British Network Television
‘Father Brown’: S02.E05. “The Mysteries of the Rosary”
Professor Ambrose is abducted after sending Father Brown an ancient prayer book
Professor Hilary Ambrose (James Laurenson), after placing a pack addressed to Father Brown (Mark Williams) in a Royal Mail Box, discovers his home ransacked.
Hearing the sound of a classical piece being played on his record player, knowing he hadn’t left it playing on his departure from his residence, the professor knew there must be someone in his home. Soon thereafter, caught off guard, the professor is knocked out with a chloroformed rag and is subsequently kidnapped.
Meanwhile, at Kembleford’s Montague House, we find Father Brown, Mrs Bridgette McCarthy (Sorcha Cusack), Lady Felicia Montague (Nancy Carroll), and several other villagers witnessing Bishop Talbot (Malcolm Storry) praising Father Ignatius (Anton Lesser) for his devout duty to the Catholic Church. Father Ignatius, recognised by the bishop for his tireless efforts, is elevated to Monsignor.
Sidney “Sid” Carter (Alex Price), not amused by Bishop Talbot’s seemingly endless speech, was glad to see it end. Father Brown, naturally, is somewhat more generous to the bishop. Despite his initial generous, with more than a modicum of annoyance in his voice, Father Brown states that he’s surprised Reverend Father Ignatius isn’t wearing a halo. It doesn’t look like Father Brown cares that much for Reverend Father Ignatius.
Momentarily, as Lady Felicia speaks with Reverend Father Ignatius, it becomes evident the newly elevated Monsignor isn’t feeling well. He quickly finds himself exasperated when chastising nearby wayward children for their behaviour.
Bishop Talbot, noting Professor Ambrose is absent from the event, speaks to Father Brown regarding the Lannington Rosary. The rosary, a holy relic missing for 500 years, is believed to be bestowed with healing powers.
The bishop, feeling the professor is foolish to seek the legendary rosary, suggests to Father Brown that “there is no fool like an old fool.” Whilst it is evident Father Brown agrees with the phrasing, as the bishop walks away, it becomes clear the Catholic priest was thinking of Bishop Talbot as being the old fool. He’s not wrong.
Father Brown, concerned about Professor Ambrose’s whereabouts, pays a visit to his residence. Upon his arrival at the professor’s home, someone he wasn’t expecting to find, Father Brown and Sid run into Inspector Sullivan (Tom Chambers).
It turns out that a neighbour had reported the professor missing. The police inspector’s reference to the professor as being a “queer fish,” even though he is somewhat eccentric, isn’t taken kindly by the Catholic priest.
The Catholic priest, before entering the professor’s residence, noticeably finds a cigarette butt left at the doorway. This piece of evidence, seemingly ambiguous to the police inspector, went unnoticed by both Inspector Sullivan and Sgt Albright (Keith Osborn). What are the chances this cigarette butt comes from a French brand?
The police inspector’s attitude towards Sid, not that he knows Lady Felicia’s chauffeur, suggests more than a modicum of disrespect. Sgt Albright seems to have a similar attitude towards Sid.
Inspector Sullivan initially suggests to Father Brown that the professor could have simply taken a spontaneous holiday. The condition of the house, noting how the place had been ransacked, could have been the result of a thief breaking in.
Father Brown, never one to not reference the obvious, quickly points out that nothing of any real value has been taken from Professor Anbrose’s home. It doesn’t take long for Father Brown to locate the chloroform rag that was used to subdue the professor.
Later, at St Mary’s Catholic Church, we find Father Brown discussing the professor’s whereabouts with Sid when Mrs McCarthy enters with a package for the priest. The package, sent from Professor Ambrose, contains Lysette Penhallick’s prayer book. Penhallick, as Father Brown correctly observes, believes Penhallick was the last owner of the Lannington Rosary.
Convinced that someone was after the book, not wanting it to fall into the wrong hands, Professor Ambrose entrusted safe keeping to Father Brown. The professor, understanding the Catholic priest possesses significant investigatory skills, seemingly believed Father Brown capable of locating the rosary. The book featuring clues to its location.
Father Brown brings his concerns and a letter he received to Inspector Sullivan’s attention. The police inspector doesn’t seem to take the priest seriously. Soon thereafter, with Inspector Sullivan having taken the letter as evidence, Reverend Father Ignatius makes his presence known to his Catholic colleague.
It is evident from Reverend Father Ignatius’s tone that he doesn’t like Father Brown trying to tell the police inspector how to do his job. If Inspector Sullivan possessed a quarter of Father Brown’s investigative skill, there would be no need for the catholic priest to become involved with such matters. There is a brief reference to Reverend Father Ignatius’s health which suggests there are hopes the existence of this rosary is something more than rumour.
Father Brown, with Sid’s assistance, decides to follow the first clue the professor left. Investigating the shine at Lannington is a logical step as it is there that Lysette reportedly saw the Virgin Mary. Father Brown, at the shine, is attacked by a young man demanding the book. The attacker is scared off by an unlikely saviour: Hercule Flambeau (John Light).
Sid immediately jumps to the erroneous conclusion Hercule must have taken Professor Ambrose because he wants the rosary. Whilst there is no denying the French thief possesses more than a modicum of interest in the rosary, knowing his styles, kidnapping someone to retrieve previous artefacts is beneath him. Hercule claims to have been hired by the Catholic Church to recover the rosary. Father Brown questions the validity of Hercule’s claim.
The second prayer in the book, embellished with two roses, takes Father Brown and Hercule towards the second stop on their treasure hunt. Hercule, as Father reads from the book, finds hidden behind overgrown ivy, an imprint of Lysette Penhallick’s rosary necklace. Where is the second clue?
The next time we see Father Brown, Sid, and Hercule together, they are at a local pub. Hercule quickly pours a white powder into Sid’s pint when he turns his back. Sid, completely oblivious to Hercule’s actions, finishes his drink in absolute ignorance to the fact he will soon feel the need for a nap.
Father Brown, conversing with Mrs McCarthy via a telephone call, learns the clue left at the shrine points them towards the Penhallick family. Lady Verity Penhallick (Sylvestra Le Touzel), the sole surviving member of the family, resides in Tibberton.
Father Brown and Sid, staying at the same hotel as Hercule, are forced to share a four poster bed because it was apparently the last room the establishment had vacant.
Elsewhere, suffering a seizure, Reverend Father Ignatius sees a vision of the Virgin Mary. He collapses to the floor.
Meanwhile, in an undisclosed location, we find Professor Ambrose tied to a chair. The same thug that attacked Father Brown earlier in the episode is the one holding the professor captive.
The following morning, finding himself incapacitated, Sid stays at the hotel. It quickly turns out, instead of the powder being a sleeping agent, Hercule had actually spiked Sid’s drink with a laxative. Consequently, because of this, Father Brown and Hercule continue on their quest without Lady Felicia’s chauffeur.
Father Brown and Hercule, after arriving at the Penhallick, meet with Lady Verity. The Catholic priest, recalling her perfume, reminds Lady Verity she attended Professor Ambrose’s lecture.
There is a portrait of Lysette holding the rosary. Father Brown, closely examining the portrait, realises it points to where Lysette is buried. Lysette is buried is buried at Briar’s Priory. Briar’s Priory is also the location where Lysette took holy orders.
As Father Brown and Hercule leave the Penhallick estate, something that doesn’t escape the Catholic priest’s attention is a vehicle. Noting how episodes typically don’t feature anything unimportant, intrigued by the car, Father Brown recognises the rosary hanging from the rear view mirror.
There is something seriously off about her which suggests criminal intent. Curious and curiouser, not without villainous intent, it is revealed Lady Verity was involved with the professor’s kidnapping. The thug is directed to go after Father Brown and Hercule.
At the gates to the priory, needing someone to open them, Father Brown exits the vehicle and allows Hercule to drive through. Father Brown, expecting Hercule to stop for him, soon finds he needs to walk most of the way to the priory. On route to the priory, noting the presence of a green bicycle, Father Brown takes advantage of his good luck.
Having met up again at the priory, not remotely amused by Hercule having made him walk most of the way there, Father Brown is positively seething. The Catholic priest finds Hercule waiting for him in a large hidden room. Shortly thereafter, after locating Lysette’s burial chamber, the rosary is recovered.
The sound of a police car approaching Briar’s Priory can be heard. Inspector Sullivan, looking to arrest Hercule, is accompanied by Sgt Albright, a few policemen, and Sid.
In an effort to evade the long arm of the law, something the Frenchmen is very good at, Hercule and Father Brown quickly make their escape. They run into Lady Verity’s thug. It is here that he demands the rosary in exchange for Professor Ambrose. Using Inspector Sullivan as a distraction, Hercule steals the rosary and flees.
Later, at Kembleford Police Station, Lady Verity’s thug is revealed as Jacob Spender (Stephen Thompson). Spender isn’t talking. The police inspector fills in a few blanks. Spender, as a child, grew up in several hostels for wayward children. Inspector Sullivan’s reference to St Bartholomew’s Catholic Mission points Father Brown towards Reverend Father Ignatius.
Father Brown, having returned to his church, finds a wounded Hercule waiting for him. A bullet merely grazed his arm. Hercule leaves the church in a huff. When Father Brown exits the church, in a surprising act of generosity, the Catholic priest discovers Hercule had left the rosary hanging on his bicycle handlebars.
Not wanting to waste time, knowing where he can find him, Father Brown visits Reverend Father Ignatius at his new mission in Coventry. Reverend Father Ignatius reveals to Father Brown he used Spender to help him locate the rosary. Further, noting the significance of the rosary, Reverend Father Ignatius comes clean about his ill health. The recent headaches can be directly attributed to a brain tumour.
Father Brown, before interrupted by Lady Verity, hands to Reverend Father Ignatius the rosary. Lady Verity wants the rosary because she sees herself the rightful heir. She wants to use it to escape poverty.
It becomes clear, when she states she still has the professor hostage, that Lady Verity and Reverend Father Ignatius has been working to secure the rosary. Lady Verity wants the rosary in exchange for Professor Ambrose.
As Reverend Father Ignatius prays with the rosary in hand, frustrated by the religiosity, Lady Verity tries to take the necklace from him. A struggle leads to the rosary breaking. Consequently, because of this, the beads become scattered across the floor. Reverend Father Ignatius suffers a fatal seizure and dies.
Lady Verity, in her anger, tries to hit Father Brown with a nearby candlestick. She is stopped by Sid. With Inspector Sullivan’s arrival, not too soon, Lady Verity is arrested. Professor Ambrose is discovered tied up in the boot of Lady Verity’s car.
A week later, noting how the academic has always been a devout Catholic, Father Brown presents Professor Ambrose with a box containing the repaired rosary. Instead of finding the rosary, something which we should have seen coming, an embroidered handkerchief with letter “F” is found. Hercule took the rosary.