As the 3rd episode of Whitstable Pearl begins, we see two large groups partaking in a Civil War reenactment. When the marching group gets closer to the other, they’re fired upon and a man is shot and killed. They call for a medic before the intro begins. After the intro, Aaron Emperor (Anton Valens) gives Heidi Armstrong (Samantha Power) a drink. Nikki (Sophia Del Pizzo) and Mike McGuire (Howard Charles) arrive at the scene and talk to Keith Boyle (Robert Wilfort). Keith explains that he is an accountant and that they were reenacting the second English Civil War of 1648. He says they always take every precaution but use real gunpowder. However, they stuff the barrels and cannons with toilet paper. He says that the victim’s name is Brian Armstrong.

Brian was a former DCI so he was a part of the force at one time. Heidi is his wife and it was the couple’s first event. Seconds later, they find a sniper bullet casing and believe the shooter waited until the other shots to cover the sounds. They realize that Brian likely put a lot of people away so there are tons of potential suspects. Mike immediately blames Heidi because she was smiling and drinking tea, but Nikki isn’t sure. As they walk away, Heidi eats a cookie. Meanwhile, Pearl (Kerry Godliman) talks to Dolly Nolan (Frances Barber) about the case of the missing umbrella. Dolly tells her you should date a cop if you can’t be one but Pearl insists it is only dinner with a friend. Mike and Nikki discuss Boyle and the Civil War reenactment before Nikki invites him out for drinks with the others. Mike says he has plans and will getting drinks with a friend.

When Nikki questions that, he says it isn’t a date. Both go to the Old Neptune pub later that night. Mike looks through the window and sees Pearl talking to another guy. It freaks him out. He tries to collect himself but ends up leaving. While Pearl waits, she finds out that Bohemian Ralphio (Simon Meacock) has been drawing her. She tries to get him to stop because it is weird but he doesn’t think so. When she goes to look at it, she knocks his drink over and it spills onto his shirt. He agrees to give it to her for 50 quid and a new top. She gives him the other drink she purchased and leaves just as Mike enters. They completely miss each other. Mike looks around and finds the drawing of Pearl while she returns to her restaurant. She gets upset and begins cooking while Bohemian begins drawing a sad Mike.

Mike gets drunk and gets something to eat before getting a call from Nikki. She explains that three women have come to the station and all of them were sleeping with Brian. All of them suspect Heidi had Brian killed because he was going to leave her. Heidi shows up at Pearl’s restaurant and sits down with her. They talk about Brian being a police officer and that making him a target. Heidi says she went home and it just felt different. She knows everything will feel different now that her husband is gone, but she believes someone was in her house. She is worried that someone is after her too so Pearl tells her to go to the police. She reveals that Brian was cheating on her and the police suspect she was responsible for his death. They discuss their time together at the cooking class before Pearl says she knows Heidi didn’t kill Brian.

Heidi pleads with her to find out who did. The next day, Pearl helps Heidi install a security camera outside of her house and shows her how to use it. Then, they try the new alarm system and it works just fine. Heidi breaks down and sobs so Pearl comforts her and promises that everything will be okay. Next, Pearl runs into Mike and they discuss Heidi. Mike tries to explain his absence last night and says he changed his mind but changed it back. Then, he admits they think Heidi had Brian killed so she could keep his pension. Pearl doesn’t believe that since Heidi made more money than Brian did. Mike warns Pearl that she needs to be careful about Heidi but Pearl believes Heidi is harmless. Mike gets a printout of a news article about Brian’s retirement. He returns to Nikki and tells her that the comments are weird.

All of the comments refer to him as a scab, Judas, and traitor and they were left by the same person. They go inside and approach Clive Armstrong. He left the comments and he stands by them. Mike learns that they grew up together around the area. Clive explains he resigned to protest during the miner’s strike. He hasn’t spoken to his brother in 35 years because their mates were miners. Brian attacked and arrested those individuals. Brian got fast-tracked for a promotion for what he did. Clive admits he is going to Brian’s funeral so he can spit on his grave, but claims he was in the pub on the day Brian was killed. Clive says he didn’t know Heidi well before leaving for the funeral. Mike and Nikki stay around to talk to some of the others and find witnesses willing to say Clive was there when Brian was shot.

The woman behind the counter says Clive was setting the record straight when he left those nasty comments about Brian and that he was speaking for them too. Nikki and Mike watch the pub from outside and wonder whether Clive acted for his community when he killed Brian. The funeral takes place and Heidi gets scared when Clive looks at her. Dolly tells Pearl she is surprised there isn’t a party because Brian was a nasty piece of work. Dolly learns about Brian cheating on Heidi before she says it is disgusting that there are 10 times as many people here for Brian than Vinnie. Pearl steps into the back and finds Charlie (Rohan Nedd) and Ruby (Isobelle Molloy) kissing but she can’t find Dolly anywhere. When Pearl goes searching for Polly, she overhears Heidi telling someone that this has to stop.

She watches from a distance as Clive walks up to Heidi and kisses her. Pearl rushes back to the restaurant and reminds Dolly about Heidi being with her in the cooking class. Dolly tells Pearl how Heidi killed the lobster humanely. Pearl says she is a sweetheart before Dolly reveals that she used a hammer to bash its brains in. Moments later, Pearl changes Mike’s name in her phone to DFL Prick. Then, she unexpectedly gets an intruder alert from Heidi’s place. She calls Heidi and tells her to lock her door before rushing over. They make in and watch the intruder set off the alarm when trying to get inside. Then, he pulls a gun and tries to leave. When the intruder takes off in the opposite direction, Pearl goes after them. The intruder gets away in a vehicle. They meet with Mike and zoom in on the man’s face but nobody recognizes him.

Mike and Nikki believe they remember the name from the reenactment. Heidi is taken to a safe place and Pearl asks Mike if she can have a word with him. When he approaches, Pearl tells him about Heidi having an affair with Clive. They argue about Pearl not telling him sooner and other things before Mike steps outside and joins Nikki. She encourages them to get a room and he admits he messed up and it sucks to be him every day. Nikki checks the card Keith Boyle gave her and finds his website is musketballs.co.uk. She encourages him to dress up and be someone else for the day but Mike rips up the card and throws it down. Mike tells her about the affair and suggests Heidi set up the hit man in her backyard to throw them off of her trail. He tells her to keep an eye on Heidi while he talks to Clive.

When they leave, Pearl gets Keith’s card and visits him. She is invited in and straight downstairs because his mom is likely sleeping in the front room. The whole ordeal is a bit creepy. Keith offers her something to drink she steps away. She looks through his belongings before he returns and asks what she wants to know. She shows him a picture of the man in Heidi’s backyard but he doesn’t recognize him right away. However, he says he archives all of their events so he can show her the pictures and footage. When Mike goes looking for Kid, he finds him on the ground and has an ambulance rush him to the hospital. At the hospital, Nikki tells Mike that the facial recognition results came back so they have a name and address now. The man’s name is Aaron Emperor and he lives in Gravesend. He has a record of petty crimes and Brian arrested him.

She believes he was trying to get revenge on Brian and his family, but Mike says their affair was too much of a coincidence. Nikki says Heidi screamed, cried, and wouldn’t touch her tea when she found out about Kid so she loves him. She was going to leave Brian. While Pearl and Keith watch the archival footage, Mike tries to track down Aaron. The authorities raid Aaron’s flat and discover rifles. Pearl and Keith recreate the shooting scene using little figures. Pearl explains that Brian kept looking in the other direction because the sniper was over there. She calls Mike and tells him what she has found. Mike believes that Brian wasn’t the target. Nikki and other officers try to get a candy machine unstuck and that gives Aaron enough time to sneak past them.

Mike meets with Pearl and says Heidi was the target at first. He believes the hitman followed Heidi and fell in love with her so he killed Brian instead. The man enters the hospital room and tells Heidi he brought her a cup of tea at the reenactment. She doesn’t remember him so he introduces himself as Aaron Emperor. Aaron explains that Brian hired him to hurt her so he shot Brian instead. He wants her to know she is safe before pulling a gun and telling Heidi to get out of the way so he can shoot Clive. Mike busts in, hits Aaron, and arrests him moments later. Mike and Pearl go to the pub that night and celebrate the arrest. She tells him about the plaque being for her father. She tells Mike about her father and how he saved kids struggling at sea once.

Pearl realizes she is making him sound like a hero so Mike says it sounds like her. They chat briefly about Polly possibly having an affair with Vinnie before she goes to the bathroom. Then, Mike gets a message on his phone that says revenge. He laughs and looks at the sketch of Pearl. He hangs the picture on the wall before taking the one of Polly and ripping it in half.

 

Whitstable Pearl Review

I wasn’t impressed with the first two episodes of Whitstable Pearl but I think the third was a remarkable improvement. Don’t get me wrong. It still wasn’t anything spectacular but I suppose the characters are growing on me. At the very least, the episode was more tolerable than the first two.

I appreciate that they’re trying to build a bigger story around Polly and her past. However, the whole hitman scenario was unrealistic so I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of people didn’t like this episode. Could I recommend this show so far? Only to people who have nothing else to watch. It isn’t horrible but I can see why people say it is.

The episode was much better than the first two so I hope it continues improving. It scores a possibly too high 7 out of 10. Previous and future recaps of Whitstable Pearl can be found on Reel Mockery here.