The show begins with young Reyka Gama (Gabrielle de Gama) looking at a boy out a window. Angus Speelman (Iain Glen) comes in, singing “Jingle Bells”, and asks Portia Maseko (Nokuthula Ledwaba) where Reyka is at. Reyka is disappointed with her Christmas gift “Little Women.” Speelman becomes upset with her response and takes it out on Portia. He slams it down in Portia’s lap and orders her to read it. When she refuses, he forces the book into her face and repeats his order. Her being unable to read explains why she refuses to heed Speelman’s order. Portia runs away and Speelman plays his piano.

Reyka is asleep when her bedroom door is unlocked. Speelman greets her, “My love” when she enters his bedroom and shuts the door.

Pastor Ezekiel “Zik” (Desmond Dube) holds a service for his church members. John Tyrone (Ian Roberts) and Cathleen Tyrone (Fiona Ramsay) are in attendance.

Sewsunker (Leeanda Reddy) receives a lab report. She documents the report before placing it in Pillay’s (Vikash Mathura) case file. As Paster Zik preaches, John receives a text from Hector (Hamilton Dlamini).

An unknown person, wearing a hoodie, enters the police station. The individual unlocks the evidence room, locates Pillay’s case file, and removes the lab report. When the individual turns around, his identity is disclosed. Hector exits the evidence room.

Reyka Gama (Kim Engelbrecht) asks her mother, Elsa Gama (Anna-Mart van der Merwe) if she remembers Portia. Elsa says Portia is in witness protection and asks, “Why.” In exchange for Portia’s location, Angus will provide Reyka with Lucky’s gravesite location. Elsa demands to know if Angus raped her. She denies the allegations, saying he looked after her like a dad.

Hector gives the lab report for the soil samples from sugarcane field 8A to John. The lab report proves 8A was treated with poison. John replaces the lab report with clean soil from field 6C. They shake hands before John’s departure. As Hector prepares to enter a room, he encounters Nandi Cele (Thando Thabethe). She becomes suspicious when he admits to leaving his phone in his office. He waits until Nandi is gone before entering his office. He stores the soil sample from field 6C in a lockbox.

Reyka and Sewsunker discuss Pillay’s fingerprints, which were not a match. The knot utilized by the killer is the only evidence linking the Pillay to the murders. Sewsunker updates Reyka on the tainted soil samples from field 8A. Hector calls Reyka to his office. He scolds Reyka for contacting the newspaper to alert of a serial killer targeting young girls. She says the serial killer is watching them and he needs to trust her. Young girls need to avoid the sugarcane fields.

Sewsunker and Nandi visit the evidence room. The soil sample lab report is missing. Samuel Zwane (Mavuso Simelane) walks in as they are talking. They tell him about the missing lab report. He says, “It’ll show up” and walks away. He knocks on Hector’s office and enters when he discovers it is empty. He initiates a search and discovers the lockbox in a desk drawer. He opens the lockbox with a paperclip and removes a lab report.

Hector is discussing the case with the detectives. Reyka provides the detectives with a psychological profile of the killer. Samuel interrupts to ask how she works without a “physical description.” He calls her psychological profile “guesswork.” Reyka believes the killer is a black male, friendly, charming, and trustworthy. He may be comfortable working in the sugarcane field. She orders Sewsunker to set up a hotline for the community. Nandi ways there are strict rules on how to handle evidence. Hector and Samuel look uncomfortable. Samuel admits to taking the soil sample for a “hunch”. It was misplaced before he could return it to the evidence room. He wanted to make sure the soil sample was not from his garden, but it wasn’t. Hector threatens to file a complaint against Samuel if the soil sample is not returned to the evidence room ASAP.

Two victims have been identified – Mbali Msomi from KwaDukuza and Naibina from Richards Bay. Hector orders Tanner (Gerald Steyn) to investigate Mbali. He threatens Samuel with unpaid suspension if he refuses to go with Tanner.

Tanner and Samuel visit KwaDukuza to talk with Chief Msomi (Kenneth Nkosi). He tells the detectives his niece, Mbali was a wild one who got mixed up with a “cockroach” named Bazooka Butulese (Thulasizwe Khubeka). He says cockroaches can survive a nuclear explosion and threatens to kill Bazooka.

At the police station, Reyka inspects the evidence sign-out document. She tells Sewsunker Samuel’s name is missing before leaving the evidence room.

Tanner and Samuel visit a local pub. They speak with a man who says Mbali had many men and broke Bazooka’s heart. A commotion in another room pulls the man away. Samuel teases Tanner, calling him “entitled.” Tanner says he is jealous because Reyka wants him more.

Tanner and Samuel visit Bazooka who says Mbali had lots of men. Bazooka knows Samuel from Inanda East. He says Mbali had lots of men. He denies stalking Mbali at work. He talks about an incident that took place at Umdloti Beach involving Samuel while refusing to answer their questions. Samuel gets fed up and smashes Bazooka’s head into the table. He threatens him with a torch before leaving.

At the police station, Sewsunker receives a call from an unknown man. He is upset about Reyka’s psychological profile in the Coastal Sun. He points out “antisocial and “inexperienced” with women. The man immediately hangs up when Reyka asks him to confirm his identity. She rushes into Hector’s office to tell him about the call. He orders for the call to be traced. The call came from a Wi-Fi hotspot. Hector says the killer is out in the open.

The detectives stake out the town from different vehicles.

Samuel asks Sewsunker if the police have anything on Pastor Zik. She scolds him for tampering with her evidence. He admits to taking one for the team but denies taking the soil sample lab report. Pastor Zik’s credit cards are linked to Mbali’s pre-paid phone card. Five calls from Mbali’s phone were made to the family planning clinic. Mali was pregnant.

Tanner asks a man if someone paid to utilize his public phone today. He says a man on a bicycle. Tanner pays for a newspaper.

Samuel visits Hector in his office. He tells him about Mbali’s pregnancy and abortion before her death. The autopsy failed to pick up the abortion even though it takes six weeks for the signs to disappear. The medical examiner believed Mbali’s lower body was mutilated by wild animals. Samuel does not believe Mbali’s murder is linked to the other victims. He asks Hector to accelerate testing to determine if Pastor Zik is the father of Mbali’s baby. Hector refuses to believe Pastor Zik is a killer.

Reyka receives a phone call from Speelman’s attorney, Mr. Bloom (David Butler). Speelman wants to see Reyka at the prison. Nandi spots a suspicious man on a bicycle. She relays the information to Tanner while Reyka takes on foot after the man. She follows the man to a group of locals. The man attacks her from behind, placing the blade of his knife against her neck. He threatens to kill the “yellow bone bitch.” Nandi enters from behind and puts the tip of her gun against the man’s head. She searches the man and finds a bag of meth.

Mbali Msomi (Nirvana Nokwe) tells Gogo Pampatha (Nani Nyembe) about a job at the sugar factory. She has to pay a fee for accommodation in advance. Gogo tells her she is not to be trusted around married men. Mbali asks if she is calling her a “homewrecker.”

Reyka visits Speelman in prison. He asks if she has Portia’s address to trade for a map of Lucky’s gravesite. They prepare to make the exchange when Speelman grabs her paper, which is blank. She jumps up and grabs his prison jumper suit. Lucy’s family deserves to know what happened to her. She says, “You would understand if you were a father.” He orders the guard to show her out.

Reyka contacts Tamma to request information on Portia.

Reyka and Nandi meet Hector in front of the police station to tell him about a drug bust of 300 flakka pills. Nandi wants to go undercover to find the killer. Reyka and Hector agree it would be too dangerous. He tells them about Pastor Zik and Mbali’s baby. He orders them to investigate Pastor Zik.

Gogo Pampatha and Mbali are in the town waiting on the man with the bicycle. Mbali takes off, leaving GoGo Pampatha by herself.

Reyka and Samuel visit Pastor Zik’s church. They meet with Pastor Zik’s wife, Petronella (Keneilwe Matidze) who initially refuses to talk to them. Reyka pleads with her to help protect the girls who are not safe. She contacts Gogo to speak with Bongi (Zimkhitha Nyoka).

Reyka and Samuel visit Gogo to talk about Bongi. Gogo says Bongo wanted to be Pastor Zik’s favorite. She nearly ruined Pastor Zik’s marriage. She said Pastor Zik promised to leave his wife for her. He gave Bongi a promise ring.

Mbali is being followed in the sugarcane by a man on a bicycle. He drops his bicycle, hits her in the back of the head, and drags her body into the sugarcane.

Hector interviews Pastor Zik. He asks about his relationship with Mbali. Pastor Zik help pay for Mbali’s abortion. He cannot have children. The father of Mbali’s baby is a family man from Sugarlands or Mounthaven. He is not Zulu, but an outsider. Hector orders Samuel and Reyka to eliminate Pastor Zik as a suspect.

Samuel follows Hector to a remote area, where he meets with a man. Samuel catches up with the man after Hector leaves. The man is an informant who told Hector about a party at the Tyrone local compound for tonight.

Samuel meets Nandi to invite her to the Tyrone compound party. She agrees to go to the party as an undercover.

Reyka sees a woman at a local community that causes her to have a flashback of Portia.

Nandi tests the wire to make sure it is working. She walks around the community, picking up random beer bottles. She picks up a beer bottle when Soda (Khayalethu Anthony) walks up behind her. He calls her a police officer. She initially denies the allegations. He agrees to dance with her when he finds out she is a cop.

Elsa visits Speelman in prison. She wants him to leave Reyka alone. God never gave Speelman children because he is sick. Speelman accuses Elsa of holding up in a motel with a policeman. She looked for Reyka day and night. He can’t like Reyka go because she is part of him. Elsa is irate when he says when they were in bed, it was consensual.

Nandi dances with Soda. She agrees to accompany him on a walk. Her wire goes dead. Samuel jumps out of his vehicle and runs to the community. Nandi and Soda are in the sugarcane field. He orders her to close her eyes. Samuel frantically searches for Nandi. Soda places his hands over her eyes and leads her to a remote area in the sugarcane field. Samuel contacts Reyka to alert her of Nandi missing. When Soda removes his hands, Nandi gets a clear shot of the moon. She turns around and begins to scream as the episode comes to an end.

 

Reyka Review

The episode provided additional information about the sugarcane killer. However, some scenes were a bit drawn out. The camerawork was atrocious, with bright, sliding flashes and bouncy vibrations to replicate running.

The acting is spot-on, with Iain Glen in the lead. The unnecessary power struggle between Samuel and Tanner and Reyka has gender and racial undertones. It was not necessary to throw in “yellow bone bitch” into the dialogue.

I believe it would have been beneficial for viewers if at least three episodes were slashed from the show. Eight episodes were not necessary to tell the story of Reyka. The episode deserves a 6.5.

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