Loveday Writing

When Alexa discusses the case with Beth at her apartment, they watch a video about the Langford Stud Farm, which shows Todd at work, and Kahu Langford running the Stud Farm. Beth tells Alexa that Kahu’s father, Pita, bought Lord Flyte cheap as a total unknown at a yearling sale and he made his fortune off the stallion and established the Stud Farm. Kahu took over the farm after Pita passed away. Kahu’s younger sister, Mae, cut ties with the family when Pita died and viewed horse racing and breeding as cruel, being arrested at protests multiple times.

To get into the Langford Stud Farm, both Madison and Beth come up with a cover story for Alexa as a breeder from Ireland, as thoroughbred breeding needs to be live and they can’t be artificially inseminated. When Alexa goes to the Farm, she meets Murray, the Farm Manager and CFO, and Arlo, the Farrier. While Arlo makes comments about Lord Flyte having a bad temperament, Kahu disputes this. Alexa then meets in-house vet, Rebecca. Although Alexa tries to snoop in her office, she gets caught by Murray.

Later, Alexa and Beth meet Mae at her rescue farm, where she tells them that Lord Flyte fought against the Stud Farm’s breeding practices. She also tells them that Todd had been at the Stud Farm his whole life as his mother was Pita’s PA and grew up in the cottage at the back of the farm. When his mother died, Pita sent him to boarding school and gave him his first job when he finished. Mae also tells them that she used to babysit him, she hasn’t been to the Stud Farm in years, and she couldn’t go to Todd’s wake as Murray got a restraining order against her, banning her from the Stud Farm.

Alexa and Beth go back to the Stud Farm, where Murray confronts her over her fake cover story. Alexa then admits that she is a police consultant and Kahu gives her permission to look around again. Alexa goes to Rebecca’s office and finds a fridge filled of horse semen, revealing that the Stud Farm is committing fraud by artificially inseminating mares. Later, Beth finds out through hacking Rebecca’s headset that she and Kahu were having an affair.

Later, Alexa has drinks with Arlo, who tells her that Mae’s ploughing through her trust fund by using it on her rescue farm, Murray was Pita’s best friend at school, and that Todd was straight as an arrow, all while hitting on Alexa in a cheesy way. The next day, Alexa and Beth return to the Stud Farm to speak to Rebecca. Alexa tells Rebecca that Kahu is playing her, but she tells her that she and Kahu are engaged. Rebecca also tells her that she saw Todd and Murray arguing at the stables the week before Todd died. Meanwhile, Beth goes into Todd’s cottage to snoop around, grabbing documents and a laptop, only to be caught in the act by Murray.

Back at Alexa’s apartment, Harry tells Alexa that Murray didn’t make a complaint about them and Beth manages to hack into Todd’s laptop and discovers that he had many photos of the Langford family and took a DNA test before he died, thinking Pita was his father. Although, the DNA test came back with a negative result and revealed that he had celiac disease. Later, Alexa takes a ride with Mae at her farm, discovering that her farm is on the back of the Stud Farm.

When Alexa meets up with Murray she eventually discovers that he faked the DNA test by providing his own sample, as he knew that Todd was his son due to his striking resemblance to Pita, and he wanted to protect the Langford Stud Farm. As Alexa and Beth dig deeper into the contents of Todd’s laptop, they discover that Todd took a photo from Mae’s farm two days before he died.

Alexa goes to see Mae, and Mae tells her that she went riding on the beach when Todd died, with the junior lifeguard squad being her witnesses, as they were undergoing training on the beach at the time. Although Alexa ends up disproving her claim when she discovers that Mae could easily ride to the Stud Farm on her horse. Alexa disproved Mae’s alibi by taking one of her horses, with Beth distracting Mae by claiming to know about a mistreated horse, only for Mae to realise Beth is telling her the plot to Black Beauty.

When Mae goes to the Stud Farm, she confronts Kahu thinking he took her horse. When Alexa arrives, she tells them (and the audience) that Mae killed Todd after he came to her and told her that he could be Pita’s son, and if he was, he would get a share of the Stud Farm and their wealth.

The episode ends with Beth, Reuben, Harry and Alexa discussing sibling relationships at Reuben’s Café. While Alexa doesn’t tell Beth about her brother, Will, the episode ends with Will leaving prison.

Overall, I felt that this was a solid episode with the case of the week set in the interesting and admittedly questionable world of thoroughbred horse breeding, although I found Mae’s motives a little cliché. I appreciated another appearance of Beth, simultaneously showing her intelligence but also lack of experience, such as when she was caught in the act by Murray by failing to simply close the cottage door, and her inability to think on her feet by reciting the plot of Black Beauty to distract Mae, only for Mae to realise this.

I also appreciated the ending of Will being released from prison, normally each episode is self-contained and this ending provides a springboard for the next episode and possibly the rest of the season, with the question raised of how his release will affect Alexa and her life.

Stray Observations:

Episode title – Kahu referencing Lord Flyte’s bloodline, as well as the focus on the wealthy Langford family.

-Beth bit her sister when she was six-years-old.

Best one liners and interactions:

• “I mean this in the nicest possible way, but why am I talking to your backside?” (Madison on a Zoom call with Alexa, as Alexa is looking through her closet)
• “And here they are, gutless wonders!” “And people say I lack social skills.” (Mae to Beth and Alexa, then Alexa to Beth)
• “Those mares are terrified, leather bound, and whipped into submission.” “50 Shades of Nay, eh?” (Mae to Alexa, then Beth)
• “You’re not supposed to be here.” “Oh, just relax Rebecca. I’ve already taken a look in your jizz fridge. Now that’s a lot of penis colada you got in there.” (Rebecca-Alexa in Rebecca’s office)
• “Doesn’t that boyfriend you say exists miss you?” (Alexa to Beth)