At the start of the episode, John (Billy Campbell) and Lise (Karine Vanasse) discuss their suspect. Lise believes that Sharlene Winston (Rya Kihlstedt) is Amy Scriver. They decide to go on the hunt for Scriver’s missing parents using sonar. Mama tells Lloyd that he needs to get the plane ready to fly. When Mama and her accomplices step outside, they find themselves surrounded by police. Mama wants to shoot their way past them. Nikki (Sophia Lauchlin Hirt) believes they should just wait it out. Mama disagrees. Lloyd is taken back inside. Lise tries to gain more information about Dr. Bell. Dr. Jones tells her that he has moved around a lot. He has moved to smaller and smaller cities.

The doctor was sued by several families of patients who killed themselves in Toronto. All of the cases were eventually dropped. A medical investigation was never carried out. Lise will need more to get that started. Ash (Zach Smadu) tells John that someone is there to see him. The visitor is Helen. She says that Frederick was upset by John’s visit. He was upset with both of them. She claims he has taken on too much. She doesn’t believe the doctor helped her at all. She looked at some of the videos he makes of his patient sessions. Helen wants John to look at them too. John watches the videos. Catherine (Deborah Hay) tells the doctor about blowing the officer’s cover.

Catherine blames herself for the officer’s death. She claims she is a burden and has been for twenty years. Dr. Bell encourages her to tell John the truth. Catherine says she is going to shoot pictures of the Harrow building that night. John realizes that Dr. Bell knew where Catherine was going. He shows Lise. Dr. Bell believes Catherine craves the attention she gets when she is not well. Catherine tells Dr. Bell that she feels worse after leaving his office. She says he has been after her. She says she was warned about him and intends to warn others. John is convinced Catherine didn’t kill herself. They show Dyson the videos. One of the videos is of Perry. It is the man who killed himself in the laundromat in front of Dyson.

Dyson admits it will be hard to bring him to justice. She wants to question him. Dyson agrees to interview him herself. She reopens the investigation into Catherine’s death too. Lloyd tells Nikki about finding his friend Henry. Nikki believes Mama killing him was a kindness. He tries to turn Nikki against Mama. A few seconds later, Mama returns and wants them to grab weapons. John picks a picture of Catherine for the show. He notices something in it. He asks for a favor from McLeod (James Downing) and Constable Fox (Eric Hicks). John wants them to track down Catherine’s digital camera. Jerry (Glen Gould) learns that they might have found the Scriver boat.

It is brought to land a short time later. The victims were strapped to the boat seats. John believes Amy Scriver executed her parents. Lise tells the team about Mama and Jack (Alex Ozerov). The police pick up Dr. Bell. John decides to stick with Lise. Dr. Bell ridicules his wife before Fox arrives with McLeod. Dyson speaks with Margaret Murphy (Jessica Rose) about Perry. When scouring through evidence, McLeod and Fox find an SD card. It may have come from Catherine’s camera. Mama believes she knows how to get the plane into the air. She wants to take a cop as hostage. She gives Nikki a gun and tells her to hit Lloyd hard enough to bring blood. John tells Lise she was right to doubt him. She wonders if that is too.

They find Nikki on the ground. They approach her with weapons drawn. Soon, they’re surrounded by Mama and Jack. Nikki is ordered to hide their car. Jack says Lise is the one who killed Lemur. Mama shoots her in the leg. John calls Lise back to the cabin. John speaks to Amy as he tries to work on Lise’s leg. Lise tells Mama that she didn’t kill Mama. Jerry and other officer arrive to check out the property. The officer is killed. Jack and Mama put together a strategy. John tries to keep Lise calm. Jack goes after Jerry. He fires and misses. Lloyd tells Mama he can die knowing she isn’t getting out either. John tells Mama that she won’t get anywhere. Jerry traps Jack and tells him to drop his weapon. Jack obeys. Lloyd tells Mama that the plane will only hold four passengers with the guns.

Mama orders her to shoot John. Nikki can’t do it. Mama shoots her. Jack keeps moving. He says Sam should’ve come with him. Jerry threatens to shoot him dead. Mama blames John and Lise. Jerry gets stuck in a trap as he prepares to arrest Jack. Jack grabs the gun. Lloyd hits Mama from behind. Lise wrestles with her. John holds the gun on her. John shoots Mama. Jack toys with Jerry, before he is shot and killed. Lloyd tries to help Nikki. Lise is put in an ambulance. John offers to go with her. She says no. Jerry is transported away too. Nikki goes to the hospital with Lloyd by her side. Dyson interrogates Dr. Bell. He believes everything is about John Cardinal.

He suggests John is too unstable to be a police officer. McLeod tells John there is something he needs to see. McLeod tells him about the images on the SD card. McLeod apologizes for not believing John. One of the last pictures shows Bell on the rooftop with Catherine. John says that he knew Catherine and knew she wouldn’t commit suicide. Dyson accuses Bell of killing Catherine. He suggests her accusations are absurd. Dyson leaves and John enters. John shows him the picture. Bell claims it doesn’t prove anything. He says he will not say anything else. John says they do not need him to. Bell claims John will never outrun his own darkness. He says John is a broken man with power. John leaves. Dyson enters and puts Dr. Bell under arrest for the murder of Catherine.

Helen returns home. She gets a letter from Algonquin Bay Jail. It is a letter from Dr. Bell. John attends the show for Catherine’s photographs. Lise and Dyson attend. Dyson says she is going to take some time away. Kelly (Alanna Bale) speaks with Sam at the event. Jerry and McLeod are there as well. John and Kelly enjoy the pictures together. John agrees to call her more often. Lise joins John one night. They enjoy chili together. They watch what appears to be CCTV footage on the television while it snows outside.

 

Cardinal Review

This season of Cardinal was really good. There were some good twists and turns here and there. I thought Mama and her gang could be a little more interesting, but they weren’t too bad. John attempting to track down Catherine’s killer was really the highlight of the season. It ended on a bleak note. It did a pretty good job dealing with Catherine’s death and pushing those feelings onto the viewer.

Again, I wish the acting from the side characters was better. Otherwise, I have few complaints. I am thrilled that the show will be returning for a 4th season. The finale scores an 8 out of 10. Catch up with previous recaps of Cardinal on Reel Mockery!