As this episode opens ex-policeman Mr Whicher is working to expose an adulterous woman so that her husband can get a divorce. He witnesses the pair in a London hotel then reports back to the husband in Wiltshire. He then goes to see the 'other man', Matthew Thorogood, to ask him to testify in the case; he says he will as he claims to love the woman and this would free her to marry him. When the court date arrives Thorogood doesn't appear
because he is lying dead in the woods. Whicher investigates the murder and soon a suspect is arrested; the brother of a woman wore bore Thorogood's child. He protests his innocence though and as Whicher looks deeper into Thorogood and his dealings he learns that he had changed his name when he moved to the town and that he had been involved a couple of dodgy enterprises which might give other people a reason to wish harm upon him.
This story is elevated above typical murder mysteries by the superlative performance by Paddy Constantine in the lead role; we can't help liking Mr Whicher; the quiet but determined detective. Obviously it takes more than one great performance to make a good story and thankfully the rest of the cast are pretty good too. No one will be surprised that the first suspect is soon cleared and more suspects soon appear although when the ultimate reveal occurs they may be surprised as there is no indication that they may even become a suspect for most of the episode. There is a touch of sadness to the story as the killer is a surprisingly sympathetic character despite having committed what is still considered one of the greatest sins (not the murder). It isn't all sad though; the end, which I won't spoil, is sure to put a smile on the viewer's face.
This story is elevated above typical murder mysteries by the superlative performance by Paddy Constantine in the lead role; we can't help liking Mr Whicher; the quiet but determined detective. Obviously it takes more than one great performance to make a good story and thankfully the rest of the cast are pretty good too. No one will be surprised that the first suspect is soon cleared and more suspects soon appear although when the ultimate reveal occurs they may be surprised as there is no indication that they may even become a suspect for most of the episode. There is a touch of sadness to the story as the killer is a surprisingly sympathetic character despite having committed what is still considered one of the greatest sins (not the murder). It isn't all sad though; the end, which I won't spoil, is sure to put a smile on the viewer's face.
