Father Brown (2013–…): Season 9, Episode 4 - The Children of Kalon - full transcript
When a troubled soul from the past returns, Father Brown must investigate the new chapter of the Church of Apollo.
Gerald.
Father Brown.
Thank you.
I haven't made a decision yet.
Of course. I wouldn't expect you to
make a decision on the basis
of a single letter.
But I'm glad you're even here.
I've been thinking about what I did.
It's all I've thought about.
The person I was then.
I can barely say his name.
Kalon.
Foolish.
Confused.
Murderous.
And what now?
The psychiatrists all say that
I've made a remarkable recovery,
but that's what they said at
the last hearing.
But if you were there...
All I'm asking is that you hear
my truth.
If after that you decide you can't
help me, then I'll accept that.
You want me to gaze into your soul?
And if what you see is good
and it is in your heart to...
You saved me once before,
Father.
Please...
..save me again.
He threw his wife out of a window.
Perhaps a cup of tea?
Right. One cup of tea.
And he brainwashed Suzie.
Poor girl was never the same after.
Small wonder she ran off with
a Buddhist.
Suzie found her peace.
The question is, has Kalon?
Gerald.
Father, sometimes there's such
a thing as too much do-gooding.
This is not about "do-gooding".
This is about a second chance.
This is about redemption.
So, you've already made up
your mind.
I have done no such thing.
Yes, I believe he's a changed man.
And what brings you
to that conclusion?
I have spoken with him.
I have spent time with him.
Obviously I am not trained
to offer a medical diagnosis,
but as his spiritual adviser...
..Gerald shows genuine remorse
for what he has done.
He is tortured by it.
And that agony can only come from
one place,
a conscience.
And if he were to be released,
you would be willing to guide him
through his re-assimilation into
society?
Yes.
Yes. Of course.
Well, of course I tried, Sidney.
The hospital will tell me
absolutely nothing.
I'm going to see if he might...
Oh, I think that's him now.
Just get back here as soon as
you can.
So, just how long does it take
to sing the praises of
a murdering psychopath?
I waited until the director of the
institution had made his decision.
And?
You have gone absolutely mad.
I appreciate your concern,
but I am asking you to trust me.
I would not be doing this unless
I was sure.
I promise you.
I am not the "murdering psychopath"
you think I am.
That man died a long time ago.
You disgust me.
Sid.
"And the Astral Ancients did command
that we till
"the soil to honour their gifts,
to entreat their favours.
"We till the soil
to bless their light,
"to summon their wisdom,
to beg for their healing."
Let me do that. Are you sure?
Of course. You need a break.
I'm all right.
If my daughter wants
the blessings of
the Astral Ancients,
she has to earn them.
Tell him, child.
"In shadow are the slovenly,
denied their blessings."
You may rest.
All of you.
She will be blessed a thousandfold
at the Solstice.
She will be healed.
Kalon?
Tobias.
Why are you here?
To seek acceptance.
To beg forgiveness.
Is that why you've brought
a priest?
Everything's
going to be all right now.
What makes you say that?
Kalon.
Thank you.
You've arrived
at an auspicious time.
Chapters will be joining us from all
over the country for the solstice.
Chapters?
The religion has been flourishing.
The student becomes the master.
Forgive me for asking -
your forehead markings?
Oh, the five levels of
enlightenment,
based on insights delivered
to me by the Astral Ancients.
And what about the crystal balls?
You telling fortunes now?
They aren't crystal balls.
They're spirit orbs.
My mistake.
It's all in here.
There's nothing to hide.
Perhaps you'd like
a tour of our homestead after tea?
Why have you returned?
I wish to rejoin the order.
You killed your astral partner.
You have no right...
It is not up to you.
This does not concern you, Celeste.
You weren't even here in
Kalon's time.
Tobias saved us when you abandoned
this order.
He brought us together.
He's our leader now.
It's not my intention
to usurp his leadership.
I wish simply to be amongst
the people of the sun.
I will consider it.
You can go.
Your mother's right.
He's a murderer.
My mother doesn't know what she's
talking about.
How do you think he can help you?
He's the founder.
The seer of the light.
If he can't help me, who ca...
Clara? It's happening.
Come.
Astral Ancients, we beseech you
to channel your power
through the lens of our bodies.
To guide your light upon
the spirit of our daughter.
We beseech you to calm
the storm inside her,
to heal her with your blessed power.
We beseech you, we beseech you.
We beseech you.
WORSHIPPERS: We beseech you. We
beseech you. We beseech you.
The power of prayer is a miraculous
thing, isn't it, Father?
What are you doing here?
Please. Leave.
We're a self-sufficient community.
We grow our own food,
make our own clothes.
But our ultimate destiny is
through here.
The Sun Temple.
A vision from the Astral Ancients.
An instruction.
To build a place for our people,
to be close to them always.
The Astral Ancients show a flair
for the extravagant.
All the better to exult their glory.
Wouldn't you agree?
"Glory be to the Astral Ancients."
First testament. Chapter three.
Bet that cost a few bob.
We've been pooling our resources
into investments
and with the blessings and guidance
of the Astral Ancients,
we will have our paradise.
Our paradise. Not yours.
You are not worthy
of this blessing.
Thelma.
I want to speak to you alone.
Later. Celeste, show our guests
back to the garden.
Kalon, let us speak.
Here.
The originals.
My legacy.
Our legacy.
There are undoubtedly others
who feel like Thelma.
And with good reason.
But let me speak to them,
to all of them, at the solstice.
If I'm rejected, so be it.
But as your founder,
and your friend,
I simply ask to be heard.
BOTH: Astral blessings upon you.
Astral blessings upon you.
GONG RINGS OUT
Our founder has returned to us,
and with the blessings
of the Astral Ancients,
he shall once again be one of us.
Astral blessings upon you.
GONG RINGS OUT
Kalon, do you accept baptism
into the way of the light?
I do. Do you vow to learn the
teachings of the Astral Ancients,
to commit them to your heart?I do.
Do you swear to abide by their will,
to submit to their authority?
I do. No!
You can't!
You will not interfere with
the sacred ritual of baptism...
But he's a murderer!
We will speak of this later. Go.
Kalon...
..be anointed...
..into the light.
Be anointed.
VARIOUS: Be anointed. Be anointed.
That's where you keep
your spirit orb?
Don't worry about Thelma.
She thinks she knows the
Astral Ancients better than Tobias.
But all she really knows is
how to manage the rotas
and boss people about.
If you need anything, talk to me.
Thank you.
Gerald!
I asked you to leave.
Not until you tell me
what you're doing here.
You got my letter?
I did.
So THAT is why you came back?
It is nothing like that.
What, then?
What's going on?
My friend was just leaving.
You give me no choice.
I will telephone the institution
and I will tell them
what has happened.
Do as you must.
Come.
I never believed
the whispers about you.
That's not how I remember you.
You were kind, protective.
Whispers?
About the way you...treated women.
Or the spiteful things
my mother says.
But I know it isn't true.
I communed with Dominique's
astral spirit.
You did what?
And she told me it was an accident.
And now you're here,
you'll heal me,
and everything will be all right.
Clara...uh...
..there are some things
you need to know.
Um... Someone must be in there.
HE KNOCKS ON DOOR
Hello?
SHE SCREAMS
Get Mallory!
HE GASPS
SHE SCREAMS
She's dead.
Thelma.
Oh, no.
No.
May her astral spirit
rise unto the sun.
May the Ancients draw her
into glorious union.
May her light shine always.
VARIOUS: May her light shine always.
Windows are all bolted.
Nowhere to hide.
Maybe it was an accident. She fell.
Sir, the magnifying glass - broken
during a struggle, perhaps?
Do you see any signs of
a struggle in this room, Sergeant?
Looks like these fell
out of her pocket, mind.
"Phenytoin".
That doesn't make sense.
I told you to wait outside
with the others.
Given my prior history
with this group,
I thought I might be of assistance.
Why doesn't it make sense, Father?
The followers don't believe
in modern medicine.
Only the natural healing remedies of
the Astral Ancients.
Astral Ancients?
Well, their spiritual forebears.
It's in the book.
Sergeant, homework.
Padre, out.
What's that on her fingertips?
Hmm. Hmm.
Black paint?
Padre!
Murder weapon.
Looks like blood and hair.
We'll take over
the investigation from here.
There's broken glass on
the mantelpiece.
Odd. Out!
You found out who it is yet?
No, not yet.
Everything's going to be all right.
How can you say that?
My mother's dead.
Clara, I'm so sorry for your loss.
Thank you.
If you don't mind my asking,
why did your mother wear
a magnifying glass around her neck?
She used it for reading.
And inspecting our cleaning.
I see.
Gerald, might I have a word
with you, alone?
Right.
We have a few questions.
Sergeant. Sir.
The victim has black paint
on her fingertips.
Does that mean anything
to you at all?
The marks of banishment.
Three lines scored across
the forehead.
So she was banishing someone
when she was killed?
So it would appear.
And who might she want to banish?
She was found in your room?
I bore her no ill will.
Same can't be said of
her, though, can it?
Meaning?
She disapproved of my
re-initiation into the order.
And why was that?
You killed your wife.
Sorry...
.."astral partner"
making it look like a fall,
them staged a locked room
to cover your tracks.
So this is a case of, if at first
you don't succeed...?
I didn't do this.
Yours are the only fingerprints
on the murder weapon.
I wish to speak to Father Brown.
Suddenly converted, have we?
I thought you believed
in the astral fairies?
KNOCK ON DOOR
Father Brown's here, Sir.
Spiritual counsel.
Speak of the devil.
You can give him all the spiritual
counsel you like, Padre.
It won't change a thing.
Have you worked out
the locked room?
I'll no doubt have it figured
out by the end of the day.
In the meantime, I'm charging him
with murder. Goodfellow.
Thank you, Sergeant.
No more secrets.
Tell me everything.
Clara came to this order
when she was a child.
It's all she knows,
and I'm responsible for that.
Her mind and her life
poisoned by my delusions.
You went back to save her.
What was in her letter?
She told me she was going to devote
herself to the order,
that the religion had grown.
She told me that she was sick,
but she believed in
the Astral Ancients to...
She wanted me to come back
and channel their power.
But your plan wasn't to heal her.
It was to tell her the truth.
Not just her - all of them.
At the solstice,
before the entire congregation.
And say what? Tell them about
my sickness, my delusions.
Tell them how I preyed
on their weaknesses.
But you can't just rip someone's
faith from under them...
That's what you did to me.
Yes. I did.
And you of all people know
the emotional consequences.
Well, what are the consequences
of letting it go on?
There are lives at stake, Father.
Souls.
Perhaps this is divine retribution.
I'll almost certainly
hang this time.
Which is why it's up to you now.
Up to me?
To finish what I started.
GONG RINGS OUT
We stand in the shadow of a tragedy,
and it's my fault.
It was I who allowed Kalon
back into the order.
It was I who trusted too much.
And it is I who must carry it
on my conscience.
But at times like this
we must open our hearts
to the light,
and keep in sight
our glorious destiny,
our paradise in the sun.
Tomorrow is the solstice.
It shall be a time of healing...
..for us all.
Continue your preparations...
..which Celeste will now
be supervising.
I came to offer my condolences.
Thank you.
Did Kalon say why he did it?
I'm not entirely convinced
he's the culprit.
Well, Inspector Mallory telephoned,
said they're charging him.
I believe he's mistaken.
So you think it was one of us?
I did notice antagonism
between you and Thelma.
On the matter of Kalon, yes.
It turns out she was right.
I was foolishly naive
to think he had truly changed.
Blinded by my own feelings.
Could not the same be true
of you, Father?
Besides, what evidence do you have
to show that he's innocent?
Nothing...yet.
But if I could just see
his room again...
What do you expect to find?
How the killer escaped.
Isn't that a job for the police?
Yes, but a second pair
of eyes wouldn't hurt.
You heard him.
In any case,
we are very busy
with our preparations,
as you can see.
My lady has spoken.
But you're more than welcome
to come back tomorrow
for our solstice celebration.
It's open to the whole community.
An excellent way
to recruit new followers, no doubt.
No different from your church fetes,
wouldn't you say?
Answer me.
Please!
What's the matter, Clara?
My mother's astral spirit
won't manifest.
Why do you think that is?
Could it be something to do
with the pills in her pocket?
Phenytoin.
It's an anti-convulsant.
The local chemist said
they'd dispensed some
to a young man from your order
a few days ago.
Your mother didn't just use
the magnifying glass
for reading and inspection, did she?
That wound's only a few hours old.
How did that happen?
After my attack,
I went to commune with the sun.
I want to show you something.
Don't be angry.
Albert. Where did you...?
I faked a prescription.
It's forbidden.
Surely it can't be the wishes of the
Astral Ancients that you suffer.
It is not ours to question
the wishes of the Astral Ancients.
The chemist said it would help
with your seizures.
I know you mean well.
But you have to throw them away.
Clara, please.
Then I'll do it. No!
I didn't take one.
It's my fault. I-I bought them.
Wait in my office.
Skin.
Astral Ancients,
look down upon this wretched child
and grant her forgiveness
for her blasphemy.
I deserved it.
No, you didn't.
I angered the Astral Ancients.
I had to pay penance.
As a priest,
surely you must understand.
As a priest,
I find sometimes that
a literal reading
of the scripture can lead you away
from the truth, not towards it.
How did your mother's magnifying
glass get broken?
I don't think you're
telling me everything.
I raised my hand against her.
Take this gift of skin
as penance for her weakness.
SHE CRIES OUT
GLASS SMASHES
And now she has forsaken me.
What are you doing?
Talking.
You're upsetting her.
Was it you that Thelma
was about to banish,
for bringing Clara the medication?
Go.
Are you all right?
I didn't tell you to do that.
Why don't you listen
to my instructions?
Father?
Father? What on earth are you doing?
I'm going fishing.
You're going fishing?
Maybe he used some sort of
magnetic device to close
the bolt from the other side
of the door.
A magnetic device?
You've been reading too much
science fiction, Sergeant.
DOOR OPENS
Apologies for the smell.
The murder weapon.
We already have the murder weapon.
Yeah, thanks to your
eagle eyes, Father.
I was wrong.
Observe the fracture.
It was cast into the pond
at the farmhouse.
That doesn't prove anything.
It could have rolled off one
of their laps while
they were fondling it.
I mean, you have to admit, Father,
apart from the crack,
there's no evidence it was used
in the murder.
Consider the fragments of glass
on the mantelpiece,
made when the murderer
smashed Gerald's orb,
to make it appear to be
the murder weapon.
What about the hair and blood?
Easily transferred from the victim.
Listen to yourself, Padre.
Spinning just-so stories,
finding any excuse to get
the killer off the hook
because your neck is on the line
for letting him out.
On the other hand, Sir,
we still haven't been able
to figure out that locked...
Quiet, Sergeant.
You're always preaching
about the truth, Padre.
Well, here's a dose for you -
you made a mistake.
You lost this one.
Now go home.
I need to retrace Thelma's steps,
then perhaps I can work out how,
as well as who.
Father Brown.
Welcome to our celebration.
You've brought your
little friends, I see.
Yes, I have.
Tobias said that all were welcome.
Of course.
But please don't go in the house.
That's private property.
I was in your pond yesterday.
You were what?
I fell in.
It was quite a spectacle.
While I was in there,
I found a spirit orb.
It was cracked.
Well...who knows how that got there.
As I said, stick to the gardens.
Astral blessings upon you.
ALL: Astral blessings upon you.
All right, I'll admit it,
she's a bit shifty.
She looked as guilty as sin.
Oh, where are you off to now?
Oh!
KNOCK ON DOOR, DOOR OPENS
I just wanted to wish you blessings
for the healing.
Thank you.
What is it?
It's our fault my mother's dead.
What are you talking about?
We angered the Astral Ancients.
I should never even have
touched those pills.
It wasn't your fault. Or mine.
How else was she killed?
There was no-one in the room.
We-we saw it with our own eyes.
She was punished
for our transgressions.
That's not true.
It was against the Word.
Maybe the Word isn't all.
Meaning?
There are more important things.
Like what?
Like-like...
What on earth are you...?
Like love.
I love you.
And I think you feel the same way.
I just want you to be well.
The Astral Ancients
will make me well.
But what if the Astral Ancients
aren't...? Stop it!
Stop! Please.
How can I love someone
who doesn't believe?
The tabernacle.
Oh.
Of course.
SHE HUMS
SHE GASPS
Where on earth is Father Brown?
Oh.
Would you be so kind as
to telephone the police station?
I'm about to apprehend the killer
and I would like Inspector Mallory
here for the arrest.
You sure about that?
I've never been more certain.
There's a telephone in the hallway.
Right.
So who is it?
Look at this.
Kalon. He must have done that
before he killed Thelma,
denouncing his own words.
We shall not speak of him today.
Today is for healing.
GONG RINGS OUT
Please...
..on this joyous day of solstice...
..we pay thanks to
the life-giving sun.
We revere its ancient power
and we celebrate
its glorious light.
The Astral Ancients
are here with us today,
and together we shall
channel their healing power.
Clara.
Astral Ancients,
we beseech you to guide
the light upon
the spirit of this, your daughter.
Touch her with your healing power,
to burn away the sickness
inside her.
We beseech you.
VARIOUS: We beseech you.
We beseech you.
We beseech you...
I can feel them.
I can feel them.We beseech you.
We beseech you.
We beseech you. We beseech you...
SHE BREATHES HEAVILY
Clara.
Continue.
Look down upon this,
your fallen daughter,
and bathe her in your light.
Cast out the shadows of sickness,
burn away the torment
that plagues her.
Stop it!
Clara. Clara.
It didn't work.
The Astral Ancients are condemning
me, just as they did my mother.
Clara, you are not being condemned.
Thank you, Father,
but this is an internal matter.
Tobias...
..was it an internal matter
when you murdered Thelma?
GASPS
That is a despicable accusation.
You killed her because
she discovered your secret.
What secret?
After she interrupted
the initiation,
Thelma didn't go to Kalon's room.
There were no black marks
on the door.
She went to your study.
What's this?
Bankruptcy.
History of bad investments.
All your money lost.
Your paradise in the sun has gone.
Whatever he has there is a forgery.
Father Brown has been
an enemy of this church
for a long time.
It's a personal vendetta.
She threatened to expose you,
didn't she?
You've been lying to us.
HE SCOFFS
No.
No, no, this is just
a setback, that's all.
We're sure to recruit new members
at the solstice.
The others have a right to know.
The Astral Ancients are guiding me.
They have a plan.
The Astral Ancients speak to me too.
I will be guided by them.
You dare defy me?
You are not our saviour.
You are a liar
and you are a hypocrite.
And everyone shall know.
No!
An evil lie.
But now you had a problem.
Dead body in your office,
murder weapon in your hand.
You needed someone to frame,
and who better than the man
the victim had antagonised
only moments ago?
So you dragged her to Kalon's room,
and my guess is you saw him.
SHE GASPS
I'll explain later. Clean up
the mess. And get rid of that orb!
Go, go!
So now we're both in on this,
are we?
You're a fantasist, Father.
You bolted the door,
prepared the scene.
But you were disturbed.
Someone must be in there.
KNOCK ON DOOR
Hello?
There was no place for you to hide,
except behind the door.
And now you had another problem.
How to leave your hiding place
without being seen in
the mirror opposite the door.
Which is why Celeste provided
you with a distraction.
SHE SCREAMS
She's dead.
It's all lies!
It's all lies.
He's on a crusade to destroy
any religion that's not his own.
Tobias, I'm here to expose
you as a liar...
..a manipulator, and a murderer.
You said you killed her for me.
CAR APPROACHES
SIREN RINGS
HE GRUNTS
Get off me.
I don't understand.
If I'm not responsible,
why am I being punished?
You're not being punished.
BELL RINGS
Good morning. You're very welcome.
It's on the front
of the newspapers -
"Religious cult goes bankrupt."
Good morning, Mrs Harrington.
Good morning.
Oh, and, Father,
I'm very sorry that I
ever doubted you.
No apologies necessary.
Well, at least that's
the last we'll be seeing
of those deranged lunat...
Would you have room in your
congregation for a few more?
There is always room in the House of
God. Is that not so, Mrs McCarthy?
What? Oh, yes. Yes, of course.
Thank you.
It is splendid to see you
looking so well.
Thank you, Father.
Yes, you look better too.
Much better than in that tunic.
Clara's seeing a doctor.
And the others?
Many have gone their own way.
But I'm helping those who want it,
and they're helping me.
Are you coming inside?
You saved me. You saved us all.
From incarceration, perhaps.
But only God can grant salvation.
I don't deserve it.Yes, you do.
After the things I've done.
God forgives.
How do you do it?
Do what?
See the good even
the darkest of souls.
Because it's there.
And I see it in you.
Thank you, Father.
Father Brown.
Thank you.
I haven't made a decision yet.
Of course. I wouldn't expect you to
make a decision on the basis
of a single letter.
But I'm glad you're even here.
I've been thinking about what I did.
It's all I've thought about.
The person I was then.
I can barely say his name.
Kalon.
Foolish.
Confused.
Murderous.
And what now?
The psychiatrists all say that
I've made a remarkable recovery,
but that's what they said at
the last hearing.
But if you were there...
All I'm asking is that you hear
my truth.
If after that you decide you can't
help me, then I'll accept that.
You want me to gaze into your soul?
And if what you see is good
and it is in your heart to...
You saved me once before,
Father.
Please...
..save me again.
He threw his wife out of a window.
Perhaps a cup of tea?
Right. One cup of tea.
And he brainwashed Suzie.
Poor girl was never the same after.
Small wonder she ran off with
a Buddhist.
Suzie found her peace.
The question is, has Kalon?
Gerald.
Father, sometimes there's such
a thing as too much do-gooding.
This is not about "do-gooding".
This is about a second chance.
This is about redemption.
So, you've already made up
your mind.
I have done no such thing.
Yes, I believe he's a changed man.
And what brings you
to that conclusion?
I have spoken with him.
I have spent time with him.
Obviously I am not trained
to offer a medical diagnosis,
but as his spiritual adviser...
..Gerald shows genuine remorse
for what he has done.
He is tortured by it.
And that agony can only come from
one place,
a conscience.
And if he were to be released,
you would be willing to guide him
through his re-assimilation into
society?
Yes.
Yes. Of course.
Well, of course I tried, Sidney.
The hospital will tell me
absolutely nothing.
I'm going to see if he might...
Oh, I think that's him now.
Just get back here as soon as
you can.
So, just how long does it take
to sing the praises of
a murdering psychopath?
I waited until the director of the
institution had made his decision.
And?
You have gone absolutely mad.
I appreciate your concern,
but I am asking you to trust me.
I would not be doing this unless
I was sure.
I promise you.
I am not the "murdering psychopath"
you think I am.
That man died a long time ago.
You disgust me.
Sid.
"And the Astral Ancients did command
that we till
"the soil to honour their gifts,
to entreat their favours.
"We till the soil
to bless their light,
"to summon their wisdom,
to beg for their healing."
Let me do that. Are you sure?
Of course. You need a break.
I'm all right.
If my daughter wants
the blessings of
the Astral Ancients,
she has to earn them.
Tell him, child.
"In shadow are the slovenly,
denied their blessings."
You may rest.
All of you.
She will be blessed a thousandfold
at the Solstice.
She will be healed.
Kalon?
Tobias.
Why are you here?
To seek acceptance.
To beg forgiveness.
Is that why you've brought
a priest?
Everything's
going to be all right now.
What makes you say that?
Kalon.
Thank you.
You've arrived
at an auspicious time.
Chapters will be joining us from all
over the country for the solstice.
Chapters?
The religion has been flourishing.
The student becomes the master.
Forgive me for asking -
your forehead markings?
Oh, the five levels of
enlightenment,
based on insights delivered
to me by the Astral Ancients.
And what about the crystal balls?
You telling fortunes now?
They aren't crystal balls.
They're spirit orbs.
My mistake.
It's all in here.
There's nothing to hide.
Perhaps you'd like
a tour of our homestead after tea?
Why have you returned?
I wish to rejoin the order.
You killed your astral partner.
You have no right...
It is not up to you.
This does not concern you, Celeste.
You weren't even here in
Kalon's time.
Tobias saved us when you abandoned
this order.
He brought us together.
He's our leader now.
It's not my intention
to usurp his leadership.
I wish simply to be amongst
the people of the sun.
I will consider it.
You can go.
Your mother's right.
He's a murderer.
My mother doesn't know what she's
talking about.
How do you think he can help you?
He's the founder.
The seer of the light.
If he can't help me, who ca...
Clara? It's happening.
Come.
Astral Ancients, we beseech you
to channel your power
through the lens of our bodies.
To guide your light upon
the spirit of our daughter.
We beseech you to calm
the storm inside her,
to heal her with your blessed power.
We beseech you, we beseech you.
We beseech you.
WORSHIPPERS: We beseech you. We
beseech you. We beseech you.
The power of prayer is a miraculous
thing, isn't it, Father?
What are you doing here?
Please. Leave.
We're a self-sufficient community.
We grow our own food,
make our own clothes.
But our ultimate destiny is
through here.
The Sun Temple.
A vision from the Astral Ancients.
An instruction.
To build a place for our people,
to be close to them always.
The Astral Ancients show a flair
for the extravagant.
All the better to exult their glory.
Wouldn't you agree?
"Glory be to the Astral Ancients."
First testament. Chapter three.
Bet that cost a few bob.
We've been pooling our resources
into investments
and with the blessings and guidance
of the Astral Ancients,
we will have our paradise.
Our paradise. Not yours.
You are not worthy
of this blessing.
Thelma.
I want to speak to you alone.
Later. Celeste, show our guests
back to the garden.
Kalon, let us speak.
Here.
The originals.
My legacy.
Our legacy.
There are undoubtedly others
who feel like Thelma.
And with good reason.
But let me speak to them,
to all of them, at the solstice.
If I'm rejected, so be it.
But as your founder,
and your friend,
I simply ask to be heard.
BOTH: Astral blessings upon you.
Astral blessings upon you.
GONG RINGS OUT
Our founder has returned to us,
and with the blessings
of the Astral Ancients,
he shall once again be one of us.
Astral blessings upon you.
GONG RINGS OUT
Kalon, do you accept baptism
into the way of the light?
I do. Do you vow to learn the
teachings of the Astral Ancients,
to commit them to your heart?I do.
Do you swear to abide by their will,
to submit to their authority?
I do. No!
You can't!
You will not interfere with
the sacred ritual of baptism...
But he's a murderer!
We will speak of this later. Go.
Kalon...
..be anointed...
..into the light.
Be anointed.
VARIOUS: Be anointed. Be anointed.
That's where you keep
your spirit orb?
Don't worry about Thelma.
She thinks she knows the
Astral Ancients better than Tobias.
But all she really knows is
how to manage the rotas
and boss people about.
If you need anything, talk to me.
Thank you.
Gerald!
I asked you to leave.
Not until you tell me
what you're doing here.
You got my letter?
I did.
So THAT is why you came back?
It is nothing like that.
What, then?
What's going on?
My friend was just leaving.
You give me no choice.
I will telephone the institution
and I will tell them
what has happened.
Do as you must.
Come.
I never believed
the whispers about you.
That's not how I remember you.
You were kind, protective.
Whispers?
About the way you...treated women.
Or the spiteful things
my mother says.
But I know it isn't true.
I communed with Dominique's
astral spirit.
You did what?
And she told me it was an accident.
And now you're here,
you'll heal me,
and everything will be all right.
Clara...uh...
..there are some things
you need to know.
Um... Someone must be in there.
HE KNOCKS ON DOOR
Hello?
SHE SCREAMS
Get Mallory!
HE GASPS
SHE SCREAMS
She's dead.
Thelma.
Oh, no.
No.
May her astral spirit
rise unto the sun.
May the Ancients draw her
into glorious union.
May her light shine always.
VARIOUS: May her light shine always.
Windows are all bolted.
Nowhere to hide.
Maybe it was an accident. She fell.
Sir, the magnifying glass - broken
during a struggle, perhaps?
Do you see any signs of
a struggle in this room, Sergeant?
Looks like these fell
out of her pocket, mind.
"Phenytoin".
That doesn't make sense.
I told you to wait outside
with the others.
Given my prior history
with this group,
I thought I might be of assistance.
Why doesn't it make sense, Father?
The followers don't believe
in modern medicine.
Only the natural healing remedies of
the Astral Ancients.
Astral Ancients?
Well, their spiritual forebears.
It's in the book.
Sergeant, homework.
Padre, out.
What's that on her fingertips?
Hmm. Hmm.
Black paint?
Padre!
Murder weapon.
Looks like blood and hair.
We'll take over
the investigation from here.
There's broken glass on
the mantelpiece.
Odd. Out!
You found out who it is yet?
No, not yet.
Everything's going to be all right.
How can you say that?
My mother's dead.
Clara, I'm so sorry for your loss.
Thank you.
If you don't mind my asking,
why did your mother wear
a magnifying glass around her neck?
She used it for reading.
And inspecting our cleaning.
I see.
Gerald, might I have a word
with you, alone?
Right.
We have a few questions.
Sergeant. Sir.
The victim has black paint
on her fingertips.
Does that mean anything
to you at all?
The marks of banishment.
Three lines scored across
the forehead.
So she was banishing someone
when she was killed?
So it would appear.
And who might she want to banish?
She was found in your room?
I bore her no ill will.
Same can't be said of
her, though, can it?
Meaning?
She disapproved of my
re-initiation into the order.
And why was that?
You killed your wife.
Sorry...
.."astral partner"
making it look like a fall,
them staged a locked room
to cover your tracks.
So this is a case of, if at first
you don't succeed...?
I didn't do this.
Yours are the only fingerprints
on the murder weapon.
I wish to speak to Father Brown.
Suddenly converted, have we?
I thought you believed
in the astral fairies?
KNOCK ON DOOR
Father Brown's here, Sir.
Spiritual counsel.
Speak of the devil.
You can give him all the spiritual
counsel you like, Padre.
It won't change a thing.
Have you worked out
the locked room?
I'll no doubt have it figured
out by the end of the day.
In the meantime, I'm charging him
with murder. Goodfellow.
Thank you, Sergeant.
No more secrets.
Tell me everything.
Clara came to this order
when she was a child.
It's all she knows,
and I'm responsible for that.
Her mind and her life
poisoned by my delusions.
You went back to save her.
What was in her letter?
She told me she was going to devote
herself to the order,
that the religion had grown.
She told me that she was sick,
but she believed in
the Astral Ancients to...
She wanted me to come back
and channel their power.
But your plan wasn't to heal her.
It was to tell her the truth.
Not just her - all of them.
At the solstice,
before the entire congregation.
And say what? Tell them about
my sickness, my delusions.
Tell them how I preyed
on their weaknesses.
But you can't just rip someone's
faith from under them...
That's what you did to me.
Yes. I did.
And you of all people know
the emotional consequences.
Well, what are the consequences
of letting it go on?
There are lives at stake, Father.
Souls.
Perhaps this is divine retribution.
I'll almost certainly
hang this time.
Which is why it's up to you now.
Up to me?
To finish what I started.
GONG RINGS OUT
We stand in the shadow of a tragedy,
and it's my fault.
It was I who allowed Kalon
back into the order.
It was I who trusted too much.
And it is I who must carry it
on my conscience.
But at times like this
we must open our hearts
to the light,
and keep in sight
our glorious destiny,
our paradise in the sun.
Tomorrow is the solstice.
It shall be a time of healing...
..for us all.
Continue your preparations...
..which Celeste will now
be supervising.
I came to offer my condolences.
Thank you.
Did Kalon say why he did it?
I'm not entirely convinced
he's the culprit.
Well, Inspector Mallory telephoned,
said they're charging him.
I believe he's mistaken.
So you think it was one of us?
I did notice antagonism
between you and Thelma.
On the matter of Kalon, yes.
It turns out she was right.
I was foolishly naive
to think he had truly changed.
Blinded by my own feelings.
Could not the same be true
of you, Father?
Besides, what evidence do you have
to show that he's innocent?
Nothing...yet.
But if I could just see
his room again...
What do you expect to find?
How the killer escaped.
Isn't that a job for the police?
Yes, but a second pair
of eyes wouldn't hurt.
You heard him.
In any case,
we are very busy
with our preparations,
as you can see.
My lady has spoken.
But you're more than welcome
to come back tomorrow
for our solstice celebration.
It's open to the whole community.
An excellent way
to recruit new followers, no doubt.
No different from your church fetes,
wouldn't you say?
Answer me.
Please!
What's the matter, Clara?
My mother's astral spirit
won't manifest.
Why do you think that is?
Could it be something to do
with the pills in her pocket?
Phenytoin.
It's an anti-convulsant.
The local chemist said
they'd dispensed some
to a young man from your order
a few days ago.
Your mother didn't just use
the magnifying glass
for reading and inspection, did she?
That wound's only a few hours old.
How did that happen?
After my attack,
I went to commune with the sun.
I want to show you something.
Don't be angry.
Albert. Where did you...?
I faked a prescription.
It's forbidden.
Surely it can't be the wishes of the
Astral Ancients that you suffer.
It is not ours to question
the wishes of the Astral Ancients.
The chemist said it would help
with your seizures.
I know you mean well.
But you have to throw them away.
Clara, please.
Then I'll do it. No!
I didn't take one.
It's my fault. I-I bought them.
Wait in my office.
Skin.
Astral Ancients,
look down upon this wretched child
and grant her forgiveness
for her blasphemy.
I deserved it.
No, you didn't.
I angered the Astral Ancients.
I had to pay penance.
As a priest,
surely you must understand.
As a priest,
I find sometimes that
a literal reading
of the scripture can lead you away
from the truth, not towards it.
How did your mother's magnifying
glass get broken?
I don't think you're
telling me everything.
I raised my hand against her.
Take this gift of skin
as penance for her weakness.
SHE CRIES OUT
GLASS SMASHES
And now she has forsaken me.
What are you doing?
Talking.
You're upsetting her.
Was it you that Thelma
was about to banish,
for bringing Clara the medication?
Go.
Are you all right?
I didn't tell you to do that.
Why don't you listen
to my instructions?
Father?
Father? What on earth are you doing?
I'm going fishing.
You're going fishing?
Maybe he used some sort of
magnetic device to close
the bolt from the other side
of the door.
A magnetic device?
You've been reading too much
science fiction, Sergeant.
DOOR OPENS
Apologies for the smell.
The murder weapon.
We already have the murder weapon.
Yeah, thanks to your
eagle eyes, Father.
I was wrong.
Observe the fracture.
It was cast into the pond
at the farmhouse.
That doesn't prove anything.
It could have rolled off one
of their laps while
they were fondling it.
I mean, you have to admit, Father,
apart from the crack,
there's no evidence it was used
in the murder.
Consider the fragments of glass
on the mantelpiece,
made when the murderer
smashed Gerald's orb,
to make it appear to be
the murder weapon.
What about the hair and blood?
Easily transferred from the victim.
Listen to yourself, Padre.
Spinning just-so stories,
finding any excuse to get
the killer off the hook
because your neck is on the line
for letting him out.
On the other hand, Sir,
we still haven't been able
to figure out that locked...
Quiet, Sergeant.
You're always preaching
about the truth, Padre.
Well, here's a dose for you -
you made a mistake.
You lost this one.
Now go home.
I need to retrace Thelma's steps,
then perhaps I can work out how,
as well as who.
Father Brown.
Welcome to our celebration.
You've brought your
little friends, I see.
Yes, I have.
Tobias said that all were welcome.
Of course.
But please don't go in the house.
That's private property.
I was in your pond yesterday.
You were what?
I fell in.
It was quite a spectacle.
While I was in there,
I found a spirit orb.
It was cracked.
Well...who knows how that got there.
As I said, stick to the gardens.
Astral blessings upon you.
ALL: Astral blessings upon you.
All right, I'll admit it,
she's a bit shifty.
She looked as guilty as sin.
Oh, where are you off to now?
Oh!
KNOCK ON DOOR, DOOR OPENS
I just wanted to wish you blessings
for the healing.
Thank you.
What is it?
It's our fault my mother's dead.
What are you talking about?
We angered the Astral Ancients.
I should never even have
touched those pills.
It wasn't your fault. Or mine.
How else was she killed?
There was no-one in the room.
We-we saw it with our own eyes.
She was punished
for our transgressions.
That's not true.
It was against the Word.
Maybe the Word isn't all.
Meaning?
There are more important things.
Like what?
Like-like...
What on earth are you...?
Like love.
I love you.
And I think you feel the same way.
I just want you to be well.
The Astral Ancients
will make me well.
But what if the Astral Ancients
aren't...? Stop it!
Stop! Please.
How can I love someone
who doesn't believe?
The tabernacle.
Oh.
Of course.
SHE HUMS
SHE GASPS
Where on earth is Father Brown?
Oh.
Would you be so kind as
to telephone the police station?
I'm about to apprehend the killer
and I would like Inspector Mallory
here for the arrest.
You sure about that?
I've never been more certain.
There's a telephone in the hallway.
Right.
So who is it?
Look at this.
Kalon. He must have done that
before he killed Thelma,
denouncing his own words.
We shall not speak of him today.
Today is for healing.
GONG RINGS OUT
Please...
..on this joyous day of solstice...
..we pay thanks to
the life-giving sun.
We revere its ancient power
and we celebrate
its glorious light.
The Astral Ancients
are here with us today,
and together we shall
channel their healing power.
Clara.
Astral Ancients,
we beseech you to guide
the light upon
the spirit of this, your daughter.
Touch her with your healing power,
to burn away the sickness
inside her.
We beseech you.
VARIOUS: We beseech you.
We beseech you.
We beseech you...
I can feel them.
I can feel them.We beseech you.
We beseech you.
We beseech you. We beseech you...
SHE BREATHES HEAVILY
Clara.
Continue.
Look down upon this,
your fallen daughter,
and bathe her in your light.
Cast out the shadows of sickness,
burn away the torment
that plagues her.
Stop it!
Clara. Clara.
It didn't work.
The Astral Ancients are condemning
me, just as they did my mother.
Clara, you are not being condemned.
Thank you, Father,
but this is an internal matter.
Tobias...
..was it an internal matter
when you murdered Thelma?
GASPS
That is a despicable accusation.
You killed her because
she discovered your secret.
What secret?
After she interrupted
the initiation,
Thelma didn't go to Kalon's room.
There were no black marks
on the door.
She went to your study.
What's this?
Bankruptcy.
History of bad investments.
All your money lost.
Your paradise in the sun has gone.
Whatever he has there is a forgery.
Father Brown has been
an enemy of this church
for a long time.
It's a personal vendetta.
She threatened to expose you,
didn't she?
You've been lying to us.
HE SCOFFS
No.
No, no, this is just
a setback, that's all.
We're sure to recruit new members
at the solstice.
The others have a right to know.
The Astral Ancients are guiding me.
They have a plan.
The Astral Ancients speak to me too.
I will be guided by them.
You dare defy me?
You are not our saviour.
You are a liar
and you are a hypocrite.
And everyone shall know.
No!
An evil lie.
But now you had a problem.
Dead body in your office,
murder weapon in your hand.
You needed someone to frame,
and who better than the man
the victim had antagonised
only moments ago?
So you dragged her to Kalon's room,
and my guess is you saw him.
SHE GASPS
I'll explain later. Clean up
the mess. And get rid of that orb!
Go, go!
So now we're both in on this,
are we?
You're a fantasist, Father.
You bolted the door,
prepared the scene.
But you were disturbed.
Someone must be in there.
KNOCK ON DOOR
Hello?
There was no place for you to hide,
except behind the door.
And now you had another problem.
How to leave your hiding place
without being seen in
the mirror opposite the door.
Which is why Celeste provided
you with a distraction.
SHE SCREAMS
She's dead.
It's all lies!
It's all lies.
He's on a crusade to destroy
any religion that's not his own.
Tobias, I'm here to expose
you as a liar...
..a manipulator, and a murderer.
You said you killed her for me.
CAR APPROACHES
SIREN RINGS
HE GRUNTS
Get off me.
I don't understand.
If I'm not responsible,
why am I being punished?
You're not being punished.
BELL RINGS
Good morning. You're very welcome.
It's on the front
of the newspapers -
"Religious cult goes bankrupt."
Good morning, Mrs Harrington.
Good morning.
Oh, and, Father,
I'm very sorry that I
ever doubted you.
No apologies necessary.
Well, at least that's
the last we'll be seeing
of those deranged lunat...
Would you have room in your
congregation for a few more?
There is always room in the House of
God. Is that not so, Mrs McCarthy?
What? Oh, yes. Yes, of course.
Thank you.
It is splendid to see you
looking so well.
Thank you, Father.
Yes, you look better too.
Much better than in that tunic.
Clara's seeing a doctor.
And the others?
Many have gone their own way.
But I'm helping those who want it,
and they're helping me.
Are you coming inside?
You saved me. You saved us all.
From incarceration, perhaps.
But only God can grant salvation.
I don't deserve it.Yes, you do.
After the things I've done.
God forgives.
How do you do it?
Do what?
See the good even
the darkest of souls.
Because it's there.
And I see it in you.
Thank you, Father.