‘Harry Wild’ Recap: ‘Best Laid Schemes’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Six of ‘Harry Wild’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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It is always a wonderful thing when a television show works to surprise and challenge its audience with dynamic stories that captivate and engage. Because it means that the people behind the scenes, know they have something special on their hands, and if they really go all out in providing the viewers with quality stories that push the envelope in the right way, and pour every ounce of care they can into them… they’ll create something that truly stands out from the pack and is recognized for its originality and its boldness and once such show that meets this criteria, is Harry Wild on Acorn TV. Because every single episode of this show's inaugural season has been nothing short of refreshing, and original and unique.

Courtesy of its stellar cast and acting and the stories it tells. Since it has broached some tough subjects and offered up mysteries that both titillate and terrify, and leave us thinking as well, and thankfully, this show is showing no signs of slowing down when it comes to this unspoken edict to just… go for it, as evidenced by the next chapter in this journey. For ‘Best Laid Schemes’ is another unique story that one again changed things up and actually managed to scale down Harry’s world and provide us with a down-home classic mystery. One complete with a captive audience and misdirection and an ending that was difficult to pin down and it accomplished this feat… by putting Harry, and Fergus and Lola in a unique situation.

For when we catch up with them, here, they are just enjoying a quiet evening at Harry’s local watering hole and debating whether or not they should head home for the night with a nasty storm brewing outside… and it is that storm that creates captivity. For it suddenly surges and isolates everyone within the pub from the world, since cell towers get knocked out and it isn’t safe to travel. Making it appear as though a cold drink and a warm fire and good conversation are in store for everyone. That is until a surprise in the parking lot changes everything. Since the trio and Glen, discover that the trunk of one particular car, is making noises. All because a man is trapped within its confines and once, they get him inside, Harry makes the call to investigate everyone in the bar, since the kidnapper is likely trapped with them.

Which is what leads to the fascinating mystery at hand, since Harry and Fergus, and Glen to an extent… have to quietly interrogate everyone within the bar to figure out who hurt this man and well… that goes nowhere fast. Because no one seems to have a motive and because Harry gets distracted by a disastrous errand of mercy. Wherein a kind doctor who notices she’s up to something, confesses he’s here to exchange cash to bring that kidnapped man home. An exchange that of course, leads to disaster when the kidnapper becomes a killer, and takes out the poor soul the team rescued. But of course, eventually… the killer exposes themselves to be the doctor in question and thanks to Harry’s quick thinking, and Lola’s bravery, since she heads to the police station to get help… the man is brought to justice and put behind bars. 

But what made this sequence so wonderful and so bold, and refreshing is that… Fergus and Harry had little to work with clue wise. For the good doctor did a fine job of keeping his cover, and that meant Harry had to get creative and really dig deep for clues and well… you just don’t see that in crime stories these days. So, it was supremely refreshing to see this episode offer up an old-school murder mystery, one that kept the audience guessing alongside Harry, since there was plenty of suspicion to go around, and well… this outright confirms, that Harry Wild is an incredibly refreshing crime series. One that keeps pushing the envelope and offering up surprises at every turn and really in the end, as we prepare to enjoy the final two episodes of the season, it is best we adopt one particular mantra when it comes to this series. In that, we should expect the unexpected, because that’s where this series thrives. Until next time.

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