'The Long Call': Episode 3 Recap
Once again an episode of The Long Call opens with another early morning montage: Rosa, released from the hospital, is brought home by Dorothy and her mother Ruth. Matthew and Jonathan are bracing themselves for Dorothy’s visit later that day, and soon after Matthew and Jen intercept Christopher Reasley during his morning run and summon him to the station for an interview. It’s compelling watching, although we still don’t know the truth about Simon’s murder or how ensuing events relate to it. In the next episode, everything will be revealed, and I'm not sure whether I want a tidy end or if I'd like to spend more time in this complicated and conflicted world.
Reasley, who is definitely up to something serious, claims the necklace was bought for his daughter but he gave it to Rosa who was very upset (about nothing much, such a sensitive girl), and riffs a little on how ill-prepared she is to face the world. Not a smart move, he admits. We know he’s lying, and so do Matthew and Jen, but why, and what is he covering up? Why did he––or someone––abduct Rosa after Simon’s death? Or was her abduction not related at all, which means other women could be in danger.
Matthew and Jen visit the Brethren’s farm, a peaceful rural spot where everyone seems to be working in harmony. They’ve come to interview Rosa to see if her memory has returned, but she spins the same story about everything being blurry, and when they tell her they know about the necklace, Dennis lurks and interrupts the conversation. Jen strikes up a conversation with Grace Stephenson (Anita Dobson, Eastenders), Dennis’s wife who we last saw doing an imitation of the first Mrs. Rochester in Episode 1. Finding they’re both Londoners, Grace responds to Jen’s warmth and seems ready to talk before Dennis intercepts them. Jen wants to investigate Dennis further; she recognizes Grace is trapped in an abusive relationship, and she’s afraid for her. But Matthew fears intervention by Jen, an Outsider, could break what trust the police have built with the Brethren.
