‘Dalgleish’ Recap: ‘Devices and Desires’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Bertie Carvel and Carlyss Peer as Commander Adam Dalgliesh and DCI Kate Miskin in Episodes 305 & 306 of ‘Dalgliesh’ – ‘Devices and Desires’. (Photo Courtesy of Acorn TV.)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the Season Three Finale of ‘Dalgliesh’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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It is definitely safe to say, that this explosion of crime dramas on television, has allowed for us to learn a great deal about what motivates a person to commit to the ultimate act. Since these shows have pondered upon the various litany of emotions that push people to kill, and we of course… know that money can be a mitigating factor. Not to mention we’ve seen time and time again, how a perfect storm of bad moments can also just break a person and push them into darkness. Which is why it is always refreshing and amazing when we see a crime drama ponder upon new reasons why people kill, simply because in this day and age it’s hard to find something new to explore.

But the season three finale of Dalgliesh on Acorn TV, managed to find something new to ponder upon, courtesy of Commander Adam Dalgliesh’s toughest and most complex case to date in ‘Devices and Desires’. For he was sent out to look into some strange deaths in a town near a nuclear power plant. The kind that had the top brass concerned that agents of chaos were using the murders as cover to do something nefarious to the plant and well, there was real cause to be concerned about that. Because at one point, it became inherently clear that foreign agents were indeed present in the town and in the power plant, and oddly enough… the search to find the bloodthirsty killer in this town, was enough to get them recalled and eventually put down for failure.

Because there was serious trouble happening in this town, and that put a lot of attention upon it. For someone was strangling women and carving an ‘L’ into their foreheads, and since the power plant’s name started with an L, that was where the fear and confusion started from on high. But in the end, this turned out to be nothing more than a serial killer. One whose mother was named Lil, and since the killer also offed her, he made his hate for her and hate for women his calling card. All of which made it seem as though, madness was the reason for killing in this tale, but there was something more at play here. Because shortly after the serial killer in this down was discovered dead, another victim, one that was a higher up at the power plant, turned up, and the circumstances surrounding her passing, matched the serial killer’s patterns. But there was one problem, she died… at the same time the killer did.

Which meant, there was a copycat killer in this place, and with the majority of the issues solved, the temperature cooled in the town and the plant’s manager prepared for a new role in the government. Which allowed for the truth about that final death to come forth, courtesy of another look at the evidence. That revealed that the plant manager’s sister, an acquaintance of Adam’s, was responsible for that final death. Because the deceased in question had information that could have ruined the plant manager’s ascension to the top, and he also knew the details about the case and well… family talks. So, his sister knew what was happening and killed to protect her brother and pay him back. Since this was not the first kill for this old acquaintance. In fact, her first was her father, and her dear brother made sure she did not take the fall for it.

That means, this episode explored the hideous nature a payback killing, and that was a unique aspect of murder to explore, and that made for one disturbing tale. One that was so epic, and so moving. Courtesy of the plot, and the little moments present that saw Kate return to the story, and saw Adam open up about his pain and anguish before giving us hope for a better future for him emotionally. All of which made for one amazing finale. One that really did up the ante for this show while showcasing how weird murder can be, and hopefully… there are more stories about Adam on the horizon. So, we can enjoy more unique cases such as this one and spend more time with a brilliant investigator that we utterly adore.

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