Three weeks from the day, Jefferson Grieff is to be hanged to death. And now, the Warden must explain about the Execution Protocols from the thick binder he has brought with him, but Jefferson asks him not to go through the trouble. The only detail we get is that he will be moved to a holding room, the “death house”, as they call it, one day before the execution. Harry contemplates the future on the last morning of him as a free man. Mary too hasn’t been able to sleep and comforts Harry.
They sit outside, where Harry says he was up all night printing images of pornography on the drive to make it look more believable. Mary pleads with him to rethink his decision as doing so would destroy the family. But he is stout in his decision and thinks this is the best way to protect Ben.
Harry learns of Ed’s suicide and goes straight to Janice, ignoring Mary’s vague and shock-induced suggestion that Harry had something to do with it.
Harry strikes a deal with Janice or at least intends to, that he will let her go if the letter that the police bring proves that Ben isn’t a paedophile. He is ready to go to jail for assaulting her but will not see his son hurt if that is true.
Janice is trying to get Harry and Mary to break up. She mentions an agreement between them, and tries to sow doubt in the couple so they can take advantage. Mary is able to listen in on the conversation.
Mary confronts Harry when he comes up, but the Vicar pleads his innocence, something that Mary only half believes. Ben says that he will stay over at her girlfriend’s after school to “study” and asks about Janice. Harry panics and doesn’t realize her handbag is kept on the kitchen countertop, although not readily visible to Ben. But he did notice that, unbeknownst to Harry. ..
Morag greets Beth as she comes back. The journalist initially believes Morag is a police officer because she showed a badge, but it turns out, she is herself a criminal. Dylan reveals to Jeff that he was not executed on his scheduled date as he demanded a Buddhist be present when he “passes on”. But, there was no legislation allowing one to be there and his execution date was deferred indefinitely. ..
Jeff asks Morag to explain to Beth how he mutilated his wife after strangling her. He wants an impression of himself as a monster in Beth’s eyes. And he was on the phone all along to listen in. Morag has been sent to keep Beth safe. She is fed up with Jeff’s games and intends to go to the police.
The professor put up a great argument to convince her to stay on. He also said that Janice is an extremely smart person who understands people. She let on more than what people could see and would be potent in a situation where her back was against the wall. ..
In the next scene, Harry explains their idea to Janice of sending Mary down with a phone to listen to the police. She cleverly asks him not to gag her as it would be too traumatic for her, and the walls are soundproof anyway. But right in the next moment, she bangs her head against the pipes to make it look like one of them injured her. Both will now think the other injured her, thus, an advantage to Janice.
The police arrive and Mary takes her position downstairs. Janice asks Mary to gag her, saying that she might have an uncontrolled reaction to the police’s revelations. Oh, because she is so delicate. Boom, conspiracy. ..
The detectives show the Vicar the note and he reads it out loud. Janice signals to Mary that she is about to shout – when she really isn’t – forcing Mary to gag her. ..
The detectives are less than convinced of Harry’s story and now he is suspiciously looked at as someone protecting a pedophile. It is an exquisitely edited scene where both the simultaneous spaces are intercut to make the tension palpable. Professor confesses to Dylan that he is scared and uses his tactic to delay his execution. He then says to the Warden that he will be willing to tell the location of his wife’s severed head if his execution is delayed.
How does Janice trick Mary and Harry?
Ben turns down his girlfriend for the day and says he is going back home. But he doesn’t tell his parents. Mary is not willing to take chances and sends the email from her laptop. She also warns Harry to stay in his senses and not believe whatever Janice says.
Janice feigns a great act and gives the impression that she wants to protect Harry. Harry is convinced by her story and promises he won’t allow her to be killed. Mary goes into the garage where they have kept their old heater. But the problem is that it leaks gas, which could ignite and kill them both. ..
In a closed room, that machine turned on would be fatal. “She will be warm, and the death will be painless”, quips Mary to Harry. A defeated feeling resonates in her voice. Ben takes the keys from the drawer and uses them to make his way into the cellar.
Harry agrees to help Mary with the deed, but he’s not sure that Ben is in the house. He asks Mary to take a drive somewhere and let him complete the deed. He puts the heater in the basement, but Ben doesn’t jump out. Janice gets worried when Ben says the door is locked from the outside, fearing that this might be it.
Harry seals off the cellar with tape and plays Beethoven to keep the horror of the cellar at bay. Ben keeps knocking in vain and Mary incessantly calls Harry to let him know the email was a trap. There may not be a meeting scheduled. ..
The Episode Review
Although it was something that could have been predicted given the limited avenues the story could go in, the way it all happens breaks your heart. ..
The montage in the finale is very treacherous because of the people involved. You would probably wince and gasp through it. The episode, barring Morag and Beth’s useless interaction, made strides in all the right places. On all fronts, we see the finale building up as an impressive conclusion. While the first two episodes did marginally test your patience, the third one is quite rewarding to watch. ..
The sudden mastermind syndrome that the writers arouse in Janice is jarring but indeed a nice surprise. Maybe they blew it a bit out of proportion but it was fun to watch.
Jefferson is always “unfazed” by the prospect of facing something he is usually considered unqualified to handle. The prospect of being tricked again makes him crumble under the pressure. Beth called him this in prison. Mary’s tantalizing realization was a bit naïve. When the woman has tricked you before, why would you believe her again?
The decision-making in this episode was poor. It’s understandable that they’re not used to such situations, but it should have been better. Well, this episode is what saved Inside Man, which turned out to be a flat show until now.
