British Network Television
‘Father Brown’: S01.E04. “The Man in the Tree”
Lady Felicia, fallen from a passing train on a nearby viaduct, finds a man in a tree
This first series episode opens with Lady Felicia Montague (Nancy Carroll), intending to paint possibly a landscape scene, here’s the sound of a man groaning. Before anyone goes there, not that some of my readers wouldn’t do that, there is no sexual element in this scenario.
Lady Felicia, as she investigates the peculiar sound, feels something wet fall onto her face. It’s blood. There is a man oddly positioned in a tree as if her had fallen from an aircraft. Him having fallen from an aircraft is obviously a logical explanation for his predicament. As we soon discover, with there being a train viaduct nearby, the reason for his situation becomes readily apparent.
Immediately after the opening credits, seeing a train pull into the Kembleford Train Station, we see Father Brown (Mark Williams) and Mrs Bridgette McCarthy (Sorcha Cusack) waiting on a passenger to disembark. It turns out that they are waiting for Father Franc (Rod Hallett).
Father Brown conveys Bishop Talbot (Malcolm Storry) to Father Franc for him not being able to meet him when he arrived at the train station. A diocesan matter arose which required Bishop Talbot’s attention.
Mrs McCarthy, not the most tactful of individuals within Father Brown’s parish, immediately references the Second World War. She should understand, even though the war remained a painful memory for many people, not all Germans were responsible for what occurred during the conflict. Father Franc’s obvious youthfulness suggests he would have been only a child when the conflict occurred.
Blaming all Germans for the Second World War would be like blaming all Catholics for the Inquisitions. Tarring everyone with the same brush has historically never accomplished anything.
When asked about the coming Sunday service, whether he was excited to deliver the sermon, Father Franc is momentarily distracted. The cause of his distraction becomes evident when we see policemen extracting the man from out of the tree. Inspector Valentine (Hugo Speer) is taking a statement from Lady Felicia.
Inspector Valentine, not thrilled to see Father Brown and Mrs McCarthy at his crime scene, essentially tells them to be on their way. Father Brown is directed to take his “colleague” with him. What do you expect? the police inspector is hardly every pleased to see Father Brown at the best of times. Inspector Valentine, even though he’d never admit it, knows Father Brown is possesses exceptional detective skills.
Annie Mace (Katherine Dow Blyton), having recently been released from prison, attends Father Brown’s mass. Mrs McCarthy, even though Father Brown recognising her lack of opportunity, doesn’t like Miss Mace because of her apparent “bad manners.”
Whilst having a lack of opportunity isn’t an excuse for bad manners, something Lady Felicia quickly observes, it does explain her prostitution. Something tells me Father Brown, despite Lady Felicia’s comment, was trying to avoid the use of the word “prostitution.”
We had seen Miss Mace, even though her presence might have escaped our attention, disembark the same train Father Franc was used for his journey into Kembleford. Noting how nothing seen in Father Brown episodes is there by happenstance, something that always plays into the narrative, we should have known Miss Mace would be pivotal to the episode story.
Father Franc, even though he wasn’t personally responsible for the war, receives a lukewarm reception from Father Brown’s parishioners. Zuzanna “Susie” Jasinski (Kasia Koleczek), a Polish immigrant, isn’t happy with Father Brown for allowing Father Franc to stay with him at the presbytery.
Inspector Valentine, accompanied by Sergeant Albright (Keith Osborn), takes a moment to speak with Sidney “Sid” Carter (Alex Price) regarding the individual that fell from the train viaduct. The police inspector shows Lady Felicia’s chauffeur a sketch of the gentleman in question. this conversation doesn’t escape Father Brown’s attention as he is standing only a few feet away.
The police inspector doesn’t want Father Brown, noting how Inspector Valentine directs the Catholic priest to “keep out,” involved with his investigation. It seems, given how long Inspector Valentine has known Father Brown, the police inspector holds a forlorn hope.
The next time we find Father Brown and Mrs McCarthy together, at the local hospital, she is arrange flowers she has bought for the hospitalised gentleman. Mrs McCarthy, after Father Brown refers to her as being a good Samaritan, acknowledges it is “a parable” she holds dear.
Father Brown detects an aroma emanating from the patient which immediately makes him think of Miss Mace. Mrs McCarthy’s attitude towards Miss Mace, with it being obviously lukewarm, is anything but good Samaritan-like. The parish secretary might want to consider rereading her religious text. It might point her towards a more enlightened perspective.
Elsewhere, at the presbytery, Susie and Sid enjoy a moment of pleasantness. With Father Franc’s arrival in the kitchen, noting how she feels about Germans, causes Susie’s joy to disappear. Sid suggests to Susie that she visit with Miss Mace. Father Franc, noting Susie’s discomfort whenever he’s near, is obviously impacted her her negativity towards him.
Before leaving, possibly because he doesn’t want trouble in the household, Sid suggests to Father Franc that he stay out of Susie’s way. Father Franc, other than being German, has done nothing to Susie to cause her animosity. Her animosity becomes increasingly clear when Father Franc enquires about her Polish heritage.
Meanwhile, at Kembleford Police Station, we find Inspector Valentine questioning Miss Mace. Even though she had possessed a third class train ticket, based on a conversation seen earlier in the episode, Miss Mace had been witnessed exiting a first class carriage compartment in a state of distress. Miss Mace and Inspector Valentine, mainly because of her illegal proclivities, have a certain history.
Inspector Valentine’s conversation with Miss Mace is interrupted when Sgt Albright informs him that his weekly visitor is in the building. Whilst many of us immediately conclude it must be Father Brown, an individual that causes the police inspector no end of annoyance, we soon discover that assumption is erroneous.
Christy Nolan (Steffan Rhodri), having been on the train earlier that day, claims he possesses information the police inspector might find useful. Miss Mace, according to Mr Nolan, never left the third class carriage. Is Mr Nolan telling Inspector Valentine the truth or is he proving Miss Mace with an unfounded alibi?
Elsewhere, at Lady Felicia’s residence, we see a garden party in full swing. Father Brown and Mrs McCarthy are naturally attending the event as it is to honour Father Franc’s visit to Kembleford. It’s surprising Susie, considering her animosity towards Father Franc, would show up at the event.
Mrs McCarthy speaks of the hospitalised gentleman, apparently a “good Christian man,” as if she’s known him for years. What could possibly make Mrs McCarthy believe him a good Christian man?
Not surprisingly, whenever Miss Mace’s named is referenced, there is only condemnation heard coming from the parish secretary’s mouth. There is no sign of that Samaritan charity which was referenced earlier in the episode. Mrs McCarthy, despite her apparent commitment to so-called Catholic values, could turn milk sour with a single stare.
Remembering how Mr Nolan told Inspector Valentine that Miss Mace never left her seat in the third class carriage, something that didn’t seem quite right, there is an exchange between them that indicates it was a lie.
Lady Felicia formally introduces Father Franc to the assembled guests. There is an obvious chill in the air. Set in the earlier to mid-1950’s, this Father Brown episode is set less than a decade after the Second World War in Europe ended. There are cold piercing stares which could be cut with a butter knife.
Mrs McCarthy, seemingly forgetting how both sides saw cities bombed, momentarily references comment Coventry. She conveniently forgets what happened to such German towns and cities as Wilhelmshaven, Dresden, Munich, Dessau, and Hildesheim.
Sid takes a moment to speak with Susie at the event. No matter how hard Father Franc tries, something which complete goes unnoticed by various Kembleford residents, there is nothing the German Catholic priest can do to convince them of his sincerity. Father Franc, after seeing Susie cut her hand on a broken drinking glass, insists on cleaning the injury.
Inspector Valentine and Sgt Albright, with questions for Sid, arrives at the event. The police inspector wants to know why it is his account of what occurred differs greatly from one referenced by Mr Nolan. It doesn’t take long for Inspector Valentine to notice Sid’s new motorcycle. The motorcycle isn’t something someone like Sid, especially given his employment, would be able to afford.
Mr Nolan’s quick exit from the event doesn’t go unnoticed by Father Brown. The police inspector, far too busy addressing his questions to Sid, didn’t notice Mr Nolan bolting from the scene. Once again, we hear Inspector Valentine telling Father Brown to keep his distance from the investigation.
Elsewhere, in Lady Felicia’s garden, we see Father Franc equipped with a bowl of water ready to clean Susie’s injury. Susie, even though Father Franc is only trying to help her, doesn’t want it from him. She, like other Kembleford residents, is unable to get past him being German.
Later, outside the Kembleford Post Office, we see Father Brown conversing with Sid as he pushes his new motorcycle up the hill. Father Brown wants to know if he has done anything which would cause Mr Nolan to counter his statement with one of his own.
Shortly thereafter, noting Inspector Valentine’s ever increasing presence, we see Father Brown having a quiet word with Mr Nolan. Mr Nolan is the kind of person that still employs a horse and cart to conduct business. There are references to him having said he was asleep on the train the entire time.
When Miss Mace’s name is referenced, even though evidence contradicts his statement, Mr Nolan speaks of himself as being “a Christian man” that has never once spoken to that woman. It seems Mr Nolan, because of his obvious lies, prefers to read a cherry-picked religious text. The same could possibly be said for a lot of Kembleford residents.
The next time we see Miss mace, as she examines clear bruising on her arm, there is a knock at her door. Unsurprisingly, noting how he gets everywhere eventually, it’s Father Brown that’s come calling. The Catholic priest has with him a few previsions for Miss Mace.
Father Brown kind of invites himself to tea. This is something he does regularly in order to get his foot in the door. Miss mace, not wanting him to ask her anymore stupid questions, allows the Catholic priest to enter her residence.
The next time we return to the presbytery, as Susie cleans the floor, we find Father Franc continually trying to please her with good deeds. Once again, despite her previous objections, Father Franc renders first aid to Susie. She refuses to share a joke with the German Catholic priest.
Elsewhere, closely examining a first outside Sid’s caravan, we see Inspector Valentine seemingly looking for the hospitalised gentleman’s clothing. There is no indication whether the police have made headway identifying the injured gentleman.
Inspector Valentine believes Sid robbed the hospitalised gentleman before stripping him of his clothing and pushing him from the train as it past over the viaduct. Sid, even though he has been given an opportunity to come clean, wouldn’t know the truth even if it bit him on the arse. Because the police inspector doesn’t have with him a warrant, Sid bars entry to his caravan. No warrant. No search.
Returning to Miss Mace’s residence, as Father Brown works on fixing the plumbing issue, a few details come to light which suggests something seriously strange is afoot in Kembleford.
Considering how it is always alleged pillars of the community that frequent prostitutes, ones that angrily proclaim their innocence, Father Brown shouldn’t be surprised which men visit Miss Mace from time to time. They, even though these men partake of her services, are frequently the ones that speak of Miss Mace as being the lowest of the low. The hypocrisy of certain Kembleford residents speaks volumes.
Meanwhile, at the hospital, Mrs McCarthy visits with the injured gentleman. The gentleman receives another visitor. Mrs McCarthy, not wanting anyone bothering the gentleman, pushes Lady Felicia from she can even place on foot in the room. Lady Felicia has with her an arrangement of flowers and a copy of D. H. Lawrence’s Lady Chatterley’s Lover.
Mrs McCarthy, not interested in Lady Felicia’s literary preferences, would rather she read from a religious text. Anyone that hasn’t read Lady Chatterley’s Lover, Mrs McCarthy included, wouldn’t know a good book even if it were tossed at their heads.
Whilst Mrs McCarthy and Lady Felicia argue, in an off-camera incident, something happens to the gentleman which warrants concern. Noting the gentleman’s choking, Mrs McCarthy directs Lady Felicia to call for a doctor.
Elsewhere, somewhere in Kembleford, we see Father Brown cycling towards the hospital. With both Inspector Valentine and Sgt Albright having arrived on the scene, noting his clear lack of interest, Mrs McCarthy tries to tell the police inspector what occurred.
No one but the police inspector believes it was Sid that attacked the gentleman. Whilst there are no doubts one can frequently lead a horse to water, there is no denying making that horse drink is sometimes an impossible task. This is how it feels with Inspector Valentine.
Inspector Valentine has no real interest in following up on the leads Father Brown has for him because the case revolves around a nameless victim. If the hospitalised gentleman had been identified, something which doesn’t occur until much later in the episode, Inspector Valentine would likely be covering it. The police inspector gives in when Lady Felicia gives him a piece of her mind. That is something most people would rather avoid at all cost.
There is a confrontation between Sid and Mr Nolan everyone should have seen coming. Mr Nolan keeps referring to himself as “a Christian man.” Considering the numerous lies Mr Nolan has expressed throughout this episode, it is clear he needs to reread his religious text. He lies incessantly.
Their confrontation is observed by Inspector Valentine. The police inspector, mainly because of his bias views, arrests Sid for causing a breach of the piece. Even though Mr Nolan was involved in the fracas, also because of his bias, Inspector Valentine doesn’t purse charges against him.
Father Franc visits with the gentleman at the hospital. Mrs McCarthy is still there. Noting how Mrs McCarthy seems a tad tired, Father Franc suggests she might want to return home and rest. Whilst the suggestion is recognised, she remains where she is for a little while longer. Mrs McCarthy tells Father Franc that Susie’s issue with the Germans stems from her father having died during the war.
Meanwhile, at Sid’s caravan, the local police conduct a search. The search, to Inspector Valentine’s chagrin, yields only a pawn ticket. The police inspector wonders what it is Sid would have of value to pawn. It’s not as if he lives in a caravan.
Seated on a grass verge, we find Father Brown waiting for Mr Nolan to happen by. Father Brown, with a painting of Saint Michael, apparently wants to sell it to Mr Nolan. What could the Catholic priest be trying to tell us with this painting? Father Brown doesn’t do anything in half measures.
Father Brown, correctly noting how many of the saints led scandalous lives, tells Mr Nolan it was only when their lives were most burdened did they have the grace to turn their lives around. This particular Catholic priest, as Father Brown fans will testify, is as subtle as a sledgehammer.
It is here that Father Brown suggests to Mr Nolan, in his loneliness, he may have sought company with a certain woman. Not wanting to address Father Brown’s questions, because the police inspector told him to call if the Catholic priest were to bother him, he took to the local telephone box. Mr Nolan considers being harassed by Father Brown an emergency.
Father Franc tells Susie of the many friends and family he lost during the war. He notes that the ones that survived, some of which are his friends and family members, are hated by everyone. Susie, even though she doesn’t like to hate, can’t bring herself to pretend nothing happened. Father Franc believes they can stop war memories killing what is good in all of them. Both Susie and Father Franc find common ground in missing their respective family members.
The next time we return to the Kembleford Police Station, we find Inspector Valentine having retrieved an object from the local pawn brokers. It is covered in fingerprints belonging to both Sid and the hospitalised gentleman. The police inspector arrests Sid for attempted murder.
Nearby, also in the police station, Father Brown is being berated for apparently harassing Mr Nolan. Mr Nolan, even though he has continuously proven himself untrustworthy, remains in Inspector Valentine’s good graces. The police inspector’s words seems to fall on deaf ears.
Father Brown, returning home to the presbytery, finds Susie waiting for him. She wants to know Sid’s whereabouts. Susie makes a reference to Miss Mace having a boyfriend. This talk of a boyfriend sparks a flicker on insight in Father Brown’s mind. Consequently, because of this, Father Brown needs to speak with Mrs McCarthy.
Mrs McCarthy, repeatedly expressing animosity towards the German Catholic priest, refers to the Father Franc led mass as being a “fiasco.” Susie and Mrs McCarthy, respective of Miss Mace and Mr Nolan, talk them into going to the presbytery for a spot of tea.
Father Franc, regardless of what he says during mass, is hardly likely to win over Mrs McCarthy. Despite Susie’s initial coldness towards Father Franc, with them having come to an understanding, there is a clear acceptance between them.
Father Brown confronts Miss Mace and Mr Nolan about their lies. It is here, after Miss mace refers to someone as having “standing,” that Father Brown connects certain dots which points him towards Father Franc. The person masquerading as Father Franc, through this entire episode, is revealed a fraud. The real Father Franc is the gentleman at the hospital.
Father Franc escapes the church grounds on a bicycle. Father Brown, also on a bicycle, gives chase. Bicycle chases, relatively speaking, is the closest Father Brown comes to a car chase in this first series.
Wanting to know his true identity, Father Brown confronts the fake Father Franc at the hospital. He reveals himself as Wilhelm (Rod Hallett). Wilhelm, formally a doctor, is every bit a victim of the Nazi regime as Susie or anyone else that lost family members during the war. He sees this Father Franc as a war criminal. He slaughtered Wilhelm’s family.
Father Franc, before hiding himself within the priesthood, was Franz Prepffler (Jonathan Sidgwick). Who wants to tells Mrs McCarthy she was comforting a war criminal? It was Wilhelm, after bashing Prepffler’s head against the train window, tossed the war criminal from the train as it passed over the viaduct. Father Brown buys Wilhelm enough time to escape capture. Prepffler is detained in an off-camera scene.
The episode closes with Mr Nolan and Miss Mace revealing their relationship to the rest of the village. Neither of Mr Nolan nor Miss Mace care what the other Kembleford residents think of them.
