This hilarious episode is full of teases, with a story told in many flashbacks which gradually converge with the normal timeline.
A man called Humphrey Brean is found dead in front of his Toronto house, clutching a butterfly net, apparently having fallen from the top floor window. Murdoch arrives at the scene only to find a member of the North West Mounted Police, Sergeant Jasper Linney, already there, conducting interviews. When Dr Ogden arrives at the scene, Murdoch briefs her that Brean apparently died by accident when trying to catch a butterfly, only for Linney to jump in and declare it no accident. Murdoch disputes this, based on the lack of any evidence of breaking and entering etc. Linney sticks to his version, saying that Murdoch has ignored the other victim. Exasperated, Murdoch asks which other victim, to which Linney replies that the butterfly was also murdered.
Back at Police Station 4, Linney explains that he is investigating the death of Uriah Doakes in British Columbia. Doakes had died when he was run over by a train. Two things stood out about the death, first that the Coroner recorded that Doakes was drunk when he died, though Doakes was a teetotaler, and second, he was carrying a business card belonging to Detective Murdoch, though Murdoch says he never met him. Doakes had been hired by Humphrey Brean to evaluate an ore sample. Both Inspector Brackenreid and Constable Crabtree quickly note remarkable similarities between Murdoch and Linney, not only in their mannerisms, but also in the way the approach their investigations. Linney heads off to the morgue, where Dr Ogden confirms that the butterfly was dead before it was placed in the net. After finishing the Police business, Murdoch tries to speak to Dr Ogden about matters of the heart, but is interrupted.
Linney and Murdoch visit Brean's business partner, Oscar Vanderlay, who confirms that Doakes had been hired to look at an ore sample from the Arkona Mines operation in Pringle Creek, British Columbia, but there was nothing special about the sample. As the officers leave Mr Vanderlay, so a smartly dressed man who looked as if he was heading for the Vanderlay office suddenly turns away and instead calls next door, only to be sent away by the brusque woman within, who does not want the services of a ratcatcher. At the Toronto office of Arkona Mines, Eldon Fremont has not heard of Uriah Doakes, nor is he aware of any activity in Pringle Creek, though they are a large company, with interests in many places.
Back at Police Station 4, Linney and Murdoch examine a map of British Columbia, but can find no trace of a town called Pringle Creek. Inspector Brackenreid has been digging, and has found that Accidental Al, a hired killer whose trademark is to stage the murders so that they appear to be accidents, is back in Canada. Accidental Al, says Brackenreid, often poses as a tradesman to gain access to his victims. Linney and Murdoch recall the ratcatcher from earlier, and rush back to Vanderlay's office, to find him dead under a fallen bookcase, clutching a copy of the collected works of William McGonagall, famed writer of some of the most abysmal poetry ever. Since nobody would voluntarily reach for that book, Linney and Murdoch chalk another murder up to Accidental Al.
Returning to Police Station 4, Inspector Brackenreid is convinced that Arkona Mines is involved in a conspiracy. Constable Crabtree has found that Arkona Mines have bought large tracts of land around a small watercourse called Pringle Creek, and he has found other individuals who have also been buying land in the area. Crabtree shows Murdoch the list, which includes the name Harry Murdoch, the Detective's father. Both Linney and Murdoch travel to British Columbia in search of Pringle Creek, Murdoch's father, and the resolution of the mystery.
Brackenreid has Fremont brought to Police Station 4 for questioning. He suggests Arkona Mines are involved in a land swindle, but Fremont claims that they know there is no profit to be made at Pringle Creek, and have already refunded all their investors, so nobody loses.
So, what will Linney and Murdoch find at Pringle Creek? Is there anyone else on Accidental Al's hit list? How, exactly, is Murdoch's father involved? Will Murdoch ever get to finish his conversation with Dr Ogden?
In this episode, we learn a lot about Detective Murdoch, especially about the way people close to him think about him. The shifts in the time line do make the story more exciting,though at the same time, they do disorient the viewer at the beginning.
A man called Humphrey Brean is found dead in front of his Toronto house, clutching a butterfly net, apparently having fallen from the top floor window. Murdoch arrives at the scene only to find a member of the North West Mounted Police, Sergeant Jasper Linney, already there, conducting interviews. When Dr Ogden arrives at the scene, Murdoch briefs her that Brean apparently died by accident when trying to catch a butterfly, only for Linney to jump in and declare it no accident. Murdoch disputes this, based on the lack of any evidence of breaking and entering etc. Linney sticks to his version, saying that Murdoch has ignored the other victim. Exasperated, Murdoch asks which other victim, to which Linney replies that the butterfly was also murdered.
Back at Police Station 4, Linney explains that he is investigating the death of Uriah Doakes in British Columbia. Doakes had died when he was run over by a train. Two things stood out about the death, first that the Coroner recorded that Doakes was drunk when he died, though Doakes was a teetotaler, and second, he was carrying a business card belonging to Detective Murdoch, though Murdoch says he never met him. Doakes had been hired by Humphrey Brean to evaluate an ore sample. Both Inspector Brackenreid and Constable Crabtree quickly note remarkable similarities between Murdoch and Linney, not only in their mannerisms, but also in the way the approach their investigations. Linney heads off to the morgue, where Dr Ogden confirms that the butterfly was dead before it was placed in the net. After finishing the Police business, Murdoch tries to speak to Dr Ogden about matters of the heart, but is interrupted.
Linney and Murdoch visit Brean's business partner, Oscar Vanderlay, who confirms that Doakes had been hired to look at an ore sample from the Arkona Mines operation in Pringle Creek, British Columbia, but there was nothing special about the sample. As the officers leave Mr Vanderlay, so a smartly dressed man who looked as if he was heading for the Vanderlay office suddenly turns away and instead calls next door, only to be sent away by the brusque woman within, who does not want the services of a ratcatcher. At the Toronto office of Arkona Mines, Eldon Fremont has not heard of Uriah Doakes, nor is he aware of any activity in Pringle Creek, though they are a large company, with interests in many places.
Back at Police Station 4, Linney and Murdoch examine a map of British Columbia, but can find no trace of a town called Pringle Creek. Inspector Brackenreid has been digging, and has found that Accidental Al, a hired killer whose trademark is to stage the murders so that they appear to be accidents, is back in Canada. Accidental Al, says Brackenreid, often poses as a tradesman to gain access to his victims. Linney and Murdoch recall the ratcatcher from earlier, and rush back to Vanderlay's office, to find him dead under a fallen bookcase, clutching a copy of the collected works of William McGonagall, famed writer of some of the most abysmal poetry ever. Since nobody would voluntarily reach for that book, Linney and Murdoch chalk another murder up to Accidental Al.
Returning to Police Station 4, Inspector Brackenreid is convinced that Arkona Mines is involved in a conspiracy. Constable Crabtree has found that Arkona Mines have bought large tracts of land around a small watercourse called Pringle Creek, and he has found other individuals who have also been buying land in the area. Crabtree shows Murdoch the list, which includes the name Harry Murdoch, the Detective's father. Both Linney and Murdoch travel to British Columbia in search of Pringle Creek, Murdoch's father, and the resolution of the mystery.
Brackenreid has Fremont brought to Police Station 4 for questioning. He suggests Arkona Mines are involved in a land swindle, but Fremont claims that they know there is no profit to be made at Pringle Creek, and have already refunded all their investors, so nobody loses.
So, what will Linney and Murdoch find at Pringle Creek? Is there anyone else on Accidental Al's hit list? How, exactly, is Murdoch's father involved? Will Murdoch ever get to finish his conversation with Dr Ogden?
In this episode, we learn a lot about Detective Murdoch, especially about the way people close to him think about him. The shifts in the time line do make the story more exciting,though at the same time, they do disorient the viewer at the beginning.
