Certain Justice Part 2 – The episode opens with Garry Ashe (Yaseen Aroussi) and Octavia Aldridge (Daisy Waterstone) bird-watching in a part. He explains how the starling speaks in dialect by mimicking speech patterns.

DCI Adam Dalgliesh (Bertie Carvel) investigates the murder of Janet Carpenter (Barbara Marten). Miles Kynaston (David Pearse) determines 4pm to be the time of death and the jugular vein slashed as the cause of death. The assailant utilized her blood to right “R VS Beale 74.” Dalgliesh says after QC Venetia Aldridge (Sara Stewart) got Anthony Beale’s case dismissed, he murdered Janet’s granddaughter, Daisy. Miles explains his theory of her murderer staging the crime scene to portray a suicide. Dalgliesh points out that she was left-handed. Janet’s financial documents show a 15,000-pound withdrawal three weeks earlier. DS Kate Miskin (Carlyss Peer) suggests Janet paid someone to kill Venetia.

Father Presteign (Michael Amariah) claims to have seen Janet for the first time yesterday in Temple Church. Dalgliesh informs him of her murder. He tells them that confessions are protected under the Seal of Confession. After asking if he is aware of Venetia’s murder, Kate suggests Janet wouldn’t care if he told them what was in her confession. He says it would be breaking faith with someone else.

Kate is disappointed with Dalgliesh admits to sending DS Daniel Tarrant (Alistair Brammer) to question Garry. Tarrant asks Garry where he was between 3pm and 6pm yesterday. Garry claims to have been with Octavia at Wanstead flats. Tarrant questions his growing up in care. Garry asks if he heard about it from Kate. Tarrant says the police have him under surveillance. Garry says if that were the case, it wouldn’t be necessary to ask where he was yesterday.

Drysdale Laud (Silas Carson), Dalgliesh, and Hubert Langton (Michael Culkin) discuss Janet’s death. Desmond Ulrick (Michael Maloney) warns it would be harmful to the chambers if the press gets wind of it. Drysdale demands Dalgliesh keep the press from finding out. Langton claims to have been in a meeting with his solicitor in Hatton Garden between 3pm and 3:45pm. He tells Dalgliesh that he returned to the chambers at 4:15pm. Valerie Caldwell (Charlotte McCurry) claims to have left work at 6pm. Kate asks if Octavia ever visited the chambers. Valerie denies ever meeting her. Dalgliesh confronts Langton about his and his housekeeper’s conflicting statements. In his previous statement, he claimed to have arrived home at 7:30pm while his housekeeper said it was closer to 9pm.

Kate watches as Garry drives away on his motorcycle before approaching his flat.

Matthew Ulrick (Alex Hope) claims he and his father, Desmond visited the Law Society Library. Dalgliesh asks about his relationship with Desmond. He tells him that it has been the two of them since his mother died when he was 12. Tarrant points out that they don’t share a house. Matthew says he has a wife and two children. Dalgliesh asks his opinion of Venetia. Matthew admits not liking her because she berated him.

Kate gives Octavia a photo of her and Venetia. Laying the photo frame on the table, Octavia claims Venetia was eager to send her away to boarding school. Kate asks about a new camera on the table. Octavia tells her that it is a gift to Garry. She gets a little tense when Kate mentions Essex. Kate informs her of Janet’s murder. Octavia says they’re waiting to consummate their relationship until they’re married. Kate suggests the murderer is one of her colleagues or married affair partners.

Desmond tells Dalgliesh that he and Matthew were at the Law Society Library until 5pm. He denies seeing Janet yesterday. Dalgliesh suggests he is relieved Venetia won’t replace Langton as the Head of Chambers. Kate informs Dalgliesh of Venetia and Drysdale’s affair. He asks where she got the information from. She admits to visiting Octavia. He reminds her that she disobeyed a direct order. She tells him that her gut feeling is Garry killed Janet and Venetia.

Drysdale says he and Venetia mutually agreed to end their affair last fall. Tarrant asks if he was concerned about his wife discovering his affair. Drysdale assures him that the affair was carried out in the most discreet manner. He blames Matthew for disclosing their affair because he caught them together once.

Edgar Froggart (David Bamber) tells Dalgliesh that his employment at Venetia’s father’s school ended after an inquiry that shuttered its doors. He claims Clarence Aldridge was a sadist who mistreated the boys. He says a pupil named Marcus Campbell committed suicide by hanging before meeting Clarence for a beating.

Dalgliesh confronts Desmond about his family surname, Campbell. Desmond tells him that his brother, Marcus Campbell died when he was 12 while he was at Cambridge. Dalgliesh asks if he knew Clarence was Venetia’s father. Desmond questions what type of childhood Venetia had.

Upon entering the flat, Garry notices the photo of Octavia and Venetia. She tells him that Kate found it on “mummy’s desk.” He reminds her of what he said about her calling Venetia “mummy.” He asks if “she would lie to him because he hates liars.” She assures him that she always tells him the truth. He says to pack a few things and bring some money.

Father Presteign tells Dalgliesh about Janet’s confession in which she spoke of an evil form driving around looking for girls to abduct. He adds that she said the evil form defended the “indefensible” in court. He hands him a letter before walking away. In the letter, she admits to desecrating Venetia’s body with Desmond’s blood and Langton’s grandfather’s wig. After attending Garry’s murder trial, she hired him to seduce Octavia. She suggests he killed her for money. Dalgliesh agrees. She informs him of Garry and Octavia going to Essex. He orders to put an APB on Garry.

Garry takes Octavia to the house where his aunt was murdered. While he is upstairs, she finds three photos, one of his aunt and a man, him and his aunt, and her dead corpse on the floor. She places the photo back before he arrives with a knife.

Dalgliesh calls Kate to inform her of Octavia and Garry already leaving. She says the care home manager took Garry to the woods east of Harlow to bird watch. When the call ends, the phone rings. Frantic, Octavia tells Kate about the picture and warns he may be responsible for his aunt’s death. She pleads for help. Kate says, “Play the game.” Garry escorts her into the woods to a shack. He asks where she would like to live. She says Monte Carlo. He suggests they get married there. She claims to love the idea before kissing him. He notices she is trembling.

The police find Garry’s motorbike in the woods. Octavia wakes up to see Garry still asleep. Dalgliesh and his team move in toward the cabin. When a popping noise wakes Garry, he grabs his knife before looking out the window at Dalgliesh. Grabbing her, he threatens to kill her if she makes a sound. They bust through the back door and into the woods with the police in tow. She accuses him of killing Venetia. He denies killing her but wishes he did. Hiding behind a tree, she calls for “help” when he grabs for a police officer’s sidearm. He stabs the officer and flees with Octavia into the woods. Kate takes the injured officer’s gun. Aiming the gun, she orders Garry to drop his knife. Preparing to slash Octavia’s throat, he says, “This is on you” when she shoots him in the head. Dalgliesh consoles her.

Dalgliesh tells Langton that Valerie wants his unwanted attention to stop. He claims to have seen him in the church until 8:20pm on the night Venetia was murdered. He is relieved to not be the killer. Dalgliesh asks if he encountered anyone when he left the church. Langton admits to seeing someone. Dalgliesh visits Desmond to tell him about Janet’s confession. Desmond suggests Janet murdered Venetia, regardless of her confession. Dalgliesh accuses him of killing her to avenge his brother’s suicide after being berated and beaten by her father. He suggests Desmond asked her to give Matthew a chance but she wouldn’t listen. Desmond assures him that his theory is disprovable. Dalgliesh tells him Langton witnessed him leaving chambers at 8:20pm. Desmond warns defense would destroy Langton with his dementia.

After pointing out a discrepancy in Matthew’s statement, Dalgliesh says he couldn’t have arrived at the restaurant until at least 8:30pm. Desmond assures him that the world is a better place now. An officer puts him in the back of a police cruiser and drives away.

Dalgliesh joins Venetia’s funeral in progress as the episode comes to an end.

 

Dalgliesh Review

The episode was decent up until the scene in the woods. Dalgliesh and his team drive straight to the shack where Octavia and Garry are staying. When he orders him to come out, they escape out the back entrance. In addition to the easy escape, they go a short distance before he stabs a police officer. He has his hand wrapped around the entire grip of the firearm when a shot rings out. Remarkably, he flees empty-handed without the pistol or rifle. The cops nearby are nowhere to be found when Kate alerts of an officer down. Only she finds Garry and Octavia while Dalgliesh and the other officers are in the road near the police cruiser. She kills him, saving Octavia’s life.

I’m not clearly sure of the legalities involving a British detective killing a suspect with a police sidearm. There is no mention of an investigation. The show is hypocritical in that police shootings are publicly condemned but Kate killing Garry is perfectly okay.

The episode deserves a 5.8. Get more Dalgliesh recaps here. Support Reel Mockery by clicking the link. Our advertising is scalable to ensure cost efficiency for all brands.