A Certain Justice Part 1 – The episode opens with Dorothy Scully (Marsha Millar) unlocking her door while looking over to see Garry Ashe (Yaseen Aroussi) emerging from a nearby apartment. Quietly entering her apartment, she watches as he walks away.

DCI Adam Dalgliesh (Bertie Carvel) arrives at a crime scene of a 53-year-old murder victim. DS Kate Miskin (Carlyss Peer) tells him that the victim, Rita O’Keeffe shares an apartment with her nephew, Garry who found her body at 1:15am. Garry claims Rita sometimes brings male clients home. Venetia’s assailant stabbed her about six times. An officer informs them of Dorothy seeing Garry with a blue plastic bag after midnight. Holding up the blue plastic bag, he reveals a knife. Kate asks Garry to verify when he left the apartment. He reminds her of it being in his statement. When he refuses to go with them to Scotland Yard, she arrests him on suspicion of murder.

Spectators file into the courtroom to watch Garry’s murder case. Garry’s defense attorney, Venetia Aldridge (Sara Stewart) grills Kate about the crime scene evidence. Pointing Garry out in the courtroom, Dorothy claims he left his apartment after midnight. Venetia tells the jury three weeks ago Dorothy’s eyeglass prescription was increased. Matthew Ulrick (Alex Hopes) hands her a pair of glasses with her old prescription. Venetia asks her how many fingers Matthew is holding up. When Dorothy answers incorrectly, Garry smirks. The jury finds Gary not guilty. Venetia refuses to acknowledge him when court is dismissed.

Kate is at the shooting range when she meets Daniel Tarrant. He says she investigated Rita O’Keeffe’s murder. She complains about Garry walking free. When he makes a snide comment about Venetia, she walks away.

Octavia Aldridge (Daisy Waterstone) reminds her mum, Venetia that she is 18. Venetia warns that he is out to get her money before demanding she stop seeing him. When Octavia says, “Just because no one has ever loved you,” Venetia slaps her. She walks away while Venetia returns to her office to issue Matthew an order. Valerie Caldwell (Charlotte McCurry) reminds her of the partners’ meeting. Head of Chambers, Hubert Langton (Michael Culkin) says she is 20 minutes late. She tells him that some people have work to attend to. Drysdale Laud (Silas Carson) informs her of their discussion topic, Valerie before she entered the room. He says have agreed to make her contract. She suggests letting her go because of her lack of experience. Langton assures her that Valerie is proving to be an efficient clerk.

Venetia says rumors allege he wants to get intimate with her. Desmond Ulrick (Michael Maloney) warns she is going too far. She tells him that Matthew isn’t adjusting well before threatening to dismantle the “old boys club” when she is appointed Head of Chambers. She asks Langton when is his retirement date. Drysdale reminds her that she showed no interest in the position. Langton says her cases are embarrassing the chamber. She demands to speak with Drysdale outside. Desmond and Langton listen as she screams orders at Drysdale.

Venetia is alone in her office when a woman calls to inform her of their being together. Langton exhibits strange behavior outside the building. The cleaning lady, Janet Carpenter (Barbara Marten) vacuums the floor.

Pawlett Court Chambers – Valerie enters the office as the phone rings. Mrs. Buckley calls to check on Venetia after finding her bed still made. Approaching from behind, Langton hands her a bouquet of flowers from Hogham Station. She tells Mrs. Buckley that she is the first to arrive this morning. She says that he shouldn’t have bought her flowers. Mrs. Buckley expresses her concerns for Venetia. Valerie finds Venetia dead at her desk.

Dalgliesh introduces Kate to the new addition to their team, DS Daniel Tarrant (Alistair Brammer). She fills him in on the crime. Miles Kynaston (David Pearse) says it will be difficult to get the scene out of their heads. Dalgliesh suggests the assailant wanted to cause shock. Miles tells him that the blood doesn’t match Venetia. He believes the murder took place no more than 14 hours ago. Pulling back her shirt, he exposed a fatal stab wound when Langton, Drysdale, Matthew, and Desmond enter the room. Desmond complains about his blood missing from his refrigerator before explaining Matthew’s anemia which requires routine transfusions. Tarrant asks why the blood is stored in his office. Desmond says it makes the process easier since Matthew is their apprentice. He claims to have last saw it at 5:30pm. He left Venetia alone in her room when he went left at 7:15pm to have supper with Matthew. After informing them that Janet cleans in the evening, he admits to none of them being fond of Venetia.

After identifying the wig on Venetia’s head as his grandfather, Langton tells them it is generally stored in a box in his room. Dalgliesh asks if she had a paper-knife. When he denies knowing, Desmond reminds him that the miniature Sword of Justice is a 20-year partnership award from him.

Dalgliesh tells Kate that Tarrant is a transferee from Vice. She assures him that she is fine with it. He discovers the pink financial section missing from The Evening Standard newspaper in Venetia’s room. She suggests the assailant utilized it to wipe the blood from the murder weapon. He says Venetia intended to terminate the killer.

Tarrant escorts Janet past the police line when Edgar Froggart (David Bamber) asks to speak with Dalgliesh. Tarrant denies his request. Froggart claims to know who killed Venetia as Tarrant rushes away. Janet tells Dalgliesh that she arrived at work at 8pm as the Temple Church clock dings. Dalgliesh asks if the entrance door was locked. She says it was before explaining her routine which didn’t include Venetia’s room because her light was on. He asks if Desmond’s blood was missing from his refrigerator. She tells him that his refrigerator is not part of her cleaning schedule per his request. Kate informs him of the paper-knife being located. Valerie admits to leaving at 6pm while Venetia and Desmond were in their rooms.

Dalgliesh finds Langton praying at a nearby chapel. Langton assures him that Venetia wasn’t corrupt. Dalgliesh asks if The Evening Standard issue he gave her contained the pink financial section. He denies taking her a newspaper. Dalgliesh says Valerie says he did it as a “peace offering.” Langton claims to have arrived home at 7:30pm. He admits to arguing with her about his position as Head of Chambers upon his retirement. He says she is first in line but Drysdale is eager because it would put him one step closer to a QC.

Dalgliesh asks Drysdale about his verbal disagreement with Venetia. Drysdale assures him that the Head of Chambers position is the root cause of arguments in every chamber. He claims Venetia asked him to speak with Octavia who is engaged after a short courtship. Dalgliesh asks if she didn’t approve of Octavia’s beau. Drysdale says no because he is Garry Ashe.

Kate informs Octavia of her mother’s murder. After denying they killed her, Octavia says Anna Buckley can verify they were at home all evening and night. Kate later tells Tarrant that Garry is the killer. After reminding her of Buckley verifying his whereabouts yesterday, he questions if he hired someone to kill her. She describes him as a psychopathic loner. Inspecting a wall of bird photos, Dalgliesh determines Garry is an ornithologist. After Garry leaves the room, Octavia says Garry claims they tried to get him convicted of Dorothy’s murder. Kate tells her that their theory was based on evidence. Octavia accuses them of planting the evidence.

Based on evidence and witness statements, Dalgliesh explains his theory of Venetia’s murder. Tarrant tells him that the housekeeper at the Langton house claims he arrived home after 9pm. After pointing out a 90-minute time difference, Dalgliesh suggests Langton has poor memory. Kate fails to convince Dalgliesh that Garry is the killer.

Kate hurriedly stuffs Dalgliesh’s novel, “Last Standing,” in her purse when he approaches. He apologizes for dismissing her theory. She admits to rushing to judgment. He assures her that he understands it is difficult for her. She says it was only a matter of time before he brought in another detective. He makes it clear that he is speaking of Ashe before asking if she would like to step away. She declines his offer

Valerie tells Dalgliesh that Langton has trouble remembering things. She suggests he detested Venetia because she was a woman before alleging he touches her at every opportunity. She says he comes to Temple Church to watch her sing in the choir. Kate asks if she confronted him. Valerie warns his behavior is more than “harmless flirtation.”

Froggart pleads with Dagliesh to speak with him. Tarrant says he claims to have scrapbooks that could solve Venetia’s murder. Dalgliesh agrees to speak with him. Froggart claims to have been her mentor when they were young. He taught at her father’s preparatory school for boys. After leaving his collection of her career on the table, he walks away. Looking through the scrapbooks, A photo of a man catches Dalgliesh’s attention.

Tarrant tells Dagliesh that the agency hired Janet 18 months ago to clean one of the chambers. She pestered people at the agency until she was transferred to Pawlett Court Chambers. Kate adds she was in attendance at all of Venetia’s trials. Dalgliesh orders him to watch her while they check out her job references. Margaret Jackson (Liz Crowther) says after Janet’s daughter, Dawn split with her husband, she and her daughter, Daisy moved in with Janet. She says Daisy was a member of the choir before she was murdered. Dagliesh asks if it was Anthony Beale. She tells him that Dawn committed suicide.

Tarrant calls Dagliesh to Curtis defended Anthony Beale, not Venetia. He finds where she defended him in Southampton in 1971. The jury found him not guilty.

Janet hangs up her coat when the doorbell rings. Tarrant pulls up in front of her apartment. When no one answers the doorbell, he peaks through the letter slot to discover a gruesome sight. After breaking the door down, he sees her neck has been slashed. The killer wrote “Beale 74” in her blood on the wall. The episode comes to an end.

 

Dalgliesh Review

Garry Ashe goes on trial for murdering his Aunt Rita O’Keeffe. The case is based on Dalgliesh and Kate’s investigation. His attorney, Venetia Aldridge breaks down the prosecution’s case by exposing the key witness, Dorothy Scully’s poor vision. She later discovers her daughter, Octavia is dating Garry. She fails to convince her that he is after her money.

Pawlett Court Chambers Head of Chambers, Hubert Langton is preparing to retire. Venetia is next in line to claim his position but Drysdale Laud is eager to step up. A partners’ meeting ends in a heated confrontation. Later that night, she is murdered. Dalgliesh brings on another detective, Daniel Tarrant from Vice to help investigate the case. He offers Kate an opportunity to step away but she refuses.

Venetia’s mentor, Froggart loans Dalgliesh his collection of information regarding all her cases. He discovers a photo of Anthony Beale, a serial offender. Beale murdered the granddaughter, Daisy, of a cleaner at Pawlett Court Chambers. She is later found dead.

The episode deserves a 6.2. Get more Dalgliesh recaps here. Support Reel Mockery by clicking the link. Ask about our advertising packages by contacting our customer service.