Written by John Edward Betancourt Caution: This article contains spoilers for the series premiere of ‘Dalgliesh’. We are taught from a very early age, that sticking with the truth in all things… is one of the keys to living a fulfilling life. Because to do so allows for people to trust us in every way imaginable and we also sleep pretty darn good at night when our conscience is clear and free of deception, and one of the ways our parents hammer this lesson home, is by outright scaring us. Since they paint us a quite the terrifying picture to teach us about the dangers of lying. One where liars transform into disgusting and inhumane monsters for committing to deception. But what’s wild about this lesson, is that it never really sticks with us. For we come to learn that lying is a sometimes-essential act and for some, lying is the only way to live. In fact, it becomes so important to them, that they will do anything to keep it going. If anything, the power of the lie and why some commit to them, are relevant to our discussion today… because both notions were explored in great detail in the series premiere of the new Acorn TV series, Dalgliesh. But it sure didn’t seem as though that was going to be the case early on. For ‘Shroud for a Nightingale’ offered up quite the unique case, where a young nurse-in-training, passed away in a violent manner when a mix up occurred during a demonstration at a nursing school. And initially, it appeared as though this death was related to matters of revenge. For this was a competitive group of nursing students, some of which seemed to clash with the deceased. But revenge seemed too simple an act for the complex thought that went into how this nurse died and that motivated Inspector Adam Dalgliesh to dig deeper and that in turn, brought forth the possibility… that this was a crime of passion. For the more he investigated this facility, the more he came to discover that its top doc, a Mister Stephen Courtney-Briggs, enjoyed spending quiet time in private with prospective nurses, in a manner unbecoming of a man in a position of power and what led Dalgliesh to think that there might be foul play from a dark lover, was the passing of another nurse. One that was carrying Stephen’s child and she was also one of many nurses, that the good doctor was having an affair with. Which could easily the stage for jealousy and bloodshed. But Stephen’s remorseful response to Adam’s line of questioning didn’t really implicate the doctor as the real killer and that in turn motivated Adam to dig even deeper and well, that’s when the exploration revolving around the episode’s central themes, got underway. Because it turns out, that the two dead nurses made quite the discovery, in that… there might be a former Nazi in their midst. Because a patient that recently passed, swore up and down he saw a nurse in this facility that was once at the Nazi trials that came about after the war and well… that particular revelation led to several more. In that, the deceased was correct. For a former nurse who did unspeakable acts while working for the Reich had found her way here and once her secret was uncovered… she killed those students to protect it and to keep the lies she told going. In fact, she went so far as to try and pin her true identity on another nurse in order to continue to enjoy her freedom. But unfortunately for her, Adam was able to piece everything together and confronted Matron Taylor about her true identity and sorted past and that is when it became clear… that when some people have done terrible things they regret and refuse to atone for them… lies are the best way to reconcile their fate and forge a new one. That is until it catches up with them. Which is… a fascinating and bleak way to explore such matters, but it speaks volumes to the fact that Dalgliesh is going to be a crime drama unlike any other. Thanks in large part to its setting, since the 1970s will make sourcing clues tougher for Adam since the internet doesn’t exist yet, neither do advanced forensics. But what truly allows for this series to stand out above the rest, is the sheer fact that it is clearly going to focus on the darker aspects of the human condition. For taking the time to examine the nature of lying and how far some take it, alongside how easily we slide into it to protect ourselves from harm, really is the kind of philosophical stuff that crime dramas tend to avoid. But this one went full-bore into its subject matter and offered no mercy or relief in its examinations, and that definitely leaves the viewer eager to see more of Adam’s adventures. So that we can see what other dark corners of the human condition this series will shine a light upon. Until next time.
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