Loveday Writing

When they arrive, they are greeted by Bill, another employee, Laurence, Victoria Osborn, and her fiancé, Ian Carruthers, from the neighbouring farm. Victoria and Ian are due to marry. When Steed and Peregrine talk to everyone, it’s made clear that Eddie didn’t have any enemies. When they are talking with Mrs Osborn, Steed’s former girlfriend that he mentioned in the premiere, Sally (who is also Ian’s sister), walks in with the decorated wedding cake, and they are both happy to see each other again.

While Steed is with Sally, Peregrine chats with Bill. Bill tells her that Steed, Ian, Victoria and Eddie were childhood friends, growing apart when Ian and Sally went off to boarding school, and when Sally married, although she is now a widow. After Bill leaves the room, she finds a black knife box with the letter “C” on it. She brings it to Steed’s attention and he tells her that the knife was wiped clean.

Peregrine rides a bike to the church (riding into an unavoidable puddle and getting her pants dirty) to see the reverend. He tells her that he saw Eddie deliver the tulle at 6am. Meanwhile, sick of Samuel and Violetta’s PDA, Birdie rides her motorbike to Hartford to collect Peregrine’s camera so the crime scene photos can be developed. She gets pulled over for speeding, only to end up flirting with the police officer. Meanwhile Steed looks around Eddie’s quarters and finds a letter hidden in a framed photo of Eddie and his late mother. When Bill comes to see him, Steed gives him the engagement ring back. Steed also finds Eddie packed a suitcase, as well as his passport with money inside. Bill tells him that he heard Eddie arguing with Ian.

When Steed asks Ian about the argument, he tells him it was because Eddie did a bad fencing job and he confirms that the knife case and knife is a Carruthers family heirloom. Steed asks Ian to show him his hands, Ian does, confirming that he gave Eddie the bruises on his face by beating him up for eyeing Victoria. When Peregrine and Steed figure out that the murder was committed between 6.30am and 7.30am, they rule out Laurence, Sally and Bill, leaving Mrs. Osborn, Ian and Victoria as suspects. Sally comes to see Steed and Steed tells Peregrine to leave, however when Sally sees Peregrine’s muddy pants, she offers her a spare dress to go home in. As Peregrine is getting changed, Mrs Osborn and Victoria tell Sally that the hairdresser is refusing to work with them. Peregrine offers her hairdressing services to them, enabling her to stay at the Estate and continue her investigation.

Whilst Peregrine is doing Victoria’s hair, she mentions that the marriage will mean the merging of the Osborn and Carruther Estates, however Victoria and Sally point out that the men inherit the Estates from their fathers and they, as women, get married. Peregrine also finds two passage tickets for London in the bin.

After Peregrine and Steed argue over the possibility of Ian being the murderer, as it looks like Eddie and Victoria had an affair but Peregrine believes Eddie learnt his lesson after Ian beat him, Steed goes off with Sally and Birdie brings Peregrine a change of clothes and her developed photos. Whilst looking at the photos, Peregrine sees that Eddie had a mark on his shoulder, similar to a mark on the back of Victoria’s neck. Violetta tells her over the phone that it is a port wine stain birthmark that is rare and runs in families, making Eddie and Victoria brother and sister.

Steed and Peregrine confront Mrs Osborn with this revelation and she reveals that she knew all along. Victoria walks in, ready to leave for her wedding, shocked by the revelation.

At the church, Steed asks Bill whether Laurence regularly chops wood, he says that he doesn’t. Meanwhile Peregrine snoops around the laundry and finds dirty clothes that give her a breakthrough. She goes to the church and asks Steed to inspect Eddie’s clothes. Steed pulls Eddie’s clothes out of his car and they find Eddie’s clothes don’t have the mud on them that they would have, if he went to the church that morning. Peregrine shows him another pair of pants with mud on them.

Steed and Peregrine rush into the church as the ceremony is starting and bring it to a halt. They reveal that Laurence murdered Eddie after Eddie came to him with the letter revealing that they were brothers. As Eddie was older than him, he could have challenged Laurence’s right to their family’s Estate, so he stabbed Eddie with the Carruthers family knife and impersonated him to give himself an alibi. Ian calls Victoria’s family a disgrace, and Victoria calls off the wedding, deciding to go to London by herself.

The episode ends with Birdie telling Peregrine that she is going hiking at the Snowy Mountains for a few days, and leaving a gun behind (although Peregrine doesn’t see this). Peregrine then goes home, takes her shoes off, and dances with herself.

Overall I felt that this episode provided an insight into Steed’s life and character, although I felt that Bill was underused. As Peregrine pointed out to Birdie, she (nor the audience) knew about James growing up in servant’s quarters on the Osborn Estate. I also felt that the reveal of Eddie and Victoria being half-siblings was a nice twist to the affair cliché. I also enjoyed Birdie’s flirtation with the police officer.

While things were awkward between Steed and Peregrine, for the most part it didn’t interrupt or affect their work, it will be interesting to see how the fallout from the broken engagement continues as the season progresses.

Stray Observations:

-The Osborn Estate is really Como House.

Best one liners and interactions:

• “Nauseating Love Nest, I mean the Adventuresses’ Club.” (Birdie answering the phone when Peregrine calls)