The Father, The Son – The episode opens at Saint Mary’s Church with Mrs. Devine(Claudie Blakley) delivering a tray of scones to Father Brown (Mark Williams) and Brenda Palmer (Ruby-May Martinwood). They are soon joined by Hercule Flambeau (John Light), who questions them about a recent obituary posting for Gabriel Hawksworth (Ian Gelder). Despite Father Brown knowing nothing about it, Gabriel’s funeral is scheduled for that very day.

It’s soon revealed that the posting was a clever ruse by Flambeau’s father, who he is not at all happy about seeing. It takes some convincing, but Gabriel convinces Flambeau to his explanation for the ruse.

Starting with the introduction of Drake Underwood (Adrian Schiller), Gabriel explains how the heist of a diamond-encrusted crown of thorns led to the murder of a museum guard named Elliot Tucker (Jacob Greenway). Although Gabriel claims he didn’t pull the trigger, he feels responsible because it was his accidental slip of Luther Underwood’s (Aaron Sidwell) that inspired the murder. It is the guard’s widow and young son that Gabriel wants to help by reacquiring the crown from Drake and gifting the proceeds to the widow.

Father Brown follows Flambeau outside in an attempt to comfort him, which leads to the story of how Gabriel abandoned Flambeau and his mother merely a week after enlisting in boot camp.

After returning to Gabriel inside, Flambeau agrees to help, although it’s under much different terms. He wants to keep the crown for himself and sell Drake’s other treasures to gift to the family. Gabriel reluctantly agrees and the deal is sealed with a handshake.

Elsewhere, Drake is simply enjoying the pleasure of being near his collectibles when Luther shows up to express his anger about not having a more significant role in their next heist. Drake only manages to send him away more upset when he tells him he’s rash and trigger-happy. Gabriel soon interrupts at the front door, looking for work. Luther is immediately hesitant while Drake doesn’t think twice about offering him a spot on the crew. Brenda, Father Brown, and Devine are shown watching Gabriel’s interaction from afar. After he’s invited in, Devine flashes the headlights to give Flambeau the all-clear.

Drake very briefly mentions the museum heist before offering him a spot on an upcoming bullion raid. Gabriel accepts and uses the excuse of an incessant bladder to deactivate the alarm to Drake’s treasure room. Rejoining Drake outside, Gabriel sends another signal to Brenda and Devine, who pass the signal onto Flambeau.

Flambeau nearly makes a clean getaway until Drake accidentally discovers him while looking for a classier wine to toast the successes of Gabriel and Luther’s last job. Once Drake pulls a gun on Flambeau, Gabriel intervenes, which results in an errant gunshot that alerts Father Brown’s group as well as the nearby Luther. Brenda and Devine are sent to rouse Chief Inspector Sullivan (Tom Chambers) while Father Brown stays back to assist. In the excitement and the foot chase that proceeds, Gabriel ends up dropping the bag of loot and is forced to leave it behind. Gabriel and Flambeau make it to their getaway vehicle and a car chase would have ensued if not for Father Brown flattening the tires of Luther’s vehicles.

Much to everyone’s surprise, Sullivan not only orders Sergeant Goodfellow (John Burton) to update headquarters on the robbery but also to arrest Brenda and Devine as accessories. Equally upset, Drake verbally berates Luther. Before Sullivan shows up to question them about the robbery, it’s revealed that Flambeau still got away with the crown, despite Gabriel losing the other loot. Outside, Drake denies any knowledge of the robbery until Sullivan reveals the search warrant.

Gabriel and Flambeau are forced to proceed on foot through the woods when their vehicle dies and they hear approaching sirens. After Gabriel learns that Flambeau still has the crown, he pleads on behalf of the widow. The more Gabriel pleads, the angrier Flambeau grows until he attempts to storm off. Gabriel stops him by dropping to his knees and revealing his true reason for abandoning Flambeau and his mother. As it turns out, during basic training Gabriel would meet and fall in love with another recruit named Finney. When Finney was KIA (killed in action) Gabriel would become so inconsolable that he could no longer hide their romantic involvement. The thought of Flambeau finding out was too for Gabriel to bear and that’s why he ran. The admission inspires Flambeau to agree to sell the crown on behalf of the widow. This leads to Gabriel realizing that he’s lost his address book, which Drake happens to discover while Luther recants the foot pursuit for Inspector Sullivan.

While returning to the abandoned vehicle to consult a map, Father Brown catches Gabriel taking pills. After confronting him, Gabriel admits to having cancer while Flambeau retrieves the map. Consulting the map causes Gabriel to remember seeing Beechwood Lane. As it happens, they are just right around the corner from the address. Thanks to the book, Drake and Luther now know the address as well.

Although it takes some convincing from Father Brown, Elliot’s widow, Grace Tucker (Emily Redpath) allows them inside, where Gabriel confesses his part in Elliot’s death. His confession reveals that he pulled the trigger. Things spiral further out of control when she wants nothing to do with the crown. Before Drake and his men show up, Grace’s rage leads to her shooting Gabriel in the stomach. When Drake discovers Grace dazed upstairs with the pistol and crown, he assures he that he’ll take care of everything without involving the police. Using the blood trail, they track Father Brown’s group to the woods. With Gabriel’s apology, Father Brown’s blessing of the body, and Flambeau’s revealing of a granddaughter, Drake and his men have plenty of time to catch up.

Drake and Flambeau trade a few seconds of insults before Inspector Sullivan and his men arrive with weapons drawn. After a bit of hesitating, Drake gives Luther a silent nod to shoot Flambeau but one of Sullivan’s men acts first. Flambeau uses the distraction to steal the crown from Drake. Arriving at the main road, he flags down a motorcyclist and steals his bike right before Sullivan and his men catch up.

Upset from being bested by Flambeau again, Sullivan verbally demeans Devine and Brenda before releasing them. Days later, Father Brown and Brenda are treated to strawberry scones when Sullivan interrupts with the news that Drake claims it was Luther who shot Gabriel. Father Brown can’t confirm or deny the statement given that he wasn’t in the room at the time. Before leaving them, Sullivan requests a moment alone with Devine to say that he’s forgiven her for not coming to him sooner with the news of Flambeau. The reconciliation is sealed with a kiss.

Sometime later, Flambeau returns to St. Mary’s church where he gives the crown to Father Brown and tells him to return it to the Vatican and gift the reward to Grace. The episode ends with Flambeau starting his confessional.

 

Father Brown Review

For longtime viewers, episode 5 will likely be one of the better episodes of the search. I can’t say it was horrible, although I am not a huge advocate for the series. Although you can’t find a more simplistic, cut-and-dry approach to crime, I have to admit I am always thrown by the twists. I really enjoyed the bickering between father and son and the reconciliation was made all the more meaningful by it. That said, I don’t really appreciate the homosexual aspect of the story. I am by no means homophobic or do not claim that homosexuality wasn’t around in those older times, but it just didn’t feel right here. For that, I would give this episode a 4.3 out of 10.

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