The opening episode of The Burning Girls begins in 1556 at Chapel Croft Village in Sussex, England. Guards with torches walk into a building while looking for some girls. Once they find them, they yell for the girls to be burned. The girls are burned. Three months ago, Reverend Brian Rushton (Paul Bradley) thanks everyone for coming. He explains that they’ll remember their ancestors who died for their beliefs on this sacred ground over 500 years ago. Brian tells them to cast their burning girls to the flame. Later that night, Reverend Fletcher (Paul Fox) hangs himself. On the floor, there is a newspaper about Merry and Joy who are described as the missing girls from Chapel Croft.

Present – Jack Brooks (Samantha Morton) drives while her daughter Flo (Ruby Stokes) snaps pictures. Once they reach their destination, Jack tells Flo to get out. Jack wants to go into the house of God before the house of his children. As Flo snaps a picture of the monument for the burning girls, Jack explains that it was part of Queen Mary’s purge of Protestants. Two young girls were burned at the stake there. Flo knows people make creepy little dolls to celebrate them. They go into the church to look around. Once Jack is alone, she asks the Lord why she is there. Aaron Marsh (David Dawson) interrupts and begins questioning her. After she explains that she is Reverend Brooks, Aaron says he is the warden of the church.

Jack says she is sorry to hear about Reverend Fletcher before learning he killed himself. Flo takes pictures outside while a little girl runs around the cemetery. Flo sees a little girl covered in blood saying, “He killed her.” She yells for her mom as the girl approaches her. Aaron and Jack make it out in time to see the little girl. Jack quickly checks on the girl while telling her daughter to call an ambulance. Aaron knows the girl is Poppy Harper (Erin Ainsworth) from the Harper farm. Poppy says Peppa and he killed her. Simon Harper (Rupert Graves) arrives to get his daughter. He tells them that Peppa was a pig. Simon ends up leaving with his daughter. He calls someone in the car and questions why they didn’t inform him the new vicar was coming. Simon scolds his daughter and insists she won’t get anywhere acting like a 3-year-old.

In their new home, Flo calls the place a dump. She suspects Simon is pretty important around here since Aaron almost wet himself. Jack tells her daughter how Reverend Fletcher hanged himself in the chapel. She admits Bishop Durkin must’ve failed to mention it. Later, Jack prays to God and thanks him for the opportunity to start afresh. She goes on to say the place is a crap-hole. If this is punishment for her old life, Jack thinks she is right where she needs to be. She has a nightmare about two little girls in a church. One of them is named Ruby. In the morning, Jack tries to get her daughter to open up about her feelings. Flo says it is what it is. Jack says Reverend Rushton is taking the service today but she needs to be there. Before Jack can leave, she finds a package outside the door. Inside, they find a note that says, “There is nothing that is covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.”

“Accordingly, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light and what you have whispered in the inner rooms will be proclaimed upon the housetops. Luke 12:2 and 3” Flo opens a box and asks what the items are. Jack explains it is an exorcism kit. Flo begins worrying that it is happening again so Jack tries to comfort her. Jack reminds her that they don’t know where they are. She promises it has nothing to do with Nottingham. When Flo asks if blood is on the knife, Jack tells her not to be daft. Flo asks her mom to get rid of it. Jack seems to hide it before heading to the chapel where she hears Reverend Rushton talking to Aaron about her. After introducing himself, Brian Rushton tells her they’re so grateful to have her. Aaron informs Jack that the theme for this morning’s service is new friends and beginnings.

Rushton talks to Jack about Simon Harper and his daughter. Brian explains that the Harpers are influential around there. They’ve lived there for generations and their ancestors were burnt at the stake. Brian says they’re like a martyr in Chapel Croft. He recommends she try to fix things because it is not good to be on their bad side. Once Brian steps away, Aaron asks Jack what was in the box. She asks who left it, but Aaron doesn’t want to tell her. Jack claims she didn’t have time to open it this morning. Brian begins speaking to the guests a short time later. Once everyone leaves, Jack notices a young girl sitting alone. As she approaches her, Aaron sneaks up on her and frightens her. Aaron asks if she smelled smoke. After Jack says yes, Aaron explains it happens sometimes.

Aaron finds a coat belonging to Mrs. Hartman. He gives it to Jack to drop it off to her later. When she visits Joan Hartman (Jane Lapotaire), Joan admits she was hoping to see her. Joan asks if she has seen the burning girls yet before explaining that they haunt the chapel. She claims something bad will befall you if you see the burning girls. They originally made the dolls to ward off the girls’ vengeful spirits. Reverend Fletcher was fascinated by that story so he started researching the history of the village. That’s how he became interested in the other girls, Merry Joanne Lane and Joy Harris. They disappeared without a trace 30 years ago. They were best friends who would’ve been applauded for their independence today but not then. At the time, they were considered disruptive so their mothers turned to the church to rid them of their demonic ways.

In a flashback, Benjamin Grady (Charlie Hamblett) offers Merry Lane (Mollie Holder) a Bible and urges her to change her ways. They don’t burn them at the stake today, but malevolence still lies deep in the soul of this village. Merry tells Joy she sometimes wishes her mom was different. She mostly wishes she was dead. Joan explains that Merry and Joy just disappeared. The police concluded they’d run away together because Joy left a note. Merry’s mother and brother left the village almost a year to the day she disappeared. As for Joy’s mother Pauline, she never stopped looking for her. Joan believes they demonize young girls in Chapel Croft. Some say the evil of Merry and Joy lives on and it infects other young girls. Reverend Fletcher thought he knew what happened to Merry and Joy. Although he wouldn’t tell Joan, it troubled him deeply.

Joan suspects that’s why Fletcher was killed. Flo looks at old pictures before going to the cemetery to take more. She walks past Izzy Sudduth’s tombstone. She ends up finding Lucas Wrigley (Conrad Khan) urinating in her shed. Flo shuts the door in his face busting his nose. Lucas apologizes before explaining he doesn’t like urinating on the graves. He tells her that the twisting is called dystonia. Flo takes Lucas inside so he can clean up. Jack goes to the Harper farm where she introduces herself to Rosie Harper (Elodie Grace Orkin). Emma Harper (Beth Cordingly) comes out and introduces herself. Emma lets her come inside. Flo tells Lucas she thought he was going to attack her although she wasn’t scared. Lucas believes she’ll tell him about her true self.

Lucas reveals he comes up there to draw before showing Flo his sketches. Flo says she wants to be a photographer and she is using her dad’s camera. Lucas says she’ll have at least one friendly face at Warbler’s Green if she goes there. He offers to take her to a sick place for her photos tomorrow. Jack asks Emma about Poppy and learns she wasn’t supposed to be there yesterday. They talk about Florence who is 15 and the same age as Rosie. Jack’s husband was a vicar but he died when Flo was young. When Simon enters, he scolds Emma for not calling him. Outside, Jack explains to Simon that she thought she could introduce herself properly so they can start afresh. Simon assures her this isn’t a place where they go around abusing their kids or let families ritually slaughter them in our church as a part of an exorcism. Simon tells her to look after her flock and he’ll look after his.

When Jack gets back to her car, she notices an upside-down cross scratched into the door. She flips off Rosie who is looking at her through the window. Merry Lane goes home where her mother Judith (Catherine Harvey) slaps her for fixing her face. She is locked in a room moments later. At home, Jack learns that Flo turned a bathroom into a darkroom. Later, Jack remembers the past incident involving Ruby. She talks to Flo about Simon who isn’t used to being challenged. While praying that night, Jack wonders if coming there was a mistake. She steps outside for a cigarette and notices something going on at the chapel. Jack walks over to the chapel to look around. In a cabinet, she finds what appears to be burned clothes. As she turns around, she notices a candle lit nearby.

There is a partially burned Bible sitting next to it. Inside, it says the Bible was the property of Joanne Lane. Outside, Jack sees two girls standing in front of her. When the girls begin burning, Jack prays. Joan once again says something bad will befall you if you see the burning girls.

 

The Burning Girls Review

The opening episode of The Burning Girls set up an interesting story that could become even more gripping in future episodes. The performances are good thanks to Samantha Morton, Ruby Stokes, Conrad Khan, David Dawson, and others. It is too early to say whether everything will work out well in the end, but the story has the potential to get better as it progresses.

This a slow burner with the first episode feeling particularly slow towards the end until Jack entered the church. The Burning Girls has multiple ongoing storylines with some of them being more compelling than others. Some do seem like they’ve been rehashed from other shows and movies while others are possibly added to cater to a modern audience.

It is too early to judge the series since so little really happened in the opening episode, but the episode did enough to justify sticking around for a few more. It scores a 6.5 out of 10. Recaps of The Burning Girls can be found on Reel Mockery here. Find out how to support our independent site at this link. Learn more about advertising on Reel Mockery here. Discuss The Burning Girls and other shows at the Reel Mockery Forum.