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Warning: Post contains spoilers
“Murdoch Mysteries” season 15 episode 3 “Manhunt” opens with pair of cops bringing a casket to a graveyard. When the gravedigger pours a drink on top of the coffin, the lid begins to open as the occupant emerges. And it’s none other than Chief Constable Giles (Nigel Bennett). Giles was arrested for being homosexual and for falsifying evidence at a crime scene. Upon discovering Percival Giles’s escape, Detective William Murdoch (Yannick Bisson) of the Toronto Constabulary requests permission from Inspector Thomas Brackenreid (Thomas Craig) to visit Kingston Penitentiary to seek evidence in locating Giles.
After reviewing Giles’s correspondence, Murdoch locates a coded letter that leads to former copper and current barkeep John Hodge (Brian Kaulback). Hodge reveals another letter that puts Brackenreid and Murdoch on the trail of Giles. Eventually, Murdoch finds Percival. The former Chief Constable reveals that he broke out of jail for fear that he incarcerated the wrong man in a murder case. Det. Murdoch agrees to assist Giles in solving the case.
Dr. Julia Ogden (Helene Joy) meets with a patient who explains that her husband fears too much physical activity has rendered her incapable of bearing children. Doctor Ogden scoffs at this ridiculous notion, inquiring about the specific activity. The patient explains that it’s mintonette, or volleyball.
Lawyer Effie Newsome (Clare McConnell) grapples with her recent kidnapping at the hands of the Ernst twins, Dorothy and Amelia (both portrayed by Sarah Swire). Effie expresses the desire to leave her law profession, but Julia recommends a less reactionary course of action. While chatting, Dr. Ogden and Effie happen upon a game of volleyball. When reporter Louise Cherry (Bea Santos) berates her teammates to the point of them walking off of the volleyball pitch, Cherry recruits Newsome and Ogden to join her team. Toronto City coroner Miss Violet Hart (Shanice Banton) adds to the team. And Julia recruits Inspector Brackenreid to coach the team.
After the two-parter in episodes “What We do for Love” parts 1 and 2, it’s a refreshing change of pace to have one main story arc with a few subplots. Interestingly, “Murdoch Mysteries” season 15 episode 3 “Manhunt” is a rare episode without a murder. Instead, Giles, Murdoch, and Brackenreid seek to solve a former murder and potentially exonerate a wrongfully condemned killer. Likewise, Det. Llewellyn Watts (Daniel Maslany) and Constable George Crabtree (Jonny Harris) don’t appear at all in the episode.
At the conclusion of the episode, rather than turn Giles in, Murdoch stages a stick up with Percival holding William at knifepoint, then taking his sidearm. Murdoch receives a mysterious package at Station House No. 4 with his gun inside from Giles, presumably now safely escaped. However, I’d wager we’ll see the former Chief Constable again in the future. It’s fascinating to witness Murdoch’s character arc, from a rigid detective to a nuanced member of the constabulory willing to bend the rules. Ultimately, “Manhunt” is a magnificent episode with a familiar face.
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