Father Brown Series 12 Finale Episode 10 Recap

The Blessing Of The Father – As the series twelve finale of Father Brown begins, Father Brown (Mark Williams) and Brenda Palmer (Ruby-May Martinwood) confront Mrs. Devine (Claudie Blakley) about not going to the audition. Brenda also knows she got new suitcases delivered. Devine says she’s been meaning to give Brown a letter for days. She admits they’re going to be moving to London after the wedding. After the intro, Mrs. Devine speaks to Lady Felicia Montague (Nancy Carroll) and Irene Frost (Michelle Bonnard) about her wedding preparations. Devine tells Eddie (Barney Wilkinson), Brenda, and the others that she expected more color. Felicia reminds her of what Audrey Hepburn did. Felicia tells Devine to leave the hair and flowers to her. Eddie tells Brenda about London. Although he loves it, he doesn’t know why his mom wants to go.

Father Brown checks in and learns that Devine isn’t happy with the choices. He speaks to Devine who feels it’s out of control. Brown gives her a locket and tells her she should have the day she wants. Outside, Irene tells her that none of it really matters as long as she’s with the right man. She was engaged once but it didn’t work out. Chief Inspector Sullivan (Tom Chambers) arrives and gives Isabel Devine a map of London so she won’t get lost. Devine claims it’ll be worth it to leave this place. Walter Sullivan (Denis Lawson) and Grace Sullivan (Cherie Lunghi) arrive moments later. Walter suggests Brown will focus on his real job with Mrs. Devine gone. Sullivan tells his father that Sergeant Goodfellow (John Burton) will be bringing the ring later. Walter keeps going on about Goodfellow being a disgraced cop. He doesn’t think he’s suitable as a best man.

Edgar Sullivan tells his dad that he’ll get him that paperwork later. They run into Archibald Drake (Andrew Tiernan) catches up with them. Drake is excited to hear about Edgar returning. Walter continues complaining about everything before trying to make a speech. Drake speaks to Felicia about Edgar’s days in London. She agrees to get him another drink. Grace tells Brenda and the others that she believes her husband likes scaring her with her driving. Brenda says Isabel Devine likes driving fast too. Devine says she drove ambulances during the war. Grace wanted to be a doctor before he married Walter. Archie speaks to Edgar Sullivan about his new job as Detective Superintendent. Edgar admits his father helped him get it. Goodfellow arrives seconds later. Sullivan apologizes to Goodfellow. Walter hopes there are no hard feelings. Goodfellow decides to leave although he will be at the wedding. Archibald calls to complain about Edgar’s job.

He goes to the pub for a drink. Felicia checks on him. Then, she tells the others that Archibald has stopped being fun. Irene decides to call it an early night. Walter learns it’s about his son’s new job. He blames jealousy. The next day, someone shoots Walter once in the shoulder. Edgar arrives in time to prevent him from being shot again. At the hospital, Grace and Father Brown learn about the shooting. Walter wants the wedding to go ahead no matter what happens. Edgar tells Father Brown about his father’s work and the fact that he arrested Reggie Robinson. Edgar says his dad wants him to get the wedding party checked for criminals. Father Brown thinks they should speak to Irene. Sullivan asks for Brown’s assistance in finding out who shot his father. Father Brown steps outside where he speaks to Goodfellow about the shooting. He wants to speak to the florist Irene Frost. Brown asks him for something else too.

Father Brown finds Irene at the bus stop. Irene admits that Walter Sullivan sacked her last night. He said any convicted criminal could not be trusted. Irene admits she took it personally because this job was so important to her. She thought her troubles were finally over working with Felicia. Irene insists she did not shoot Walter. Brown recommends speaking to Felicia and Isabel Devine because they can be surprisingly forgiving. Irene tells them she was caught shoplifting after losing her fiancé. Felicia agrees to reinstate her. Father Brown and Devine talk to Goodfellow who says they found the gun. He confirms he handed it in at the police station. It was a police-issued weapon that was signed out by Archibald. Father Brown speaks to Archibald in the pub. He asks why he didn’t report his gun missing. Archibald admits he’s being forced into early retirement because of Edgar Sullivan’s move to London.

Archibald says he wouldn’t have missed. Edgar catches up with Devine at the church and says his father still wants him to get married tomorrow. Grace thinks it should go ahead too. Archibald interrupts to tell Edgar that he’s heading back to London. Later, Eddie and Brenda arrive to show Father Brown something that was found near Sullivan’s car. Later, Brown tells Edgar that the cut stone found is a diamond. He suspects the impact of the golf club against the glass must dislodged it. Walter arrives after discharging himself. He refuses to let Father Brown look at the rash on his hand. Felicia takes flowers to Devine. She also received something borrowed from Grace. Devine is surprised it’s her engagement ring. Father Brown notices a diamond is missing. He speaks to Grace in private about the ring and the missing stone. Grace admits she smashed her husband’s car and it felt good.

She was upset because Archibald told her Walter stopped her from becoming a doctor. Walter offered to post her application to medical school, but he dropped it in the dustbin. A woman with a career did not fit Walter’s idea of a wife. Grace did not shoot her husband, but she admits she was tempted to do so. Edgar finds out about the conversation. Father Brown tells him that he isn’t convinced Grace shot Walter. Father Brown arrives in time for Devine to try on her dress. Isabel Devine says it’s awful. She admits she hasn’t been honest with them. Devine says Walter won’t give his blessing for the marriage unless they agree to move to London. He claims Devine will ruin Edgar’s career if they stay because of her connection to Father Brown. Devine says she wants what is best for Edgar.

She just wants to be herself during her last day. Later, Devine talks to Father Brown about Irene. Her fiancée died two days before their wedding. Father puts the pieces together and figures something out. Father Brown arrives at the pub at everyone gets ready to drink to Edgar. Brown stops Walter from drinking and asks to speak to Irene in private. Brown mentions methanol which kills the bubbles. He believes she used it two days ago to avenge the death of her fiancée Alfie who wasn’t killed by a Nazi bomb. Instead, he was killed by Walter Sullivan in pursuit of a celebrated gangster. Walter and Edgar arrive. Irene explains that she and Alfie went for a walk in Ealing the day before their wedding. Alfie had to push Irene out of the way so she wouldn’t be hit by the police vehicle. Walter says he didn’t recognize her name. Irene complains that he said Alfie was standing in the road.

Irene promises Alfie she would avenge his death. She convinced Felicia to hire her as a florist and poisoned Walter’s drink. Walter refused the wine and gave himself a nasty rash. Irene took the gun and waited until the morning. She had to flee when the car arrived. Father Brown asks her to repent. Irene doesn’t regret anything except not finishing the job. Irene is taken away. Edgar tells Walter he doesn’t want him as his best man. He takes the ring back from him. Father Brown tells Devine what Walter Sullivan did. Edgar speaks to Goodfellow and asks him to be his best man. Devine arrives at the chapel a short time later. Isabel and Edgar get married. Outside, Edgar tells Archibald he’s going to phone the office and urge them to give his job back. Edgar says he’ll do even better there. Walter is not happy with his son’s actions. Edgar scolds his father.

He regrets spending so long feeling like he had to listen to a man like him. Brenda tells Eddie she’d like to come to London with him. He’d like that. Edgar tells Goodfellow he’ll get him reinstated as a police officer. Devine tells Father Brown she’s going to be staying after all.

Father Brown Review

The finale of Father Brown’s 12th series left a lot to be desired. The episode was pretty much as unimaginative as possible. Of course, everything worked out as well as expected because there’s another series in the works. There was never any risk that the marriage wouldn’t happen or that Devine and Sullivan would be moving to London.

Walter’s downfall was fairly lame as well. The series has made a habit of trying to create sympathetic villains, but this also creates a lack of believability because it happens far too often. The villains just aren’t allowed to be villains anymore. The episode definitely makes one question Edgar Sullivan’s character because he was so quick to betray everyone to appease the father he barely liked in the first place.

Then, we had Goodfellow groveling to him willing to forgive everything despite being treated so horribly. Isabel Devine is just a diva going through the emotions here. Most viewers probably wouldn’t have cared if they had shipped out to London after all. The writers had to finish off the tropes by pushing Brenda and Eddie together even more. It’s questionable whether either character has the mental capacity to manage a relationship at this point.

Twelve seasons in and the series is still playing the same old games with the same trope twists and outcomes. Father Brown should take a hint from Vera and ride off into the sunset because the series has nothing new to offer at this point. The episode scores a 4.5 out of 10. Recaps of Father Brown can be found here. Find out how to support our independent site at this link. Learn more about advertising with us here.

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Jay Skelton is a fan of all television shows and movies. He tries his best to keep up with the latest foreign television shows and movies. Jay loves skinny dipping in the dark too.