Bodkin – Season 1 Episode 3 “Perfectly Innocent Life” Recap & Review

Perfectly Innocent Life

Episode 3 of Bodkin Season 1 begins in the morgue where Darragh is being prepared for the funeral.

We cut to the podcast team in a car with Sean. They spot Seamus at the festival preparation so get out of the car to see what’s going on. They notice Seamus acting aggressively towards the organizer, “Shitpants,” the man who owns the server farm.

Later, Darragh’s sisters are holding a party in honour of their brother. The team arrive at the house where Darragh lies in a coffin in the middle of the room.

Dove speaks to Mary, the undertaker, just before respects are paid to Darragh. She then speaks to Seamus who is helping himself to food in the kitchen. He accuses her of picking over people’s grief like a vulture. When she tells him she is only a journalist, he recounts the story that she was involved in back in London and mentions the man who killed himself. 

In the other room, Gilbert talks to Frank’s friend, who reminds him of the money he owes. He asks her about Malachy but she claims not to know him. She also says she wasn’t at Samhain on the night of the disappearances. 

Outside, Dove and Mary share a drink. Mary flirts with the journalist. But while they’re speaking, Dove’s boss phones her. He tells her the Home Office is launching an investigation into her for having the whistleblower’s laptop. He wants her to come home to defend herself. She refuses and tells him she’s invested in the story about Seamus “the badger” in Bodkin.

Back in the house, Gilbert talks with Seamus about Darragh. Meanwhile, Sean is outside with Emmy, defending her from the local youths who are being rude towards her. Emmy then speaks to “Shitpants” whose name we learn is Fintan. He tells her about a bog monster he saw at Samhain after taking magic mushrooms. 

Gilbert talks to Darragh’s sister. He learns Darragh was sent to prison and he came back to the town with Malachy in tow. The two men had met in prison.

Elsewhere, Dove is doing some investigating of her own. She has taken a scooter to Seamus’s house. The house is all locked up so she gets in through the catflap. 

Back at the party, Gilbert is with Darragh’s other sister. She tells him Malachy took advantage of her brother when he made him rent land. Darragh had been in love with Malachy. When Malachy disappeared, his brother took over the lease. The brother turns out to be Seamus!

Elsewhere, Fintan tells Emmy about a car crash he heard. He didn’t find evidence of the crash but he did see a mythical blacksmith named Jackie coming out of the lake. 

At Seamus’s house, Dove finds a gun and some old photos. In one of the photos is Seamus and Fiona, one of the three people who disappeared. She also finds a ring with Fiona’s name inscribed. 

In another scene, we see Sean with the youths on a country road somewhere. He is telling them to protect “the goods,” i.e. the guns in the back of his car. While they’re chatting, Dove flies by on the scooter she ‘borrowed’ from the party.  She arrives at the pub, where she and Gilbert share what they’ve found. 

Meanwhile, Emmy is with Fintan at his house. She learns he was a friend of Teddy’s but they fell out a long time ago. The night Teddy disappeared, Fintan ditched him to go and meet a girl. He tells her Teddy changed after the disappearance. We then learn why Fintan was nicknamed “Shitpants” – he pooped his pants at school! The scene ends with Fintan and Emmy getting intimate.

Back at the pub, Gilbert and Dove get to know each other better. When they step outside, Frank confronts Gilbert. Dove punches Frank in the nose and then she and Gilbert make a run for it. A short while later, Gilbert tells Dove about his financial woes and how his business isn’t doing well. Things aren’t going well with his wife either. They bond over their respective careers and how they aren’t being respected for their work.

The next morning, Gilbert enjoys his breakfast at Mrs O’Shea’s. Dove, however, is too hungover to eat. She tells Gilbert that catching Seamus is key to his podcast. 

At Darragh’s funeral, Gilbert catches up with Seamus. Meanwhile, Emmy and Dove are being hounded by a woman who is against the Samhain Festival. She mentions a car crash which Emmy connects to the crash that Fintan heard. 

Gilbert and Seamus are on a boat together. Gilbert shares stories about his wife with Seamus and how she beat cancer. Seamus begins to open up about his past but then gets suspicious of Gilbert and Dove. He asks Gilbert to tell him what Dove is “fishing for.” Gilbert tells him, mentioning her suspicion that Seamus was in a relationship with Fiona and that Malachy is his brother. Seamus tells Gilbert that he did love Fiona and that Malachy was his rock. Then one day they were gone. 

Later, the team assemble at the bog where they think a car might be located underneath. Dove enters the water and discovers the car. When it’s towed out, Dove kicks it and causes the boot to open. Inside, are two bodies.

The Episode Review

Whose bodies are in the car? We don’t know but it’s not hard to imagine that they might be the bodies of Fiona and Malachy. Who killed them? We’re unsure but it’s possible Seamus might have something to do with their deaths, as we suspect the two of them may have been in a secret relationship. We’re just speculating at this stage as we don’t have an official answer yet.

This latest episode of Bodkin is fine, with just enough hooks to keep us tuning in for the next episode. The quirkiness of the last two episodes was mostly absent, however, as this episode was more dramatic than comical. That’s not a problem, though some might prefer this series when it leans into its humorous side.

We’re getting closer to the truth about the disappearances. But with four episodes to go, we hope there’s not too much padding as the story progresses towards the conclusion.