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Summary:
When a child disappears in a small town, attention immediately turns
to a recently released sex offender tried and convicted for similar
offenses twenty years ago. Frank Black and Emma Hollis arrive on the
scene and are quick to point out that this man may not be deserving of
the townspeople's blame and that their hate for him is blinding them to the
truth.
Season Three on DVD
Synopsis:
The year is 1979. The place is Tullane Creek, Oregon. A
figure approaches a little girl who is sitting on a swing in a
deserted, fog-shrouded park. The girl, whose name is Casey Peterson,
screams and runs away when she sees the stranger. Deputy Paul Dietz
comes to Casey's rescue. He tackles the man and demands to know the
whereabouts of a missing girl named Mary Flanagan. The suspect, whose
name is Brunelli, leads police to a derelict trailer. Inside is the
body of the girl.
In the present day, Frank and
Dr. Angela Horvath attend Brunelli's parole hearing. Also present is a
now-grown Casey Peterson and her father, Sam. Horvath, who is a
therapist, believes that Brunelli is well enough to be released. Frank
surprises Horvath when he states that recidivism in child sex crimes
is quite high. But despite Frank's dire predictions that Brunelli
might be a danger to society, the parole board releases him.
Brunelli returns to Tullane
Creek, where he is met by his attorney, Randle Jarrett. Dietz, who is
now sheriff, warns Brunelli that it is his duty to inform the
community of his presence. People throughout town scorn Brunelli, and
even Brunelli's own father calls him a "piece of dirt." It isn't long
before Brunelli approaches a young girl named Julie as she walks along
a wooded path. A teacher spots the pair, but they run off when she
approaches.
Julie's friend, Shannon McNulty,
disappears. Preliminary evidence points to Brunelli, and he is
transported to the police station for questioning. While Brunelli is
in custody, Frank and Emma search his cabin for clues. The pair
discover a small notebook containing ten drawings of a girl on a
swing. Frank bends back the pages. As the pages fly forward, the
drawings animate, and the girl moves forward and back on the swing.
Later, the agents question Brunelli. He gives them precise directions
as to where the missing girl can be found (inside an old trailer). But
Dietz tells the agents that the trailer is where Mary Flanagan was
found years earlier, and that it has already been searched.
Nonetheless, Emma travels to the trailer. She discovers that someone
left a bunch of wild flowers inside. Meanwhile, Frank studies Brunelli
as he sits at the police station. He watches as the suspect lights
matches, again and again, and snuffs them out using his thumb and
forefinger.
Brunelli is released from jail
due to a lack of evidence. Meanwhile, Frank returns to the path in the
woods where Mary Flanagan was last seen. Dietz tells Frank that a
teacher reported seeing Brunelli talking to a little girl on the path.
But police are unsure of the girl's identity. Later, Frank and Emma
travel to the home of Brunelli's father. There they discover a scrap
of cloth identical to the fabric Shannon was wearing when she
disappeared.
Police tail Brunelli to the park
where he approached Casey Peterson years earlier. Frank approaches
Brunelli. He tells him that, contrary to what police believe, he
suspects that Brunelli did not kidnap the missing girl. But Brunelli
tells him that he will remember where Shannon is. Later, Jarret
escorts his daughter, Julie, to the police station. Julie admits that
Brunelli approached her as she walked along the path. She tells police
that Brunelli told her, "don't be afraid." She then produces one of
Brunelli's St. Josephs medals.
Brunelli manages to slip away
from police surveillance. When word reaches Frank, he realizes that
Brunelli went to Casey Peterson's house. Frank's hunch is correct:
Brunelli approaches Casey and hands her a book of drawings. As Emma
drives to the Peterson residence, Frank remains behind at the police
station. He reviews a police videotape containing footage of
Brunelli's original confession some twenty years earlier. He notices
Jarret lighting a cigarette and snuffing out the flame with his thumb
and forefinger in the exact same manner as Brunelli. Meanwhile, when
Emma and Dietz arrive at the Peterson residence, they discover that
Casey's father has beaten Brunelli with a baseball bat. Jarret comes
to his client's aid and transports him away from the scene.
Frank tells Emma that Jarret is
the real murderer and has been using Brunelli all along by
brainwashing him with false memories. It all started years earlier
when Brunelli approached — but did not harm — Casey in the park. Brunelli was arrested, and Randle Jarret stepped forward to defend
him. Frank also realizes that Julie isn't Jarret's only daughter. He
and Emma drive to the Jarret residence, where they confront Karen
Jarret. At first, Karen claims that her daughter, Amanda, went away to
college. She then changes her story, confirming Frank's suspicion. The
agents discover the existence of a storm shelter in the backyard.
There they discover evidence of Shannon's imprisonment.
Jarret drives the beaten Brunelli back to
Brunelli's old house. When Brunelli walks into his bedroom, he
discovers Shannon's lifeless body. Brunelli reacts, horrified. Frank
arrives at the scene, but is attacked by Jarret. Brunelli comes to
Frank's aid, knocking Jarret to the ground. When Frank finds Shannon's
body, he realizes she is still alive. He tells Brunelli to go for
help. Brunelli runs down the street, looking for assistance. Suddenly,
a car driven by Brunelli's father appears in the distance. The old man
bears down on his son. At the last moment, Brunelli's father has a
change of heart and turns the wheel. But the decision comes too late,
and Brunelli is struck down by the car. Brunelli recovers from his
injuries and moves back to his old house. One day, Shannon and a
friend leave a food-filled basket on Brunelli's doorstep, then run
off. Brunelli's father exits the house, and stands beside his son on
the porch.
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Photographs:
- Max Brunelli reveals his
scars to Frank
- Police observe Brunelli
from a distance
- Frank kneels to aid a fallen
Max Brunelli
- Emma consults with the local police
- Emma receives some startling information
- Emma receives an urgent phone call
- Frank remains by Brunelli's side
- Paramedics arrive to tend to Brunelli
- Frank stands amidst the playground
- A hooded Brunelli holds a swing set
- Frank examines Brunelli's wounds
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Abyss Rating:
(5/5)
Media Review:
"In this episode, we see that even the profiler can be tainted by
others' assumptions and maybe even his own. Like everyone else, Frank
assumes that the man convicted 20 years before was guilty of
kidnapping, molesting, and allowing a young girl to die of thirst, but
20 years and a fresh look at evidence — old and new — shows him how
wrong he and everyone else was. Despite its horrific subject matter,
the episode brings to mind certain aspects of Steinbeck's Of Mice
and Men. Like that literary masterwork, Through a Glass, Darkly
demonstrates what normally decent people can do to a trusting
innocent. The irony of the episode, of course, is that the true
innocent is not just the girls, but the slow-witted man accused of
going after them. As the falsely-charged criminal Brunelli, Tom
McCleister creates a solid and affecting performance of mental
helplessness that neatly sets up the revelation and redemption which
make the ending resonate so powerfully." —James E Brooks, Xposé
Trivia:
Ron Sauve,
who appears in this episode as Max Brunelli's unnamed father, may be
vaguely familiar to fans of Ten-Thirteen Productions. The actor
appeared twice on The X-Files and has also guest starred on
such shows as M.A.N.T.I.S., DaVinci's Inquest, and
Strange World.
Death Toll:
1
Title:
The episode's title is
taken from 1 Corinthians 13: "When
I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought
as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For
now we see through a glass darkly; but then face to face. Now I know
in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now
abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these
is charity." The biblical passage references man's knowledge of
God, expressing the idea that mortal man can know only an obscured
reflection of God and that in paradise the two can at last be brought
face to face. In this episode, Max Brunelli serves as a dark mirror
reflecting the sins of Randle
Jarrett. No one in Tullane Creek sees Brunelli but through
a distorted lens, until the truth is revealed and his redemption is
expressed through the of charity of children.
Starring:
Lance Henriksen as Frank Black
Klea Scott as Emma Hollis
Guest Starring:
Tom MacCleister as Max Brunelli
Ron Sauve as Brunelli's Father
Tiffany Desrosiers as Shannon McNulty
Scott Sowers as Randle Jarrett
Michelle Hart as Casey Peterson
Paul Jarrette as Sam Peterson
Karin Konoval as Dr. Angela Horvath
William MacDonald as Sheriff Paul Deitz
Eileen Pedde as Karen Jarrett
Jim Poyner as the Judge
Mary Black as Mary
Marco Roy as Deputy Lucas
Anthony Ulc as Deputy Bobby
Production
Credits:
Production #6C07
Music by Mark Snow
Production Designer Mark Freeborn
Director of Photography Robert McLachlan
Associate Producer Jon-Michael Preece
Co-Producer Robert Moresco
Co-Producer Paul Rabwin
Producer Thomas J. Wright
Co-Executive Producer Ken Horton
Co-Executive Producer John Peter Kousakis
Executive Producer Chip Johannessen
Executive Producer Michael Duggan
Executive Producer Chris Carter
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