In the third installment of Netflix's "Bodies," titled "All In Good Time," the narrative threads of the four timelines begin to intertwine more tightly, revealing a complex web of connections and secrets. The episode opens in 1890 with Detective Inspector Hillinghead (Kyle Soller) returning home from a ceremony, only to be met by Henry Ashe (George Parker), who has uncovered a crucial clue in their murder investigation .
Hillinghead and Ashe visit the scene of the crime and discover a hexagonal hole in the soil, a mark left by the distinctive swan-neck cane of the man in the photograph. This clue leads them to the Harker House, where they encounter Julian Harker (Stephen Graham) and his mother, Lady Agatha . Hillinghead recognizes Harker as the man whose reflection was captured in the photograph taken at the crime scene.
The episode takes a dark turn when Hillinghead attends a party at the Harker House, where he is drugged by Julian and subjected to a twisted game. A séance is conducted by Lady Agatha, during which the spirit of Gabriel Defoe is summoned. Defoe's spirit denies Julian as his killer, but Hillinghead, under the influence of the drug, is unable to trust the outcome. He wakes up outside the Harker House, disoriented and fearing for his safety and that of his family .
In 1941, Detective Whiteman (Jacob Fortune-Lloyd) faces a moral dilemma when he is ordered to kill a young Jewish girl who witnessed him committing a murder. Despite his initial reluctance, Whiteman's desire to protect his position leads him to take drastic measures. He poisons the girl, only to later fake her death and spare her life, highlighting the internal conflict within Whiteman .
In the 2023 timeline, Sergeant Hasan (Amaka Okafor) grapples with the truth about Elias Mannix. Mannix, who has infiltrated her home, is arrested and confesses to the murders, but later recants, claiming he was set up by his foster parents. Hasan is left to navigate the murky waters of truth and manipulation, unsure of who to trust .
In 2053, Iris Maplewood (Shira Haas) and Gabriel Defoe (also played by Stephen Graham) delve deeper into the mystery surrounding the terrorist organization Chapel Perilous. Defoe, who is found dead in the past, is revealed to be alive in the future, complicating the already intricate time-travel narrative. The organization's work on time travel and their connection to Defoe's research add another layer to the mystery .
"All In Good Time" is a pivotal episode in "Bodies," where the threads of the past, present, and future begin to converge. The detectives from each era are drawn deeper into the mystery, each facing their own challenges and moral dilemmas. The episode ends with Hasan discovering Hillinghead's name scrawled on the wall of Longharvest Lane, a connection across time that suggests a larger conspiracy at play .
The episode is a masterful blend of mystery, suspense, and time-travel narrative, keeping viewers on the edge of their seats as the story unfolds. With each revelation, the web of deceit and intrigue becomes more tangled, leaving audiences eager for the next installment in this gripping series .