‘Dalgliesh’ Recap: ‘The Murder Room, Parts 1 & 2’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the Season Two Finale of ‘Dalgleish’. To revisit the previous two episodes, click here.
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We are taught in our teenage years that we need to carefully select the right career. Simply because to do otherwise, will make us miserable, but to find the right one… well that should bring forth nothing but joy and happiness and everything we will never need to sustain us. So, we carefully choose the big job, the one to bring us peace and do whatever we must to be the best at it. For many, that plan does indeed work out well and fulfillment is found, but in reality… this isn’t gospel. For some come to learn what they thought was their calling is not and while they may be good at it… the big career can become cumbersome and can sometimes weigh heavily upon one’s soul.

Which leaves those folks wondering… what do they do when they realize that this might not be for them? That might not be able to handle what the job entails?  Well, believe it or not, the next episode of Dalgliesh on Acorn TV explores the answers to those very questions, by putting dear Adam through the wringer in ‘The Murder Room’. For when we caught up with Adam and his team in this tale, they were called to a private and historical museum, that specialized in the history of murder… to uncover what happened to a poor soul that was burned alive, and oddly enough… that death made the season two finale appear to be nothing more than a classic Dalgliesh case. One that revolved around a curiosity of murder and family and money problems.

For the deceased wasn’t going along with what his siblings wanted for the museum, and that could have cost people jobs. But as the case continued along, it became horribly apparent that something far more sinister was at play here. For the discovery of another body in this museum, one of a pregnant woman in her twenties… left the team curious as to what was really happening within the walls of this place. Because that death, appeared to be designed to keep a secret and that was the case. For it turned out this museum was nothing more than a front for a secret sex club for London’s elite. One that cost an innocent his life because he flirted with closing down a secret room in this place where the elite met to satisfy their desires, and while the team was able to shut that down and make an arrest, Adam was changed after this case was closed.

Because the effort that went into keeping this stupid secret, when lives were lost to protect it, fundamentally angered Adam like never before. For he had never seen such wanton disregard for life, nor did he care for the other surprises present in this tale. The kind that revolved around the fact that the killer might use their knowledge of the elite to snag a plea bargain. And that… just informed Adam that this job, while fulfilling in some respects, wasn’t quite what he expected it to be anymore. It had transformed into something so ugly and repugnant that he wasn’t sure that this was what he needed and that prompted him to do something quite bold. Such as threatening to resign if justice wasn’t served… and he demanded more.

Such as moving into a new role that kept him from the disgusting parts of humanity. One that would allow for him to see his investment through, while giving his protégé a chance to forge her own path, and also… let him pursue his passion of poetry more and well, that made for one wild ending to this tale. One that hammered home how a career can surprise us and change our perspective upon it, while moving Adam into a new chapter in his life. Wherein he is between worlds and no longer the officer of the law we’ve come to know and love. But those are the kinds of bold decisions that make stories great and make them worth our while and truly… it will be fascinating to see what that new chapter looks like in future seasons of this show. One that truly is a unique crime show, courtesy of its honesty and its humanity. Until next time.

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