British Network Television
‘Father Brown’: S01.E05. “The Eye of Apollo”
Susie falls under the spell of a charismatic sect leader.
The episode opens with a scene set in the dead of night. Shortly after a truck arrives at a large country house, we find people attired in unusual clothing removing from the vehicle a large trunk with the words “Church of Apollo” clearly visible. These are not the kind of people a certain parish secretary would approve of in her village.
Zuzanna “Susie” Jasinski (Kasia Koleczek), experiencing a nightmare of sorts, awakens to find her bedroom on fire as she had somehow managed to knock her oil lamp over whilst she was sleeping.
This, even though other episodes have similar length opening scenes, is an exceedingly short teaser introduction. Whilst there is nothing about Susie’s bedroom scene that suggests it ties into the episode narrative, there is something clearly ominous about the strangely clothed individuals.
When it comes to anyone that doesn’t share her beliefs, obviously the most narrow-minded character in the series, Mrs Bridgette McCarthy (Sorcha Cusack) typically jumps to the erroneous conclusion they must be Satanists. Something else Mrs McCarthy has frequently demonstrated is her lack of respect for Susie.
Referring to someone as being a “stupid girl,” no matter the circumstances, is not something a good Christian or Catholic woman would do. Mrs McCarthy would know this if she bothered to live the life she preaches to other Kembleford residents. Exemplifying this point, noting how Mrs McCarthy berates Susie for accidentally knocks over her work, the parish secretary often demonstrates an un-Catholic attitude. Shouldn’t someone remind Mrs McCarthy that it was her that caused the accident?
It was Mrs McCarthy, because of her haste to get out the door, that caused Susie to loose her balance. Naturally, with Mrs McCarthy being Mrs McCarthy, she hardly ever takes responsibility for her own actions. Father Brown (Mark Williams), not immediately speaking to her about her conduct, has obviously become accustomed to the parish secretary’s behaviour.
The Catholic priest, noticing the housekeeper’s distress, does however take a comment to speak with Susie. Susie, seemingly more than a tad blustered, states that she is fine. Whilst Father Brown knows there is something worrying Susie, with no time to push the issue, he follows after the parish secretary. Sidney “Sid” Carter (Alex Price) is far too busy to stay with Susie at the presbytery.
Soon thereafter, somewhere in Kembleford, we find a group of interestingly attired people entertaining village residents. There is a series of paintings showing the sun at various points in a sunrise setting. If the paintings were arranged in the opposite order, something which could easily be done, the series would depict a sunset.
It doesn’t take long for Father Brown and Mrs McCarthy. Not surprisingly, given Mrs McCarthy’s track record, it doesn’t take her long to express disrespectful thoughts. One can’t help but wonder if Mrs McCarthy understands, from an external perspective, the garments worn by cardinals, bishops, priests, and deacons might seem strange.
Further to her comment pertaining to their clothing, Mrs McCarthy questions the validity of the music being played. She is nowhere near as worldly as Father Brown.
When Father Brown suggests to Mrs McCarthy that she try to keep an open mind, noting how well he knows the parish secretary, one wonders if the Catholic priest actually knows her true colours. Mrs McCarthy’s facial expression, when directed to keep an open mind, suggests it isn’t going to come easily to her as she has never demonstrated that ability.
Kalon (Michael Maloney), the founder of the Church of Apollo, arrives to a sceptical reception. In a powerfully expressive description of his wartime experiences, something that Father Brown can relate to on a personal level, Kalon speaks of his spiritual awakening. Kalon, in his wartime recollections, speaks of having been struck by a sniper’s bullet.
As Kalon continues to express his thoughts, somewhere behind the gathering, we find Susie arriving. He speaks of the knowledge of millennia having been delivered into his brain. Kalon speaks in concepts, themes, and motifs that leaves many Kembleford residents baffled, boggled, and bewildered.
Facial expressions, as anyone that has ever studied FACS (Facial Action Coding System) will know, tells a lot about people and their true feelings towards something and or someone.
Whilst Father Brown’s facial expression suggests an openness towards what Kalon expresses, the same can’t be said for either Mrs McCarthy or Susie. Mrs McCarthy’s smile, if you can call it a smile, seems forced. Susie’s facial expression indicates an overwhelming degree of emotional confusion.
Mrs McCarthy, finally having noticed Susie’s presence, is angry that she should take the time to attend the gathering. The parish secretary, feeling the housekeeper has not yet competed set tasks, tells Father Brown that she will be having words with Susie.
Susie is welcomed by Kalon. It is this scene, for the first time in the series, where were learn Susie’s real name. Whilst residents call her Susie, possibly because it’s easy to pronounce, we learn her true name is Zuzanna Jasinski. Kalon speaks of the astral spirits being with them today. There are momentary glimpses of Father Brown leaning forwards in an effort to hear what is said.
Kalon speaks to Susie of her parents and their importance to her in her life. All the time, throughout the event, we see the scene move back and forth from what Kalon is doing to the audience. Father Brown’s openness, compared with Mrs McCarthy’s narrow-mindedness, is startlingly transparent.
Giving the situation careful thought, not completely convinced Kalon is a charlatan, Father Brown points to the church founder having used Barnum-like statements, cold reasoning, a few high probability deductions, and the power of suggestion.
The Catholic priest suggests Kalon either is a charlatan or he sincerely believes he possesses a gift. We know, because of Mrs McCarthy’s world being more black and white, which direction the parish secretary leans. Correctly noting how many things are possible, in Kalon’s presence, the Catholic priest points to probabilities.
Father Brown, thinking there is a price tag that comes with joining Kalon’s order, discovers there is no fee. Kalon doesn’t do what he does for monetary gain. Throughout their brief conversation, noting no implied animosity, there is a sense of uneasy between them which suggests an imminent clash of titans.
Later, as Susie sits alone in her bedroom, we learn the fire cost her images of her parents. Will Susie turn to the Church of Apollo for guidance rather than Father Brown?
The following morning, attending the Greeting of the Sun ceremony, we see Susie become part of Kalon’s church. The sun rises on a grateful flock.
Meanwhile, in the presbytery kitchen, we find Father Brown being berated by Mrs McCarthy for seemingly playing with his food. The parish secretary is once again annoyed with Susie because of her tardiness. Hearing the door open behind her, ready to give Susie a piece of her mind, Mrs McCarthy comes face to face with a frantic Sid. He reports Susie has gone.
Elsewhere, at the Church of Apollo, Dominique Baxter (Camilla Power) and Adam Watkins (Ben Starr) conversing. Adam, seen earlier in the episode, is having difficulty focusing on spiritual matters. He still feels the prolonged sting of war and the memories that those feelings bring with them.
Adam, in referencing a few women’s names to Dominique, believes Kalon is a man of low moral character. Kalon’s brief interactions with Susie suggest that there could be something to Adam’s words.
Is Adam merely angry because he isn’t recovering at a pace pleasing to him or is there something more going on under the surface? The way Kalon looks at Susie hasn’t escaped Adam’s attention.
Nearby, at the church entry, Kalon confronted by Father Brown and Sid. They want to know if Susie is with him at the Church of Apollo. Father Brown and Sid are told, after Susie’s initiation, they are welcome to return. It looks like, for the moment, both Father Brown and Sid have been left out in the cold.
Sid suggests to Father Brown that they break into the church and whisk Susie away from there so that they can talk some sense into her. Whilst Sid believes the plan is brilliant, Father Brown correctly notes that kidnapping would be a more accurate description. The Catholic priest isn’t wrong. Taking Susie away from the church, considering it would be against her will, would be kidnapping.
Father Brown, having experienced a moment of inspiration, finds a way into the church’s garden. Climbing over the garden wall, with the gate locked, was the only way for the Catholic priest to gain entry to the property. All he desires is a word with Susie. There is no harm talking if talking is all that is required.
Susie, wanting the Catholic priest to leave the property, isn’t amused with Father Brown’s gymnastics. During their conversation, mainly off-camera, Father Brown tries to avoid referring to Kalon’s people as being barmy. He fails miserably. Susie already believes Kalon is a great man with a special gift.
Elsewhere, noting there is something suspiciously wrong, we find Dominique in a state of confusion. She frantically bathes her hands. As she does so, noting the presence of a red substance being washed away, there could be cause for concern. Is this red paint from the paintbrush Adam was holding earlier or is it blood? Whilst there is nothing to suggest the presence of blood on her hands, the likelihood of it being anything other than paint is slim.
Kalon, not happy to see Father Brown with Susie, asks the Catholic priest to leave the property. Before either of then can further their conversation, from nearby, a woman’s screams can be heard emanating from the residence.
Kalon immediately recognises the screams as those coming from Dominique. Father Brown and Kalon rush to her aid. Finding the door locked, Kalon directs Father Brown to where he might find a spare key. It doesn’t take long for Father Brown to locate the key.
Before they can gain entry to the room, noting how there was apparently no one in the room with her, it looks like Dominique jumped to her death from an open window.
The scene transitions to Father Brown kneeling by Dominique as a police photographer takes images of the scene. Referring to it as a crime scene, since it doesn’t look like a murder was committed, might be a tad premature.
Inspector Valentine (Hugo Speer), likely having arrived on the scene around the same time as the police photographer, puts a series of questions to Kalon. Kalon, in no real mood to address the police inspector’s questions, finds the situation difficult. The grief in his facial expression is readily apparent.
Whilst it seems like a throwaway line, something which doesn’t completely register with everyone at the time Inspector Valentine comments on how a five lever mortise lock is practically unbreakable. This might be important later in the episode.
An examination of Dominique’s private bathroom turns up traces of red paint in the washbasin and blood on the door frame. Adam hovering around the bedroom door suggests there is something he has on his mind. He locks Father Brown, Inspector Valentine, and Kalon in the bedroom before any of them realise what’s happening.
Inspector Valentine, despite Father Brown’s reservations, immediately concludes Adam killed Dominique. The police inspector calls from the open window to have a policeman unlock the door from the outside.
Soon thereafter, now out of the bedroom, we find Susie rush to Kalon. There is an eerie sound that suggests something wicked this way comes. Kalon tells Susie that Dominique is in the light and that he can see her. He indicates to Susie that Dominique forgives him for something. What did Kalon do which would warrant forgiveness?
Meanwhile, elsewhere on the property, we find Adam being handcuffed. Nearby, with a somewhat pleased facial expression, Inspector Valentine watches the arrest occur before personally taking Adam to the police car.
Father Brown, even with Kalon correctly notes they were together when Dominique died, remains surprisingly silent. There is something about the incident which doesn’t sit well with the Catholic priest.
There is a theatrical element to the murder which suggests a mystery of smoke and mirrors. Kalon, except for when he sent Father Brown to retrieve the spare key, was with the Catholic priest the entire time. How long will it take Father Brown to recall this fact?
Father Brown believes Kalon killed Dominique because she stood in his way of communing with the ancients. There is however one minor problem. At this point in the episode, something that deeply perplexes the Catholic priest, he is yet to figure out how the sect leader could have executed the crime. Ordered to get off Kalon’s property, with no other course of action open to him, Father Brown complies.
Father Brown returns to the presbytery with Sid. Mrs McCarthy is in the kitchen and greets them on their arrival. The Catholic priest babbles to himself about something the police inspector commented on before entering Dominique’s bedroom.
The bedroom door, as Inspector Valentine correctly observed before entering the room, is equipped with a five lever mortise lock. Father Brown, as he continues to mumble to himself, recalls Inspector Valentine saying the lock is is practically unbreakable. Neither Sid nor Mrs McCarthy have any idea what Father Brown is talking about because they didn’t see what the Catholic priest saw.
Mrs McCarthy tries and fails to interest Father Brown in a nice shepherd’s pie. When it comes to mysteries, as series fans will know, Father Brown is like a dog with a bone. The Catholic priest’s mind is far too fixated on the murder to care about food. Father Brown, accompanied by Sid, returns to Kalon’s church.
Meanwhile, at the church, we find Kalon preparing Susie for her induction ceremony. Susie, in her new robes, looks amazing. It looks like Kalon intends to have Susie take Dominique’s place at his side. This becomes increasingly obvious when Kalon places around Susie’s neck a necklace Dominique wore during her own initiation.
Father Brown and Sid, having arrived back at the church, don’t initially find anything untoward. All documents suggest everything is above board. Noticing there is a flurry of activity in a nearby corridor, as Father Brown and Sid observe the comings and goings, they see Susie making her way out of the building. Surprised to see them there, Susie tells them they need to leave before Kalon discovers their presence.
Even though there were no documents showing, seeing how there is a collection of images featuring women in varying states of undress, Kalon is apparently a keen photographer. Where these photographs taken by Kalon or where these images the work of another individual?
Susie doesn’t believe either Father Brown or Sid because she believes they only see whatever it is that supports their personal beliefs. Perception is key to understanding every aspect of life. Seeing isn’t always believing. When Father Brown tells Susie that Kalon and his followers are leaving Kembleford, this doesn’t come as a surprise because she is planning to leave with them.
With Inspector Valentine charging Adam with the murder, something that doesn’t sit well with Father Brown, Kalon and his followers are free to leave Kembleford as soon as their affairs are in order. Susie bids Father Brown farewell and he leaves the building with Sid.
For the second time this episode, after finding himself on the wrong side of the garden wall, we see Father Brown climbing over it as if he were a much younger gymnast. This time, noting how he is with Sid, the driver accompanies the Catholic priest. By the time they return to the building, the ceremony is in full swing. Is there any way for Father Brown to intercede in the proceedings?
Father Brown and Sid take their concerns to Inspector Valentine at Kembleford Police Station. The police inspector, noting how it looks like Susie has found her calling, doesn’t see how it is a police issue. The Catholic priest believes Susie is under the influence of a deeply disturbed man.
Whilst there is nothing Inspector Valentine can do legally, understanding how he knows Father Brown has always had his parishioner's best interests at heart, he finds a way to assist the Catholic priest. Leaving a file in plain view on his desk, the police inspector decides it is time for a cup of coffee and leaves the room. He obviously knows Father Brown will read the file.
The file shows Kalon wasn’t lying about his war injury. He received a bullet wound to the head. There are references to paranoid delusions. Father Brown, after taking a newspaper clipping from the file, decides he needs to speak with Kalon. What could this newspaper clipping relate to?
When Father Brown and Sid arrive back at the church, noting the entrance way left open, they initially believe themselves too late. Father Brown, having seen a set of keys dangling from the lock, recognises they could be in time to save Susie from a grave mistake. The Catholic priest confronts Kalon in the sanctuary. Instead of focusing on method, we hear Father Brown detail Kolan’s motive for killing Dominique.
Kalon, in an earlier confrontation with Dominique, hit her with his staff. Dragging her body to the bathroom, thinking she was dead, Dominique’s later screams must have surprised him greatly.
Father Brown correctly observes the only reason we believed the bedroom door was locked is that Kalon gave us that impression. The bedroom door, when Kalon and Father Brown arrived, wasn’t actually locked.
Kalon, with him having Father Brown retrieve the spare key, had all the time he needed to cover his tracks. He entered the bedroom, tossed Dominique out of the open window, and exited the room before Father Brown returned.
When Kalon made it appear he was unlocking the door, something that didn’t occur to us at the time, the sound of an unlocking door was curiously absent.
Father Brown, having placed the news paper clipping in front of Kalon, reveals he knows the truth pertaining to his miraculous recovery. Kalon collapses in front of Father Brown.
Adam is released from the police station. Susie, clinging to her half burned photographs, is comforted by Father Brown. Father Brown suggests to Susie that she keep her parents in her heart and if there comes a time where she needs to talk, he will always be there.
The episode ends Mrs McCarthy, accompanied by Sid, bringing to Father Brown and Susie a plate filled with her award winning scones. When Sid suggests to Mrs McCarthy that recipe was stolen from another Kembleford resident, a rumour confirmed by Susie, the parish secretary takes back her scones.
