St George’s Defence – As the episode opens, Vivienne Bonham Crane (Maggie Steed) informs her daughter, Sister Boniface (Lorna Watson) of her father’s condition. She says Malise Bonham Crane (Geoffrey McGivern) believes his chess journals hold secret messages. She suggests Sister Boniface visit Malise before blaming her joining the convent for the changes in him. Explaining his theory, Malise says the secret messages validate that a Russian Spy will attend the upcoming “British Open Chess Championship” in Great Slaughter.
Malise points out that the abbreviation, “PTRVDEF” represents “Petrov’s Defence,” potentially a secret code for a Russian plot. He suggests a meeting will take place after the tournament. He asks what better way to send secret messages via chess moves, recorded in journals, by different players. Sister Boniface and Vivienne agree the messages could be coincidental. He accuses them of treating him like a “raving lunatic.” Sister Boniface agreeing to speak with the police brings a huge smile to his face.
Felix Livingston (Jerry Iwu) volunteers to help Sister Boniface investigate her father’s espionage suspicions. Detective Sam Gillespie (Max Brown) suggests taking Peggy Button (Ami Metcalf).
Sister Boniface and Malise arrive at the BOCC in her sidecar moped. Malise excitedly greets Oliver Canning (Ben Mansfield). When Sister Boniface announces she will be joining the tournament, Oliver admits to admiring a “woman with brains.” Peggy and Felix arrive after Oliver dismisses himself to take a nap. Nadiya Whitlock (Andreea Paduraru) gives Anthony Whitlock (Daniel Cerqueira) a bit of reassurance before reminding him of his being the best chess player in England. He demands there be no distractions to interfere with his game. After warning of the high-level completion and absorbent entry fees, a gentleman suggests Sister Boniface play at a local club.
Sister Boniface advances to the first round. Malise boasts his daughter was a three-time chess champion at Cambridge University. Jack Denbury (Tom Glenister) introduces them to rising chess star, Evelyn Thurleigh (Jonny Khan). Jack assures them that Evelyn will win the BOCC. Malise wishes him good luck in Russian. Seeing his confusion, Sister Boniface provides an English interpretation. Malise suggests Russian ex-pat Nadiya is passing intel to Russia. Anthony tells Oliver that it must have been “humiliating” to not win a game at Leningrad. Oliver says it would be in his best interest to focus on his own performance.
Sister Boniface celebrates her first win. Malise describes her win as “lucky.” In a flashback, Malise teaches his daughter to play chess. Back to the present, she informs Peggy and Felix of her parents being “atheists.” She claims they were disappointed by her calling before assuring them that she will eventually win them over.
Sister Boniface investigates a ruckus to find Oliver and Nadiya trying to raise Anthony in his room. Jack busts through the door to find Anthony dead at his desk. Felix points out that both doors were locked from the inside. Sister Boniface suggests the perpetrator wants them to believe Anthony died of natural causes. Noting bruising on the victim’s face, she says a hand was potentially capped over his mouth. She points to an injection site on his neck. Gillespie questions what substance was utilized to inject Anthony. The chess board reveals the “Petrov Defense” opening. Peggy discovers Anthony’s journal from his previous matches.
Malise tells Sister Boniface that Anthony was murdered after he learned about the Russian spy. She gives him Anthony’s chess journal which doesn’t please Vivienne. Excited, she suggests finding the killer would lead to the Russian spy.
Gillespie asks Nadiya if it is customary for her and Anthony to have separate rooms. She reminds him of Anthony and Evelyn’s match scheduled for tomorrow. She assures him that they were deeply in love but his concentration was always on the match. Felix asks if she knows anyone who would want to harm Anthony. She informs them of Anthony’s complaint with the British Chess Federation against the tournament director, Quentin Waterford for nodding off during the tournament. Gillespie asks what Antony’s relationship with Oliver was like. She says they greatly respect each other.
Sister Boniface suggests the killer exited Anthony’s room from the adjoining door, leading to Nadiya’s room. Felix questions how the murderer entered and exited Nadiya’s room without getting caught. During a match, Nadiya denies having friends in Russia. Sister Boniface questions why she didn’t remove her makeup in the bath. Nadiya claims to have wanted to look her best when telling Anthony goodnight. Sister Boniface asks why she wasn’t wearing her wedding right. Nadiya admits to protecting it from getting tarnished. Sister Boniface assures her an 18-karat gold ring wouldn’t tarnish before suggesting her room was unoccupied when the killer passed through.
Sister Boniface informs Felix and Gillespie that Oliver and Nadiya were together when Anthony was murdered. Gillespie says Special Branch validated none of their suspects are on MI5’s radar. Peggy alerts her of Malise being seen by the doctor. When she arrives at his room, he blames the Russians for poisoning him. Vivienne claims the physician contributed his condition to over-exertion. Holding up Anthony’s chess journal, he boasts she validated his theory.
Oliver admits to having an affair with Nadiya but denies it is serious. He claims Anthony suspected Jack’s relationship with Evelyn was more than a friendship. In a flashback, Anthony threatens to report their relationship to the organization. Evelyn denies he and Jack are lovers. Jack claims they were together all evening. Sister Boniface confronts Nadiya about Anthony’s chess journal, consisting of coded messages (chemical formulas) similar to previous journals. Nadiya denies ever seeing it before. Gillespie tells her that Anthony was utilizing a mental enhancement drug. Sister Boniface says a high dose of the drug was detected in his system. Felix adds the dose was fatal. Gillespie warns that the coded messages could give Russia an advantage in the Cold War. Assessing the journal, Nadiya points out that it isn’t Anthony’s writing.
Waterford threatens to disqualify Sister Boniface from the tournament if she isn’t positioned in two minutes. Oliver questions her and Malise’s relationship. She claims Malise believes she is wasting her intellect on her vocation. She rushes into Malise’s room to inform him of her being in the final only to find him asleep. While eating a knickerbocker glory, she admits to missing their chats and chess mates. She assures him that science and God can be combined before calling herself his “little girl.”
Sister Boniface discovers Evelyn’s writing matches the secret messages in the chess journal. Gillespie informs her of Evelyn’s Cambridge University chemistry degree. He suggests Evelyn wants to sell his chemical formula that enhances mental performance to the Russians. During the chess final, Gillespie and Felix search Evelyn’s room. They discover a hypodermic needle but no drugs. She eyes a spot of blood on Evelyn’s shirt. He claims Jack injects him with insulin. She suggests Jack handles his registration forms before accusing him of lying about Jack being with him when Anthony was killed.
In a flashback, Evelyn returns from a bath to find Jack gone and a threatening note from Anthony. Back to the present, he claims Jack describes his confrontation with Anthony as “self-defense.” He says Jack did it because he loves him. After telling him that Jack has been lying to him, she warns he is about to do something dangerous. He suggests Jack is looking at his maps.
Gillespie finds Jack as he prepares to sell classified information to the Russians. He tells him that Anthony was going to report him and Evelyn for cheating, not for their homosexual relationship. Anthony knew the chess moves were secret codes. In a flashback, Jack identifies himself as the manager to convince Anthony to answer his door. Jack demands he hand over his chess journal. Anthony questions if he is leading the espionage operation. Shutting the door, he threatens to have Evelyn banned from all chess tournaments once his journal is deciphered. Jack asks what he wants. Anthony says for Evelyn never play chess again. Demonstrating how his espionage operation works via chess moves, Jack injects Anthony with the drug.
Back to the present, Felix asks how much he was offered for his formula. Jack claims it is about communists outdoing their enemies. He is arrested and handcuffed on suspicion of Anthony’s murder. Jack promises to get his formula out there. Evelyn asks if he used him to test his drug. Jack suggests thanking him for the world temporarily thinking he was “special.”
Malise describes Sister Boniface as “the finest brain in a generation.” Waterford confirms she won the tournament by default because Evelyn has been disqualified. She earns a place at the upcoming “Royal Invitation” at Oxford. She informs him of her decision to retire from chess.
Sister Boniface Mysteries Review
Sister Boniface injects herself into the British Open Chess Championship “BOOC” to investigate her father’s secret message theory. Malise believes someone is utilizing chess moves to send secret codes. A chess journal confirms his suspicions. After deciphering the secret codes, he discovers a chemical formula intended to enhance mental performance.
Successful chess player, Anthony Whitlock is murdered in his room. Anthony’s wife, Nadiya denies the writing in the chess journal isn’t Anthony’s. Sister Boniface performs a writing analysis and confirms her statement. The writing matches with that on Evelyn Thurleigh’s paperwork. It is later determined, Evelyn’s manager, Jack filled out his application for the tournament. Jack developed a mental-enhancement drug that he planned to sell to Russia. Unknowing to Evelyn, Jack was injecting him with the drug, pretending it was insulin. Evelyn’s disqualification earns Sister Boniface the championship trophy.
A special episode that delved into Sister Boniface’s relationship with her parents. Her decision to become a nun drove a wedge between herself and her parents. While her story isn’t unique, it was heartfelt and probably familiar to a lot of people.
Sister Boniface winning the chess tournament by default felt too easy. Her knowledge of science and forensics is a bit difficult to believe. A three-time chess master is over-the-top.
The episode deserves a 6.8. Get more Sister Boniface Mysteries recaps here. Support Reel Mockery by clicking the link. Learn about our advertising packages by speaking with our customer support team.
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.
