on Wally’s social media. Jamie Kettle, a foot soldier to the Halvening, responded to Algernon Gizzard’s post about the Utoya massacre. Later at the hospital, Josh insists Anomie stabbed him and Edie. Edie scans direct messages from Anomie to Josh. In one message, Anomie warns that a film deal would be the end. Josh says the film deal would have resulted in much better games. He claims Mariam (Liza Sadovy) knew they were going to meet but she was in classes all day. Robin questions if Mariam mentioned it to Nils De Jung (Ewan Bailey). Josh insists Wally and Pez had nothing to do with the attack. He believes Phillip is Anomie. He tells them that Yasmin Weatherhead (Kitty Reed) gave him evidence of Edie and Anomie doing a deal that would have booted him from The Ink Black Heart. In a flashback, Josh’s joint starts a fire. Mariam throws him out. He accidentally tells Kea about his meeting with Edie. In the present, he says Kea is not Anomie. Strike suggests the entire Upcott family was aware of their meeting.

In a flashback, Josh arrives late at Highgate Cemetery to find Edie lying on the ground. Someone approached from behind and Tased him. He says it wasn’t the groundsman who was big and heavy. Strike suggests his attacker was wearing a bald mask and padded clothing. Josh claims his assailant stabbed him and whispered, “I’ll take care of things from here.” He could feel the attacker’s hatred and blames himself for Edie’s murder. He breaks down sobbing. Strike assures him that it wasn’t his fault and urges him to fight for what Edie loved. Elsewhere, Sam snaps photos of Phillip delivering a file to a woman. He notifies Robin and sends her the photos. She identifies the woman as Yasmin who Edie fired. Later, Katya Upcott (Emma Fielding) boasts about Gus Upcott (Jack Donoghue) who attends the Royal Guild of Music. She says he never invites his girlfriend, Darcy, over. Indigo Upcott (Christian McKay) tells Robin and Strike about his ME. When Flavia Upcott (Maya Kelly) appears, Indigo scolds her for being out of bed because she skipped school. Katya gives them a list of Edie and Josh’s acquaintances. Indigo says Yasmin should be the prime suspect because she gave Josh the fake dossier about Edie and Anomie’s deal. He claims Kea insists The Ink Black Heart was mostly her idea. Katya suggests Kea is Anomie. He accuses her of making the allegation out of spite and insists Yasmin is Anomie. Katya ends the meeting. Flavia complains about Katya caring about Josh, not her. Robin tries to sign into Drek’s Game but someone is already logged in. Strike questions if Katya stabbed Edie and Josh. She says Edie dropped Katya and signed with Allan Yeoman.

Strike says Anomie and Morehouse are behind Drek’s Game. Robin suggests the pair could be Phillip and Yasmin. She receives a call about her new flat. Excited, she tells Strike and embraces him. Pat alerts them of a female visitor. Charlotte Ross (Natasha O’Keeffe) speaks to Strike at the office. He says their list is full and she should go and see McCabe. Charlotte warns him that McCabe could use this thing of hers to run him out of business. She reveals Jago found the nude she sent him. Strike says he didn’t ask for it and he didn’t want to see it. Charlotte says that changes nothing. He also knows that Strike called Symonds House when she was there. Jago is going to name him in the divorce and he’ll be in all the papers. Charlotte believes that could make it difficult for Strike to get clients. She recommends finding dirt on Jago before all of this comes out. Charlotte doesn’t want him to have full custody of the twins either. Strike refuses to help her. On her way out, Charlotte tells Robin that she looks a lot like Corm’s girlfriend, Madeline. Robin confronts Strike in his office to find out what’s going on.

Strike insists Charlotte just likes making trouble. Robin asks him about seeing someone and whether that will ruin their agency. Strike says no. He explains they’re dragging him into their divorce over nothing. Robin thinks it’s a good idea to dig up dirt on Jago although Strike doesn’t want to. Robin tells Strike that he cannot mess this up. She asks for Jago Ross’s address so she can put him under surveillance. Robin goes to her art class. Wally approaches her and asks who she is. Robin says she has a class before asking if she has a problem. Wally says no. Nils De Jung asks Robin if she’s seen a cat. He says the cat has disappeared and he’s worried someone has killed him. Nils urges her to look at his work. He reveals one of his works contains his father’s ashes. His father had treatable cancer, but he decided to kill himself anyway. Nils claims his father really had anomie. Then, he tells her about Ultima Thule and how the Vikings believed it was a place beyond the known world.

Robin asks if the woman is Edie Ledwell. Nils says it is although she’s also the spider. Robin takes a picture of the painting. Nils claims Edie’s greatest love was copyright law. She made herself hated. Nils believes her killer was forced to recognize her power. Pez interrupts and tells Robin he’s been looking for her. Robin steps out to send an email. She checks Drek’s Game. At the office, Pat Chauncey puts an X near Nils’ picture. Phillip Ormond meets Strike at the pub. Strike asks him about North Grove. Phillip hasn’t been back since Edie died. He hasn’t been in touch with anyone involved with the Ink Black Heart. Phillip reveals he and Edie were working on a script for The Ink Black Heart film. He says Edie made notes on her phone and the killer took it, according to the police. Strike finds it odd that the killer took it. When asked about Josh Blay, Phillip says he’s useless and Edie carried him for years. He believes she was happier when she moved in with him.

Phillip was once a police officer, but his ex asked him to switch careers. He retrained and his marriage still fell apart. Phillip can’t say whether Anomie killed Edie. He knew Edie and Josh were meeting. Phillip tells Strike when he started worrying about Edie. Then, he reveals he had to identify her body. Strike asks about Yasmin Weatherhead. Phillip remembers who she is, but he thought Edie was harsh for sacking her for playing the game. He claims Edie mentioned hiring someone to find Anomie although he didn’t know Edie had picked his lot. Strike says his partner reported seeing bruises. Sam Barclay follows Phillip when he leaves. Later, Strike gets a call from a distorted voice telling him to “Dig up Edie” and “Look at the letters in the coffin.” Pez hangs out with Robin at the pub. They talk about Nils’ artwork. Pez admits Nils is odd. Wally is getting into the Viking stuff now although he probably doesn’t even know what it means. Phillip suspects someone may be following him on a motorbike.

Pez manages to kiss Robin. She asks if Pez thinks he’ll be asked to take over the drawing on The Ink Black Heart film. They talk about money and Pez claims Edie’s fiancé is a disgrace. He keeps calling saying he wants Pez to give him stuff he and Edie have been working on. Robin steps out of the room and contacts Strike to send him an audio file. Strike learns what Pez said about Phillip asking for stuff. He also finds out that Pez kissed Robin. Sam watches Phillip when he stops and throws something into the water. Sam calls Strike to say Phillip drove halfway to Norfolk just to chuck a phone into the river. He says he’s got the phone. Phillip runs him down and causes him to wreck moments later.

 

C.B. Strike Review

The writing is long-winded, pretentious, and at times repetitive. There are no action scenes to balance out the monotony. The ending is implausible to the point of absurdity. Sam has been following Phillip for several days when he drives to a remote area and tosses a “phone” into the river. It’s damp, dark, and foggy but Sam manages to recover the phone.

It would have been more effective to wind up the case in two episodes. Eliminating the filler would have sped the story along and kept the audience from being bored out of their skin. The episode deserves a 5.2 out of 10.

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