‘Whitstable Pearl’ Recap: ‘The Gumshoe and the Femme Fatale’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 204 of ‘Whitstable Pearl’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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Anything. That is the word that anyone who is asked the question, ‘how far would you go to keep your family safe?’ mutters as their answer. Because family is everything to us, and if they are in danger, there’s no way we will allow for harm to come to them. But what’s funny about that particular question, is that it is more or less asked with a unique implication at play. On that speaks to the real possibility that we would be making this decision at a time when a mortal threat was standing before our family. Making this question more of a test of love and loyalty than what it really is designed to do. Which is to challenge our moral center. 
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Because to truly do anything for our family, means that we are willing to cross certain lines at any given time to ensure not only their safety and survival, but their ability to thrive in this life. Which does indeed change our answer because if we were required to say… cause someone else great harm in order to put a smile on our family’s faces or help them sleep better at night during a trying time… could we? Well, that’s a far gritter version of that question that the next episode of Whistable Pearl on Acorn TV works to answer. For ‘The Gumshoe and the Femme Fatale’ is a story that sees Pearl work with a housekeeper named Natalia. Who believed that she and her boss, the once famous horror scream queen, Zelda St. John, were in great danger.

Because Zelda changed up her will, and planned to leave everything to Natalia, and it was the belief that the family would respond toward this change with violence against both parties. Which was a warning that came to fruition in a unique manner, since Zelda was badly beaten and claimed that Natalia had turned upon her. A claim that appeared to have nothing but facts behind it, since Natalia was surrounded by evidence that spoke to an assault. But something about this didn’t sit right with Pearl, and the gaps in the story were too great to ignore. Which prompted her to gather just enough evidence to confront Zelda with the truth. In that, she staged this to get back in the spotlight and use her refreshed notoriety to potentially sell a lackluster novel about her life. Which Zelda admitted to doing, but only to keep her family safe. Because the money was gone, and her death was near and if putting someone behind bars was the best way to keep them financially safe… so be it.

Which is a plot that wonderfully addresses that question in the manner it was supposed to. For it is designed to make us ponder upon how such an act might be tougher than we know. Because if we have everything to lose in doing so… we might not be so willing to just blow a life up in the name of our family. That makes this, another brilliant tale for certain, one that once again offers up a different kind of crime and a different kind of case and features some wonderful commentary to go alongside it. The kind that will prompt us to never look at that question the same, ever again, and what’s amazing… is that this story had so much more to offer us beyond Pearl’s phenomenal work here. It also gave us some interesting insight regarding Mike’s struggles.

For we subtly came to learn here… that Mike isn’t healed quite yet. And there’s nothing wrong with that because Rome wasn’t built in a day. But he loves Pearl deeply and loving someone again scares the hell out of him, to the point where he is doing stupid stuff now. Such as hanging onto a relationship he knows has no future, and by pushing Pearl further and further away. To prevent being near what his heart is telling him he wants, out of the belief he’ll lose this new love too, and that is also… brilliant and realistic for certain and it sets the stage for a will they or won’t they moment for the ages. One that we hope ends with Mike and Pearl finally finding one another in this life, and the only way to know if that is even remotely going to be the case, is to continue the journey post haste and enjoy some fascinating crimes along the way. Until next time. 

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