Troubled Blood Season 1 – The episode begins with Cormoran Strike (Tom Burke) leaving the Victory Inn when Anna Phipps (Sophie Ward) approaches him. While they’re talking, Psychologist Kim Sullivan (Sutara Gayle) reminds her that she promised not to do it. Anna informs Cormoran that her mum, Dr. Margot Bamborough (Abigail Lawrie), went missing in 1974 after staying late to see a patient instead of meeting her friend, Oonagh Kennedy (Genevieve Hulme Beaman), in a local pub. She says Margot went missing somewhere between the pub and surgery.

In a 1980 flashback, young Anna Phipps (Tilly Walker) paints a picture of her “mummy.” An older boy (Thomas Harper-Jones) approaches her as she emerges from the school to ask if the picture of her mum. After asking her to point out her mum, he says her mum, Margot, had her head chopped off. She rushes over to tell her nanny, Cynthia (Carys Bowkett) who assures her that it isn’t true before confronting the boy.

Back to the present, Anna warns Cormoran that if her mum’s acquaintances die, she’ll never know the truth. She informs him of her mum’s case being flawed but investigators refuse to reopen it.

Cormoran contacts Robin Ellacott (Holliday Grainger) to inform her of his new missing person’s case. She suggests helping him with the case. He reminds her that it’s a long drive. She assures him that she can be in Cornwall by tomorrow.

Joan Nancarrow (Linda Bassett) tells Ted Nancarrow (Ian Redford) and Cormoran that the doctor prescribed medicine and suggests surgery. Ted says he’d like to accompany her to the doctor’s office. Cormoran views the doctor’s report which reveals Joan has stage 4 ovarian cancer.

The main suspect in Margot’s missing person’s case is serial killer, Dennis Creed. Creed’s motto is to render his victims unconscious with drugs. During a press conference, DI Simon Layborn (Phill Langhorne) describes the state of Creed’s basement as being his “worst” crime scene. On the night, Margot went missing, someone reported seeing two people in an altercation but never intervened. A white van speeds away from the crime scene. He murdered seven women but never confessed to killing Margot.

Max Priestwood (Syrus Lowe) says Creed is a serial killer. Robin reminds him that Margot is still missing.

Matthew tells Robin that he’s not satisfied with the settlement agreement. She suggests he contact his attorney. He warns her that he can invest more in litigation than she can.

Cormoran reminds Lucy Strike (Sarah Sweeney) that Joan isn’t their mum. She says Leda Strike (Kierston Wareing) is nothing more than her birth mother before assuring him that Joan and Ted wanted them. He tells her that she’s living in London. After assuring him that Leda only cares about herself, she says Joan believes he and Robin should get married. He tells her that he’d surely mess it up. When she professes to love him, he doesn’t respond.

Robin watches a video of Margot at a Christmas party filmed 10 months before her disappearance. In a press conference, DI Bill Talbot (Morgan Jones) says Margot’s husband, Dr. Roy Phipps (Sam Woolf) isn’t a suspect in her abduction.

In a flashback, young Cormoran Strike (Charlie Price) listens while Joan and Leda argue. Joan assures her that she and Ted will be there for Lucy and Cormoran. Leda says she’ll probably only be gone a month. Joan tells her that kids need certainty. Leda reminds her that she’s their mother. She tells Cormoran that she only needs a couple of days to see if they can make it before leaving.

Anna pleads with Cormoran and Robin to keep the investigation from her father. She says Carl Oakden, the son of Margot’s co-worker, alleged in his book that Anna was involved with an ex-boyfriend, Satchwell. She informs them of receiving the locket her mother was wearing when she disappeared. She says the locket and the note, “I want you to have this” arrived in the mail from an anonymous sender. She tells them that her father turned white but suggested the locket only looked like Margot’s. Robin asks if she believes the sender was her mum. She says probably not. Cormoran asks who investigated Margot’s case. She tells him it was Simon Layborn. He informs that Simon’s son, DI George Layborn (Samuel Oatley) is their mate. He asks what became of the locket. She claims her father threw it away.

Oonagh questions why Roy Phipps (Sam Phipps) who has a lot of money didn’t hire someone to investigate Margot’s disappearance. She says when the cleaners went on strike for higher pay, the streets became extremely dangerous for women walking home alone. Robin asks how Margot was connected to the strike. Oonagh says she put herself out there when it was about women’s pay. Robin asks her to tell them how she and Margot met. She says it was 1966 when they began working at the club in London.

In a flashback, young Oonagh Kennedy (Genevieve Hulme Beaman) and Margot are at a club. Elaine (Mazz Murray) tells the girls that the club is a place for men to relax. She says they need to be charming and attentive. Margot demonstrates how to serve drinks and communicate with the men. Back to the present, Oonagh informs them that Margot worked at the club while studying. She says Margot was never interested in any of the men until an artist named Paul Satchwell (Giles Matthey) came along. She escorts them into another room where Margot’s painting is hanging on the wall. Cormoran asks why she disliked Satchwell. She suggests he’s Margot’s killer.

In a flashback, Margot and Satchwell are having a verbal dispute about her negatives. When she threatens to file a police report against him if anyone sees her photos, he slaps her. Oonagh orders him to stay away from her. He demands to know what Margot told her. Margot assures him that she never said anything. He threatens to kill them if they talk about him. Back to the present, Cormoran tells Oonagh that Anna claimed Satchwell and Margot had reunited before she disappeared. She says Margot was unhappy in her marriage.

In a flashback, Margot admits to telling Roy Phipps (Sam Woolf) that she was going to meet Satchwell. Oonagh asks why she did it. Margot says it might encourage him to make an effort if he thought she would leave him. When she asks a woman about a man, the woman reminds her that she’s married. Back to the present, Cormoran suggests Satchwell only wanted to rekindle their relationship. She says Margot wanted to talk about something urgent which may have been Satchwell’s “big secret.”  She tells him that he could’ve found out about it. He asks if it’s possible they ran off together. She assures him that Margot would never leave without Anna. He says she’s probably no longer alive.

Pat Chauncey (Ruth Sheen) tells Cormoran that she put his carousel in his office. When he doesn’t respond, she assures him that thanks wouldn’t kill him. He says, “Thanks.”

Robin informs him that Dr. Gupta sent over a video of Margot at their last Christmas party. She says Satchwell lives on a Greek Island. Pat takes Cormoran aside to tell him that it’s Robin’s birthday.

The perfume salesgirl (Lionelle Nsarhaza) tries to help Cormoran choose a scent for Robin but he ends up with a bouquet of flowers.

Cormoran tells Robin that George’s going to drop off Margot’s original case file. She informs him of a threatening message inside a pharmacy order form. The message reads, “Leave my girl alone, you cunt, or I’ll send you to hell slow and painful.” He suggests Satchwell was warning Margot to stay away from his new girl.

George says his father wasn’t put on Margot’s case until the first detective, DI Bill Talbot (Morgan Jones), “went crackers.” Robin asks what became of Talbot’s notes. He says Talbot was in a psychiatric hospital for a long time. Cormoran asks what Simon thought about Margot’s disappearance. He says his father thought Creed was responsible but he disagrees because Creed collected body parts, none of which were Margot’s.

Margot worked at St. John’s Medical Practice in London with a secretary named Dorothy Oakden, practice nurse Janice Beattie (Eliza Collings), Dr. Dinesh Gupta, Dr. Joseph Brenner, and receptionists, Irene Hickson (Toni Peach), and Gloria Conti (Jessica Impiazzi). Gloria reported seeing Margot at 6:15pm as she was leaving to meet Oonagh at the Three King’s pub. When Margot didn’t show up, Oonagh spoke with Margot’s nanny, Cynthia, who said she wasn’t home. Pointing at the map, Cormoran says a witness reported seeing a van speeding past. Roy, a suspect in Margot’s case, contacted law enforcement at 9pm.

In a flashback, Talbot reminds Roy that he reported Margot running away with Satchwell. Roy tells him that he never claimed they were having an affair. Talbot says he reported a vandalized car. Roy assures him that it was nothing by yobs. Talbot says the nanny, Cynthia, confirmed he was in bed when Margot went missing. Roy tells him that 18-year-old Cynthia’s his cousin.

Back to the present, Cormoran says several people came forward to say Satchwell was in a café at 6:30pm. Theo, Margot’s last patient, was never located. Salesman, Steve Douthwaite (Jack Morris) saw Margot three times in the week she went missing. He denied sending her gifts. His medical records revealed complaints of headache, insomnia, anxiety, and several cracked ribs. The police located Douthwaite in February 1975, in Waltham Forest.

In a flashback, Douthwaite claimed to have been planning to relocate before Margot went missing. Talbot asks if he can provide them with the flats. Douthwaite says he looked at the newspaper. Talbot reminds him of his not having an alibi. Douthwaite admits to being home alone.

Gregory Talbot (Crispin Letts) gives Cormoran his father’s notes for Margot’s case.

Al Rokeby (James Dorrigan) asks Cormoran to attend a celebration for their father. Cormoran says, “No.”

Cormoran conducts a newspaper search for Leda and Jeremy Rokeby. A newspaper article, “Deadbeats Star Rokeby Fathers Child With Groupie” appears on the screen.

Cormoran and Robin discuss Talbot’s Zodiac theory. They watch video footage of a woman in her underwear. She tries to remove something around her head when several men, including one with a knife, approach her. They replay the footage for George. Robin says the girl fits Margot’s description but they’re unsure about the torso scar. Cormoran tells them that Margot’s medical records don’t mention an operation. Robin captures a picture of the man’s ring in the footage. Cormoran admits to seeing the ring in Dr. Gupta’s Christmas video. A wearing the ring on his right pointer finger is with Gloria Conti, the last person to see Margot. Robin says he needs to pay for what he did as the episode comes to an end.

 

CB Strike Troubled Blood Synopsis

Cormoran discovers his stepmom, Joan, has stage 4 ovarian cancer. He and his sister, Lucy, have different opinions about Joan and their biological mother, Leda Strike.

Anna Phipps convinces Cormoran to investigate her mum’s 1974 cold case. Robin agrees to assist in the investigation. Margot Bamborough spoke with receptionist Gloria Conti before leaving the surgery to meet with her friend, Oonagh at the Three King’s pub. Something happened that prevented the doctor from reaching her destination.

Serial killer, Dennis creed was pinpointed as Margot’s killer. Creed’s trophies were from his seven victims, none of which were Margot.

Robin and her ex, Matthew struggle to agree on a settlement deal.

Anna received the locket that her mother was wearing when she went missing. The sender was never identified. Roy turned white when he saw the locket but questioned if it was hers. Anna believes he threw it away.

Margot and Oonagh met when they were hired at a London club where she also met Satchwell. He painted and took photos of her nude which remained in his possession even after they broke up. Satchwell had a “big secret” that she never shared with Oonagh.

DI Talbot was the lead investigator on Margot’s case. DI Layborn took over the case when Talbot suffered a mental breakdown. Talbot and his son, George, disagreed on Creed being the killer. George believed if Creed was the killer, he would have kept trophies of her body parts like his other victims.

Roy, Satchwell, Creed, Steve Douthwaite, and Theo were suspects in Margot’s disappearance. Satchwell and Roy had alibis. Douthwaite, Margot’s patient, left London after she was reported missing. It wasn’t until February 1975, that police found him in Waltham Forest. Theo, the last patient Margot saw before she disappeared, was never located.

Gregory, Talbot’s son, turned his father’s case notes over to Cormoran. Talbot based his investigation into Margot’s disappearance on the Zodiac Killer. Video footage of a woman being held captive captures Robin and Cormoran’s attention. The woman who has a scar on her torso is being tortured by several men, one of which is wearing a unique ring. They connect the ring to a man at Dr. Gupta’s Christmas party, of which Margot was also in attendance.

C.B. Strike Troubled Blood Review

A very disappointing start to a second season. The pace is painfully slow as some would say, “It’s like watching paint dry.” The premise, while not a rarity, is good the execution, not so much.

The show is more like a case study than a true investigation. Since Margot’s disappearance is a cold case, it’s to be expected that the detectives would base their investigation on old case files. However, I believe fans will expect more from a BBC series that reined in over 8 million viewers for four consecutive seasons.

The cinematography and editing are great while the acting is hit-and-miss. I get mixed feelings about the male protagonist. On one hand, we see an unlikeable character and on the other, someone who had a troubled childhood.

The episode deserves a 6.5. Get more CB Strike Troubled Blood recaps here. Support Reel Mockery by clicking the link.

 

C.B. Strike Trouble Blood Cast

• Anna Phipps – Sophie Ward/Tilly Walker
• Kim Sullivan – Sutara Gayle
• Gloria Conti – Jessica Impiazzi
• Comoran Strike – Tom Burke
• Margot Bamborough – Abigail Lawrie
• Robin Ellacott – Holliday Grainger
• Ted Nancarrow – Ian Redford/Calvin Dean
• DI Simon Layborn – Phil Langhorne
• Joan Nancarrow – Linda Bassett/Kate Speak
• Oonagh Kennedy – Fionnula Flanagan/Genevieve Hulme Beaman
• Lucy Strike – Sarah Sweeney
• DI Bill Talbot – Morgan Jones
• Leda Strike – Kierston Wareing
• Paul Satchwell – Giles Matthey
• Steve Douthwaite – Jack Morris
• DI George – Layborn

Where Was C.B. Strike Troubled Blood Filmed

Filming locations for Troubled Blood include Buckinghamshire, Cornwall, London, and Lincolnshire.

Where To Watch C.B. Strike Troubled Blood

CB Strike Troubled Blood, based on the book by JK Rowling (under the pen name, Robert Galbraith), premiered on Sunday, December 11, 2022, at 90m on BBC One.