The story begins in an old tower in Dorset. Victor Holroyd is yelling at Dennis Lerner (Paul Mallon), telling him he is “pathetic” as he pushes him up a hill to Toynton Head cliffs in a wheelchair. Dennis asks Holroyd if he would like him to remain. His candid response is, “What for, your scintillating conversation.” Dennis tells him to shout when he is ready to be escorted back to the tower. Holroyd threatens to, “Shout out the truth about Toynton Grange.” The gills are squawking overhead.

Holroyd closes his eyes to relax. He is pushed over the Toynton Head cliffs into the water below, where he lies face down.

About two months later, DCI Adam Dalgliesh (Bertie Carvel) arrives at Toynton Grange. He knocks on the door. No one answers, he walks in and calls for Father Michael. He picks up a book given to Father Michael by Adam. He smiles briefly before closing the book. He continues to inspect the room, discovering a pile of documents on a table. A funeral directory for Michael Francis Baddeley is lying on the top of the documents. It reads “In Loving Memory of Fr. Michael Francis Baddeley Deceased Friday 7^th March 1973.”

As Dalgliesh is viewing the funeral directory, Maggie Hewson (Mirren Mack) enters the room. Her greeting is a bit strange. She says, “A human being and a male at that.” She asks him is he looking for Father Michael. He is a friend of Father Michael.  He had plans to visit Father Michael and didn’t realize he had died two weeks prior. Maggie says Father Michael died of a heart attack after being released from the hospital. Someone found him in an armchair. Maggie’s husband, Eric Hewson (John Hollingworth) is a medical officer at Toynton Grange.

Toynton Grange, a small care home, is owned by Brother Wilfred Anstey (Steven Mackintosh). Maggie says she believes Grace Willison (Jenny Howe) was the last to see Father Michael alive. The facility now has four patients and local authorities have not placed new patients there since the death of Victor Holroyd. Maggie tells Dalgliesh, everyone is pretending Holroyd’s death was an accident. She returns to her home.

Dalgliesh reads a letter from Father Michael consoling him on the death of his wife and child. Father Michael wrote a letter asking Dalgliesh to help him with an issue at Toynton Grange. The letter was dated Saturday 1st March. Dalgliesh exhaustedly flops down in Father Michael’s armchair.

Dalgliesh rings the doorbell at the Toynton Grange. He walks to the rear of the building, where he sees Wilfred Anstey chopping wood. They greet. Anstey tries to explain Father Michael’s passing. Dalgliesh says he was already aware thanks to Maggie. Father Michael was treated by Dr. Eric Hewson. He reiterated Grace was the last to see Father Michael alive. Nurse Helen Rainer (Sally Scott) failed to check in on Father Michael the evening he died.

Dalgliesh mentions Victor Holroyd’s death. Anstey smirks and looks away. He tries to run Dalgliesh off, but it doesn’t work. Dalgliesh says he wants to stay in the Toynton Cottage for the weekend. He agrees with a bit of anticipation.

Dalgliesh is having a flashback of his wife. He hops up from his chair, slams his book shut, and paces the room. A knock at the door brings Nurse Helen Rainer (Sally Scott) to visit. She brings him clean linen. He questions her about the mix-up that cause her to skip a visit with Father Michael the night he died. She said Eric asked her to check on Father Michael after Grace left. She was busy taking care of the residents. Maggie refused to do it and Dennis was nowhere to be found. Eric assumed she would do it while she assumed Maggie or Dennis would do it.

Helen says she never knew of Father Michael having a visitor until Dalgliesh. She leaves.

Dalgliesh sits down at Father Michael’s writing table. He discovers a letter to Father Michael. Someone calls him selfish and accuses him of being with Grace Willison. He is told to get out of the cottage and “Burn in Hell.” The letter is not signed. He continues to read his letter from Father Michael. He asks Dalgliesh to help him with a “disturbing situation” at The Grange. He believes the two letters may be connected.

Grace is in a wheelchair gathering eggs from the henhouse. She says Anstey believes it is important the residents feel useful. She has been a resident at Toynton Cottage for four years. She tells Dalgliesh Holroyd was forceful and bullied Dennis into pushing him to the top of the cliffs. She saw Father Michael for confession the night he died. Dalgliesh says Father Michael was wearing his stole when his body was discovered. Grace said he had removed his stole for confession. He asks Grace if she thought someone else visited Father Michael after she left. She couldn’t think of anyone who would visit him from The Grange.

As Dalgliesh pushes Grace in her wheelchair, he notices Ursula Hollis (Shannon Murray) taking a smoke break.

As they enter The Grange, they meet Julius Marsh (Jonjo O’Neill) and Anstey. Julius does not work at The Grange he just helps with the accounts. Julius shows Dalgliesh around The Grange. They enter the workshop, where they meet Henry Carwardine (George Robinson). The Grange produces hand cream made of glycerin, lanolin, and almond oil. Dalgliesh greet Dennis.

Julius explains how Dennis left Holroyd on the cliffs the day he died. They meet Nurse Rainer in her office. Grace creates a monthly newsletter for Friends of The Grange in England and America. Anstey goes to the Lourdes bi-annually after suffering a terrible illness. He returned from the Lourdes a healthy man to create The Grange.

Dalgliesh joins the residents for breakfast. Dr. Eric Hewson takes a seat beside Dalgliesh and greets himself. He greets Jennie (Storme Toolis). Dalgliesh tells Dr. Hewson he is a Chief Inspector with the Metropolitan Police. Maggie says, “That sounds exciting.” Dr. Hewson tells her it is just a job. Jennie goes on a tirade about hanging murderers. Anstey enters the dining area and stops her from talking. Everyone goes eerily quiet. Grace tells Dalgliesh, “No talking at mealtimes.”

Dalgliesh visits the Toynton Head cliffs. He sees a black tower from the distance and decides to get a closer look. He enters through a wrought iron gate. He climbs the steps to a room, looks out a window, and returns to the bottom, where he is greeted by Anstey. The black tower was erected in the 1600s by Anstey’s great grandfather. Anstey’s grandfather restored the black tower and created his own religion. He believed in the second coming. He locked himself in the black tower for three months. When he was discovered, his fingers were nothing but bones due to months of clawing trying to escape. Anstey and Father Michael used the black tower for meditation and private prayer. Dalgliesh leaves as Anstey watches from a tower window.

Dalgliesh meets Grace. He tells her about the poison pen letter. Grace appears to be concerned. She says about a week before Holroyd died, she received a poison pen letter, which she disposed of in the lavatory. The letter was so obscene, she could not show it to anyone. She says the letter was written on the same typewriter she uses for her newsletters.

Dalgliesh meets with Ursula Hollis. She was sent to The Grange due to an illness. Her husband is at home. She feels safe until he comes to get her. She believes Father Michael was content at The Grange. She tells about Holroyd being cruel to everyone. He hated the staff, especially Dennis. She believes Holroyd committed suicide to punish everyone at The Grange.

Dalgliesh gets in his car to go to town but is stopped by Maggie. Dr. Hewson and Nurse Rainer watch through a window. Nurse Rainer tells Dr. Hewson he has nothing to worry about. She tells Dalgliesh about an incident she witnessed from the cliff. About a week after Holroyd died, Father Michael was arguing with Dennis on the beach. Dennis pushed Father Michael down on the rocks after he grabbed his arm. She tells him about a dinner to be held at Julius’s cottage.

Dalgliesh meets with DI Daniel (Barry Aird). He tells DI Daniel about the letter from Father Michael. He asks if the letter may be connected to Holroyd’s death. DI Daniel says he doesn’t think so, it was an open and shut case. There was no suicide note and the wheelchair had not been tampered with.

PS Kate Miskin (Carlyss Peer) accompanies Dalgliesh outside the police department. He asks her what DI Daniel was not telling him. She said Holroyd’s hospital visit was routine, with no change in his prognosis, which would not constitute a suicide. The other residents said Holroyd was in good spirits after returning from his hospital visit. The detective does not believe Holroyd killed himself. Dalgliesh asks her to investigate the Grange family quietly. She agrees.

Dalgliesh meets Denise on the beach. He discovers a piece of 200-million-year-old ammonite. He forcefully asks him about Holroyd’s death. He was walking away, looked back, and Holroyd was gone. He still feels guilty because he felt responsible for Holroyd. His argument with Father Michael was not about Holroyd’s death. Dalgliesh continues to push for answers when black smoke is seen upon the cliff. The black smoke is coming from the black tower.

Dalgliesh breaks in the door to the black tower. Dennis begins to scream Anstey may be inside. Dennis and Dalgliesh pulled a burning cart out of the black tower. They run back inside to save Anstey. Anstey refuses to notify the police of the fire.

Dalgliesh meets with the PS Miskin. She gives him a rundown of the Grange family. She says everyone has alibis, even Julius who was in London at the time of Holroyd’s death. Nurse Rainer worked for the Ridgewell Trust, a private care business before coming to Toynton Grange. Dr. Hewson’s medical license was temporarily suspended following an affair with Maggie who was his patient at the time. She says Nurse Rainer wants to take over Toynton Grange.

Dennis’s mother is a resident at Meadowlands, a fancy, private nursing home at his expense. Dennis does not have a police record. Meadowlands offered Dennis a job at a higher pay rate. Dennis refused a job offer with more pay from Meadowlands. Dalgliesh asks if Anstey pays Dennis well enough to cover his mother’s private nursing home bed. She says “no”. Dennis may be skimming money from The Grange to cover the expense.

Dalgliesh meets with Grace. She has a dried, pressed snapdragon given to her by Father Michael. He gives her a book of poems by Thomas Hardy. She had loaned the book to Father Michael. She says Father Michael was proud of Dalgliesh’s accomplishments.

Dalgliesh attends Julius’ dinner party. Maggie gets too friendly with Julius for her husband’s liking. They discuss Anstey. Maggie says there is a difference between believing in God than believing you are God. Julius says everyone should be grateful. She says The Grange has become worse with Holroyd gone. Henry calls Holroyd a “horrible man.” Dr. Hewson tells about his poison pen letter, which he believes was from Holroyd.

Maggie turns on the music and begins to dance. Julius says The Grange is deep in debt and he has been speaking with the Ridgewell Trust about an acquisition. He doesn’t believe Anstey is ready to give it up yet. Maggie grabs Dalgliesh’s hand to dance with her, Julius tries to intervene as a glass of wine is broken. Dr. Hewson tells her it is time to go and not make a scene. She threatens, “If I decide to make a scene, the whole world is going to know about it.” She reluctantly leaves the dinner party with her husband.

Dalgliesh escorts Henry back to his room in a wheelchair. He helps him remove his clothes and shoes before putting him to bed. He tells Dalgliesh to get a box on the dresser. It contains a letter that reads, “You are a sick and depraved monster, you should be castrated, you will burn in hell.” It also contains a photograph of Peter upon his arrival at The Grange. Holroyd discovered the relationship between Peter and Henry. He told Anstey and Peter was sent away to another care home. Peter later died of pneumonia. He says people like him, and Peters does not matter.

Grace tells Nurse Rainer she needs to make an effort with Dalgliesh. She calls Dalgliesh “sweet”. She is concerned Nurse Rainer will end up a spinster. Nurse Rainer slams her hand down on Grace’s bed before exiting the room.

Dr. Hewson and Maggie return to their room. She takes her medication before getting into bed.

Dalgliesh sits alone in the Toynton Cottage stoking the fire.

Dennis angrily covers Anstey’s bust with a plastic bag. Anstey is in a dark room grasping a thick rope.

Grace is reading a book as someone enters her room. An unknown person slips a plastic bag over her head as she struggles to get free. The items on her nightstand are knocked to the floor. She stops struggling as the episode comes to an end.

 

Dalgliesh Review

Again, another great performance by Bertie Carvel. While a bit drawn-out, the episode held my attention for the most part. The scenery is breathtaking and acting was spot-on. The Toynton Grange and black tower are definitely the perfect setting for this episode. Don’t know who is responsible for the murders, but the director does a great job making every character look guilty. The episode deserves an 8.

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