As the episode begins, Beth (Ann Skelly) finds Billy (Matthew Rhys) passed out on his bed. She begins searching through his pocket. She grabs the keys to the safe. Billy doesn’t budge. Beth works quickly to find out which key opens the safe. She gets it open and begins stealing a lot of the gold. Billy moves a bit in his bed, but goes right back to sleep. Beth also takes a ring. She looks through the other items in the safe. A picture of Catherine (Valene Kane) and Billy results in a flashback. A young Beth asks Billy how her mother died. Billy tells her that it was an accident. He begins telling her about Catherine’s longhorn bull calf named Cooley. Over the years, Cooley grew headstrong and savage.
He claims that Cooley killed Catherine. Billy is emotion throughout the retelling of the story. Beth looks at the last will of Billy. Billy leaves all of his estate, real and personal property to Beth. If she marries, she must marry a Protestant man to get the inheritance. If she doesn’t, everything will remain in trust. If she doesn’t marry and doesn’t have a child, the entire state will go to Billy’s next of kin. Beth finishes, gets dressed and prepares to flee. She writes a letter before she goes. She apologizes to Billy, but claims he left her little choice. She complains his behavior over the past years. She tells him that there was blame on both sides between him and her mother. She was caught in the middle.
She doesn’t want Billy to try to find her. The letter is finished and signed. Beth takes the carriage and begins her escape. The horse, Punch, stops. Beth watches someone running at her in the distance. It is only Dummy. He seems scared of something in front of him. He tries to tell her to turn around and go the other way. He leads her and the horse back home. He writes for her. He explains that he was asleep in the grass. He was awoken by digging. Two men were digging. He claims that they were digging a grave for her. He tells her that he heard them talking about it. One man was Liam Ward (Jamie Dornan). The other one was Frank Blessing (Martin McCann). Beth becomes distraught.
Dummy promises that he is not lying. He is afraid to take her to the site. Beth thanks Dummy and encourages him to leave. Beth begins unloading the stolen gold. She cries as she returns it. Billy comes down stairs and catches her. He calls her a thief and begins attacking her. Beth is forced to run from the house. Billy curses her as she flees. Beth stumbles through the woods and wonders what God is up to. Beth finds the grave. She wonders what Blessing and Ward had planned for her. She realizes that there can be no returning. She contemplates where to go from there. Ward and Blessing wait for Beth. They aren’t sure what to do next. Beth visits Liam’s cottage and drinks booze. She looks at her face in the mirror. She is a bloody mess.
She makes it clear that she will never forgive Billy. She does her best to clean the blood from her face. She becomes enraged. Liam approaches. Beth prepares to put on a show for him. Beth pretends she got caught. She tells Liam that Billy spilled some of his whisky and might have gotten sick. Liam insists he didn’t hear anything. She tells Ward that Billy cursed him as she ran from the house. Liam isn’t willing to start a new life without the gold. Beth makes Ward aware of the risk and loss she suffered from the scheme. She tells him that she lost everything and he nothing. Beth encourages Liam to kill Billy. Liam suggests today would be a bad day for that. He claims that she is talking very odd. She admits she left everything behind.
Blessing arrives outside. Liam pretends that Frank is drunk. Liam tells Blessing all about Beth’s night. Frank is allowed inside under false pretenses. Beth tells him about the beating. Beth tries to convince Liam that someone squealed on them. She points the blame at Blessing. Beth tells Frank everything that Mercy (Charlene McKenna) said about him. Beth pushes all of Frank’s buttons. When he leaves, she begins starting a fire. Beth again encourages Liam to kill Billy. Liam tells her that there will be no killing. She belittles Liam for being friends with Blessing. Beth reminds Liam that he can pay Billy rent and they can stay at the cottage. He tells her that she is raving. He tells her that she cannot stay.
Beth tells Liam that she is pregnant and they need to make sure that their baby is going to be somebody. Liam falls for it. He immediately becomes a sucker for the baby. He tells her that she shouldn’t have kept that from him. She suggests going to Corvey Island. The two travel to the island together. Beth stands up in the boat and begins to rock it. Liam reminds her that he cannot swim. The boat rocks over and Liam goes in. He calls for her. Liam flails around in the water. Liam eventually goes into the water and doesn’t emerge. Beth removes her dress and prepares to swim for land. She eventually makes it. She rushes to the cottage and starts a fire. It doesn’t start so she goes to sleep.
Billy travels to Corvey Island and finds Beth. He cuddles and kisses her. He admits he thought she was dead. He calls her the light of his life. Billy explains that Dummy told him everything. He claims that the beating was a terrible mistake. Billy calls Liam evil. Beth asks what he is. She admits to loving Liam. She tells Billy about Ward’s demise. She tells him about rocking the boat and watching Liam sink. Billy explains that they will call it death by misadventure. She reminds Billy that she is not his daughter. He starts a fire for her. He asks Beth if she can ever forgive him. She admits that she may never be able to. She tells Billy that she hates him. She would kill him and feel nothing. She tells him that she will always hate him. He repays the favor by claiming that he will always love her.
Beth tells him about Ward’s baby. He tells her that they’re a pair. They’re both tethered to treachery. He contemplates marrying, going elsewhere and raising the child. She tells him unto death.
Death And Nightingales Review
I enjoyed most of the finale of Death and Nightingales. I thought it was comical how quickly Liam Ward was ready to change when he found out that Beth was pregnant. His death was somewhat satisfying. I almost felt sorry for Liam there in the end. Is there a worse way to die than drowning? Fire could be just as bad though. I would have liked to have seen more though. What happened with Blessing? Where did Billy and Beth go from there? What about Dummy and Mercy?
The finale was okay, but somewhat open ended. Again, I haven’t read the book so I am not sure how faithful the TV show was. The finale scores a 7.5 out of 10. Catch up with previous recaps of Death and Nightingales now!
