‘Whitstable Pearl’ Recap: ‘A Cup O’ Kindness’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Five of ‘Whitstable Pearl’.
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It is definitely safe to say that criminals at any level are viewed in a supremely negative light because there really is a stigma that surrounds committing a crime. One that immediately makes people believe that those who go to jail or commit an illegal act, have somehow decided to turn their back on the moral standing of mankind to sow chaos and sorrow. Which is a line of thinking that has been engrained in us because the criminals that make the national news are often times twisted individuals that really have opted to do something horrible in the name of outright evil or to send a message. But outside of that, such perception is woefully incorrect. Because not all criminals are comic book villains or serial killers that are eager to harm everyone in the name of some deep-rooted disdain for humanity.

No instead, a vast majority of criminals are people that make mistakes in the moment, and they do their time, and they return to society with few ever knowing about their crimes. Or they decide to hurt others because they have a psychological need to fulfill and that’s why stories that feature a more realistic look at crime in the world, deserve a round of applause. Because these are tales that are genuinely working to educate us on what the world really looks like and how it becomes quite grey for some and really, all of this is relevant to our discussion today… simply because the next episode of Whitstable Pearl on Acorn TV, takes the time to tech us about the pettier and simpler reasons that sometimes motivate people to commit crimes. A feat that ‘A Cup O’ Kindness’ achieved… after outright fooling us. For early on in this tale, it appeared as though this story was going to be a more traditional crime story, since Pearl was pulled into what appeared to be a sailing family feud, one where someone had murder on their mind.

Because boats were being damaged and people were close to getting badly hurt, seemingly because two families could not stand one another. But something about their fight didn't quite scream murderous intentions, because while there was bad blood between these two families, there was no proper motive for such an act. Which motivated Pearl to look closer at the constant infighting within the Mills family, to see if there was a different culprit bringing about all of this strange trouble and that was indeed the case. For it was revealed that young Chloe, a teenager caught in the crossfire of her parents’ divorce, was acting out and causing harm to all things sailing as a cry for help. Giving us our first lesson in why people commit crimes, since her actions were rooted in an emotional breakdown. Which helped to teach us that sometimes, being pushed to our emotional limits can motivate us to do stupid things, rules be damned.

But while that alone could have carried this tale and hammered home the lesson nicely, there was another aspect to this theme that the show wanted to explore. Specifically, how some people will commit crimes to fill a psychological void in their hearts. And that was handled by way of a surprise revelation. In that, Chloe’s grandmother; Rosie… was outright poisoning her. Not because she was cruel and evil or eager to teach Chloe some kind of horrible lesson. But because grandma had no sense of self-worth or validation, and by hurting Chloe and her daughter years before… she was needed and wanted by them, and could ride that high for as long as it would last. Making her a pathetic villain when all is said and done, one that simply never loved herself in the slightest and that is quite the incredible twist to inject into what turned out to be one incredible episode. 

Because this really is the kind of stuff that is rarely addressed in crime dramas, and it was simply refreshing to see some genuinely realistic crimes play out here. Which just goes to show that Whitstable Pearl is eager to be a crime drama unlike any other and it is doing a fine job of establishing that title for certain, and it is also doing a wonderful job… of giving the audience what it wants. For this episode also saw something incredible happen, in that… DCI Mike McGuire finally came to realize that Pearl had captured his heart and helped him to believe that there is life after loss after all. Which in turn motivated them to share an intimate kiss and well, that was supremely satisfying to see since they truly deserve one another, and it will be quite nice to finally see Pearl Nolan and Mike McGuire, enjoy a little happiness for a change, when next week’s season finale gets underway.

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