Loveday Writing

This episode, part one of a two-part season finale sends Alexa on a holiday that ends up becoming a working one, as well as running into blasts from the past.

The episode kicks off with Alexa going on a long overdue holiday to Fiji, whilst Madison goes to see Harry at Reuben’s. She tells Harry that Alexa has gone on holiday to switch off for a few days. Later, Will drops by at Alexa’s apartment and tells Madison that she doesn’t buy it that Alexa would go on a holiday to Fiji for the hell of it and is working on something.

When Alexa arrives in Fiji, she meets up with Jesse Wrightson, an old police partner of hers who is now working security at the resort where she is staying. Jesse tells her that six weeks earlier, an ex-pat Irish woman, Orla Prentiss, died from an air embolism after going scuba diving and then getting a massage. Her husband is Graydon Prentiss, a doctor labelled “doctor death” after narrowly getting off for killing his first wife, as well as having second and third wives that died under suspicious circumstances. Jesse tells her that Graydon booked the massage for Orla and as a doctor he would have known that a massage after scuba diving is dangerous. He also tells her that he had been here a couple of months before he realised Graydon was on the island, having taken a job as a local medic.

Alexa goes to the Golden Dove Spa to speak with staff member, Louise, about the night of Orla’s death, but she refuses to answer Alexa’s questions. Alexa approaches Graydon, who points out that she and Jesse were never able to prove his involvement in the death of his first wife. Alexa calls Madison to check if there was a proper investigation done on the death of Mallory Prentiss, Graydon’ first wife.

Later, Jesse tells Alexa that Graydon plays poker with the guys every Thursday night and that residents on the island tend to be loose with their security, so they sneak into Graydon’s house to try and find something on him. They notice that Graydon hasn’t unpacked Orla’s belongings that were provided to him when she died, that Orla was sick and taking a large amount of medication, and a dress hanging in Graydon’s bedroom. Jesse notices that Graydon has a booking in the resort restaurant for two the next night, and Alexa asks him to take her to dinner there to find out who will be accompanying Graydon.

Later, Alexa goes back to the spa and asks Louise for the consent form that Orla signed for the massage before she died, but Louise doesn’t give her the form. Alexa then goes to the treatment room where Orla died, which has been closed. Jesse drops by as Louise reported Alexa to him and she tells him that she has questions on the bruises that the autopsy said came from CPR. Alexa also finds a loose shirt button on the ground from a tropical shirt, which Graydon constantly wears.

Later, Alexa goes to Graydon’s house to find the shirt to match the loose button, only for him to catch her in the act. Graydon tells her that he was attending to a patient on the Coral Coast when Orla died. Madison then calls her, letting Alexa escape. Jesse drops by Alexa’s room to show her Orla’s will where her possessions are to go to Kay and Dermot O’Flannery of Dublin, presumably her parents. Alexa also tells her that she has a third person theory in regards to Orla’s murder.

When Jesse and Alexa go to the restaurant for dinner, they discover that Graydon is having dinner and has quickly moved onto Fia Collins (an entrepreneur who previously appeared in Season 4), who is wearing the dress Alexa found hanging in Graydon’s bedroom. Jesse tells Alexa that he’s never met Fia. Alexa goes to the bar where she speaks with a drunken Louise. Louise tells her that Fia is her boss and that she was only concerned with the fact that Orla died in their treatment room. Alexa then walks Louise back to her room and notices a scar on her abdomen.

The next day, Alexa goes back to the spa to see Louise. Louise tells her that she and Orla were best friends in her backpacking days and she convinced Orla to come to Fiji, only to bring Graydon with her, and he hated them spending time together. When Alexa asks Louise about Orla’s adventurous nature and the medications she was taking, Louise tells her that Orla had Polycystic Kidney Disease, and gave Orla one of her kidneys. When Louise leaves to attend to a customer, Alexa takes a folder from her desk.

Alexa shows Jesse the folder which has the consent form, which Fia filled out, not Orla. When they confront Fia about it, she tells them that she was on a day trip to Mala Mala Island when Orla died. However, when Jesse finds out that there was no ferry operating on the day of Orla’s death, Fia later admits she was getting cosmetic work done, which Alexa is later able to confirm.

Later, Alexa and Jesse eat dinner and spend the night together. The next day, Alexa approaches Graydon, he reiterates that he was with a patient when Orla died, and tells her that he booked the scuba diving but not the message for Orla.

Later, Alexa calls Madison from the beach, Madison tells her that she spoke with Mallory’s family, they liked Graydon, and she’s not the first person to contact them, revealing that Jesse contacted the family six months earlier. Alexa goes to Jesse’s home and looks through his cupboard. Jesse tells her he came to Fiji to chase down Graydon, but his reaching out to her had nothing to do with it, he regretted not asking her out before Gary did. Alexa then asks Jesse how Graydon could have murdered Orla when he was watching his every move. Jesse doesn’t provide her with an answer and she leaves.

Alexa later notices who she thinks is Orla at the beach from a distance. The episode ends with Alexa returning to her room and finding rose petals on her floor and Jesse unconscious on her deck.

Overall, I felt that this was a solid first parter to a two-part season finale. We have a location and dynamic change with Alexa going to Fiji, Madison and Will temporary living together as he is avoiding a grifter from his past, and Alexa meeting up with her former police partner and dealing with a perp from their shared past. Finding Jesse collapsed on her deck and not knowing whether he is going to die, is a good cliffhanger to lead into the second part of this finale.

The subplot involving Will and Madison was good comic relief throughout the episode, however for now it didn’t really seem to go anywhere, hopefully it will go somewhere and play out in a satisfying way in the second part.

I’m looking forward to seeing how the second part plays out and closes the season.

Stray Observations:

-Reuben stockpiled Alexa’s sourdough in his café freezer knowing she was going on holiday.

-Graydon used to call Alexa “Little Detective McAngry Face”.

Best one liners and interactions:

• “Alexa, please tell me the man you just ejected from your room isn’t a suspect with two dead wives?” (Alexa-Madison)
• “Would I invite a murder suspect to my room?” “Yes.” “Okay, maybe, but not this time.” (Alexa-Madison-Alexa)
• “You said you wouldn’t narc!” “No, you said I wouldn’t and you were wrong.” “Where’s the loyalty?” “To Alexa, obviously!” (Will-Madison going back and forth)
• “Hey, I’m an honest guy, I tell them I can’t commit from the start.” (Will to Madison on dating)