We start the episode at St. Luke’s College in Cambridge. It is one year prior and Michael (Emmett Scanlan) is spending time with Annabelle in his office. Michael tells Annabelle that her novel is good but a few sections feel overwritten. He makes sure that she hasn’t it to anyone else before telling Annabelle that she is something special. She asks for that in writing so he scrawls a note at the bottom of her paper. Annabelle asks Michael if he would ask Roisin to read it and he doesn’t like that. We jump back to the present as Michael rushes home and Ophelia (Emily Reid) hides in the summer house.
Before Michael can enter, Ophelia calls his phone and tells him that she is at the hospital. This convinces him to rush to the hospital and that gives her time to escape. She runs over to Sean’s place and invites herself in. Sean (Paul Mescal) learns that Ophelia is afraid of Michael and wants to leave a soon as possible. She is convinced that Roisin is alive because she saw her. Sean isn’t sure since she couldn’t have survived the fight. Ophelia believes Michael killed Annabelle and she was the one found in the fire. They go back and forth until Sean agrees to help Ophelia escape. Sean drives Ophelia as she frantically searches for her passport. Then, she finds out that Sean isn’t going to help her.
He drives her back to Michael’s place and promises that this is for her own good because she isn’t well. Michael thanks Sean and confirms that the doctor is on his way. Michael takes Ophelia inside before Sean stops them and asks about Annabelle’s bag. After that, Michael tells Mary (Eleanor Methven) about the things Ophelia said. Michael is upset because she knows. Mary says Michael will be long gone if it ever comes to checking the body. She offers to take care of Ophelia and the whole village thinks she is crazy anyway. Mary just wants to make sure that Michael will get her girl out of there like he promised.
Michael enters another room and we see that he has Ophelia tied to a chair. He admits he could never let her leave since she saw Roisin alive. Michael grabs a brick from the ground and takes Annabelle’s bag on the way out. Next, Richard (Lloyd Everitt) calls Ruth (Shelley Conn) and tells her about his conversations. Richard says there is a bit in Michael’s book that is similar to something that happened to Annabelle when she was little. Ophelia works to free her hands before Roisin (Catherine Walker) enters the room. Roisin walks over to Ophelia and removes the gag from her mouth. Roisin explains that Ophelia has become a problem and she has been desperate to talk to her. She wants to get to know her and find out what they have in common. After that, Michael talks to a man about being behind on his book.
He says he is behind on his novel so Mary is going to deal with the sale of the house and any paperwork can be forwarded to him. Michael is told that it will take time to deal with Roisin’s life insurance. Patrick tells him about the problems with the investigation and the fact that it was a possible suicide. When Michael leaves, Richard follows him. Meanwhile, Roisin talks to Ophelia about pity. Ophelia claims she almost walked away from Michael when she first saw the house and she wishes she had. She asks for a glass of water and Roisin agrees to get it for her. She helps Ophelia drink it. Then, Ophelia asks Roisin if she was there when Michael killed Annabelle. Roisin denies it and says Ophelia doesn’t know anything. In a flashback, Roisin argues with Ruth when she tries to tell her about Michael’s relationship with one of his students.
Roisin goes home that night and begins drinking by herself. Annabelle Lorimer arrives at the door and tells Roisin she has a meeting with Michael that night. She is invited inside. Annabelle tells Roisin that she is a bit fan of hers. Roisin leaves to check the bathroom before Roisin locks the door. Roisin contacts Michael who is hanging out with Matthew (Dempsey Bovell). Michael warns his wife that Annabelle is dangerous and that she needs to get Annabelle out of there. When the call ends, Roisin finds Annabelle stealing something which she claims belongs to her. Annabelle is there to get her book which she says Michael stole from her.
Roisin doesn’t believe her and immediately says Knockdara is where Michael grew up. Annabelle says he changed that but everything else belongs to her and she can prove it. She also says Michael wrote a confession but he doesn’t realize it. Annabelle goes on to tell Roisin about having sex with Michael but Roisin doesn’t want to believe it. Roisin grabs her before Annabelle strikes back. Michael arrives only to find the door locked. He can hear the chaos upstairs and rushes to get inside. When all is said and done, Michael gets inside and Annabelle is dead on the ground. Michael tells Roisin that she has been drinking and she has a temper. Michael wants honesty before he will agree to help her. He says there is another way for this to disappear but she’ll need to listen to him and do what he says.
They move Annabelle’s body and agree that she was never here. They agree to get on the first boat they can and make Annabelle disappear. Michael says it sounds awful but it could be a good opportunity and he is sick of people trying to come between them. He claims it’ll be their chance to start again. When they arrive at their destination, Michael asks Roisin if she has told him everything. In a flashback, we see that Roisin called Ruth after Annabelle was killed and Michael knows nothing about it. She promises that she told him everything. Michael helps Roisin inside before we return to the present. Ophelia asks Roisin who she is waiting for. Then, she suggests that Michael won’t be back. In another flashback, Roisin apologizes to her mother and promises that she didn’t mean to do it.
Mary tells her not to worry about it and that everything will be okay. Meanwhile, Michael carries the body inside but leaves her bag b the vehicle. Mary catches Michael working on the body and freaks out. Michael explains what he is trying to achieve and claims that Annabelle was obsessed with him. He isn’t sure Roisin remembers doing it and says it is like she wasn’t even there. Mary doesn’t think Michael’s plan will work but Michael is adamant that it must work. This convinces Mary to help. Michael returns to Roisin and gives her pills. He takes apart the cellphone and destroys the sim card before burning it in the fire nearby. Then, he heads out to Sheila’s Pub and tells everyone that Roisin went to bed earlier. Mary checks on Annabelle’s body one last time before starting the fire that will burn the body.
Mary takes Roisin home and promises her that everything will be okay. She says Michael took care of her when they lost her husband and he’ll take care of her now. Michael returns home in time to discover that the fire has taken his wife. He spots the bag nearby and tries to hide it from Sean. When nobody is looking, Michael grabs the bag and heads toward the summer house. He hides the bag under stacks of his books. Then, Ophelia tries to convince Roisin that Michael isn’t trying to protect her but was only protecting himself. Roisin denies that Michael stole anything and claims Annabelle stole the novel from Michael. Ophelia says Michael lied about her so he could lie about something else. Roisin escaped her room one night and visited the house. That is when Ophelia spotted her.
Roisin admits she remembered their meeting in the bathroom. Ophelia questions how Roisin can trust Michael now. Roisin says she accused him of cheating so many times that he likely felt he might as well do it. Ophelia wants to know what they’re going to do with her before Richard watches Michael enter the Star Bingo facility. He approaches a young girl in the back and gives her money in change for new identification for Roisin. Meanwhile, Ruth breaks into the couple’s house and searches for evidence. She finds a piece of jewelry on her way out and suspects it might’ve belonged to Annabelle. Michael tries to get rid of the bag but finds out that something is missing from it. He screams before noticing Richard watching him.
Ophelia tells Roisin that she has agreed to something worse than a prison sentence because Michael will have complete control over her. Mary knocks on the door and calls for Roisin to come out. Roisin learns that Michael called and something has happened. He wants Mary to meet him at the border. Mary complains that Roisin shouldn’t be talking to that girl. Then, she tells her to go back to her place and she’ll call her when she finds more. Ruth goes to Matthew and asks about Annabelle. Matthew admits Michael mentioned her before Ruth shows him the earring and a picture proving it belonged to Annabelle. She wants Matthew to cooperate with her. Roisin tells Ophelia that she needs to leave now but Ophelia pleads with her to untie her.
Ophelia says Roisin wanted someone to tell her something she already knew. Roisin drops the tape and says she has nothing left. Ophelia sympathizes with her because Michael did it to her too. Michael appears and apologizes for taking so long. Michael tries his best to undo everything Ophelia has done to his wife and it seems to work. Roisin leaves Michael and Ophelia together. Michael wants to know where the manuscript is at. Ophelia claims everything has been about Michael’s fragile ego. She says he feeds on peoples’ vulnerabilities before breaking them down until they’re too weak and confused to trust themselves. She says Michael is weak though. She tells him that Richard knows and there is no way out. Michael begins choking her before Roisin hits with him a brick and he calls down a hole.
Roisin looks down at Michael and it appears that he is dead. Sean finds a note asking him to take the manuscript to the police. Ophelia sits down with Roisin and Mary. She claims Michael sent Mary to the border so she wouldn’t have to see whatever Michael was going to do to her. Mary seems disturbed since Michael was going to attack a pregnant woman carrying his child. Then, Roisin wonders what they should do before Mary says Michael was the only one who had a motive to kill Annabelle. She comes up with a plan. Roisin finds her passport on Michael while Mary hides Annabelle’s bag in the house. Roisin cuts her hand and rubs blood in the vehicle’s trunk.
Ruth and Matthew meet with the police while Ophelia tends to Roisin’s cut. The police arrive outside before an officer knocks on the door. Roisin makes a run for it. After that, Mary tells a man everything that has happened but blames Michael for killing the girl. Annabelle’s body is exhumed while police collect evidence. Mary claims Michael was a madman who went crazy when he saw Roisin and Ophelia together. She says Michael fell when he was chasing Ophelia and that is how he died. After that, we jump forward and hear a new report about the investigation into Roisin’s death being closed and Michael being charged. Ruth checks her mail and finds a letter from Roisin apologizing. We see that Roisin is hiding out in another country.
Annabelle is given credit for her book. The house is finally sold. Richard sits with Roisin and calls her by her name. He tells her that he has been looking for her before the episode ends.
The Deceived Review
Overall, I felt that The Deceived was a decent thriller with just enough mystery to keep the viewer guessing from start to finish. The finale wasn’t the best since it felt a bit rushed and too easy for the main characters. Nevertheless, I appreciate the fact that the writers covered most of the loose ends and gave the viewer some satisfaction. Still, I’d say a lot of people were disappointed because it was too convenient for those left alive.
Then again, I suppose Roisin wasn’t able to run away from all of her problems. With only four episodes and little else enjoyable on television, The Deceived is a good way to stay busy. The finale scores a 6.5 out of 10. Previous recaps of The Deceived can be found on Reel Mockery.
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.
