Summary
“Chapter Six: Hieracium Snowdoniense” arrives at a juncture where the characters are entering their final test which brings the audience up to what feels like two finale-type episodes.
This recap of Netflix’s The Irregulars season 1, episode 6, “Chapter Six: Hieracium Snowdoniense”, contains spoilers.
At the start of episode 6, Leopold and Bea talk about the sex they have had for the first time. Leopold wonders if it was long enough, and Bea teases him. Their attention quickly turns to John Watson, who quickly departs the hospital. Bea and Leopold learn he was checking out the patients who have lost a spate of body parts, but they have healed very well. Bea is reminded of Sherlock’s story from the last chapter — “The Case of the Collector”. Leopold tells the group that the Rip must be open again. Spike asks Jessie to go deeper into her nightmares, but she doesn’t want to do it.
Billy is struggling with his past
The starting point is to meet Edith Dubois, who is an expert on Snowdonia Hawkweed. But first, Bea must see what’s up with Billy because he’s more emotional than usual — in the last episode, Billy was found torn apart from learning about his parents. She knows he has spoken to Vic Collins from the workhouse. Billy is downbeat because they lied about his parents, and he hates Vic. Bea tells Billy that he has a good heart and that he can’t hurt other people.
Daimler finds Leopold
Leopold is in trouble in episode 6 — he’s a Royal that’s pretending he isn’t part of the establishment, which means repercussions; Daimler finds him in London after he escaped the palace. Leopold learns that his mother doesn’t even know he’s gone. He threatens Daimler and states he will tell his mother about how negligent he has been. Leopold leaves the conversation stating that he will return to the palace when he pleases.
Edith Dubois’ address
The Irregulars season 1, episode 6 then kicks into mission mode, with the characters navigating the source of the missing body parts, giving a science versus God scenario.
Bea and the group head to Edith Dubois’ address. They can see the house has been broken into already by John Watson. He has reached the place. They find a diary that describes a disease that took over Edith’s husband. She planned to use nature to re-craft him. Bea believes she would have used Snowdonia Hawkweed but wonders why John Watson would have told Sherlock Holmes that it was a dead end.
Jessie’s nightmare descriptions with Dad
Bonding with parents is hard, but trying to work with Sherlock Holmes and a recovering drug addict does not sound appealing. Jessie wants help from Sherlock. She describes her nightmares for him; the corpses in the tunnel. She talks about dark figures with robes and masks. Sherlock Holmes believes she’s talking about the plague doctors and feels she’s in a plague pit.
As Jessie tries to tell him more, Sherlock tells her to leave him alone. Jessie cries, and it makes Sherlock feel guilty. He tells her that there’s a plague pit at the London library, under the circle room.
Edith believes she’s a God
The Irregulars season 1, episode 6 brings Walter Bishop vibes, as Edith really believes she is above the laws and that she’s become a God.
Bea and the group head to the botanical gardens, and they find Edith Dubois putting a body together. She seems calm despite being found. Edith tells them that her husband is ready and that she has a serum to wake him up. Bea warns there will be consequences. Leopold explains the story of Prometheus is a warning, but Edith is way past it. She’s convinced of her work and believes she’s a God; she injects the body, and her husband Sammy wakes up momentarily before dying again. As she sobs, Bea tells her that it’s over.
Edith and the relic
And then it’s context time in episode 6 as detective Bea wants answers as always!
Bea asks Edith Dubois about John Watson, but it’s revealed he’s tied up in the next room. Edith explains that when she couldn’t cure her husband, she went to John Watson and Sherlock Holmes for help. She told them that she had found a way to reach the other side after finding a relic. John Watson agreed to test its authenticity and urgently took the relic away — he suddenly had a strong interest in it. But John never returned, and Edith explained that she waited for a long time.
Edith continues; she had used a seance board and asked for help. She suddenly had the power to understand plants at a deeper level. After she tried to rebuild her husband, John Watson visits her. Edith knew John had blown a hole in the side of the universe (the Rip) with the relic and used it as blackmail, so he didn’t say anything about her plans to rebuild her husband. This is why John Watson knew so much about the Rip and why he shooed Sherlock Holmes away from the Snowdonia Hawkweed theory.
Bea is furious, believing that John Watson opened the Rip that eventually killed her mother. John Watson swears that “this time” it isn’t him. The conversation is halted as Edith holds a liquid and tells them that if she drops it, they all die.
Heading to the library
Jessie and Sherlock head over to the London Library and enter the circle room. Jessie does not believe the pit she is referencing is here, so Sherlock loses his rag and walks off. He doesn’t believe Sherlock Holmes exists anymore and that the brilliance is gone. Jessie tells Sherlock that she didn’t need to be brilliant — these are similar words of her mother Alice, bringing a full-circle moment for Sherlock.
This is a difficult chapter for Jessie, who never truly bonded with her mother, and her father is not at his best.
Sammy tells Edith that she stole his death
Edith reminds them all that she is a God. She covers her mouth as she’s about to drop the liquid, but then Sammy wakes up again. Edith believes her husband is alive. Sammy asks why she didn’t let him die and chokes her to death. John Watson begs Bea to untie him so they can leave. As they leave, Sammy drinks the liquid that Edith was them threatening with.
Edith’s demise arrived from believing she could manipulate life and death.
The truth about Leopold
Episode 6 ends a romance as soon as it started, and we have to feel a little for Leopold, who is too strongly tied to the Royal Family. Maybe he should be a Prince Harry and Meghan and remove financial support.
Bea finds Daimler in her home. Daimler tells her he has information for her. When she sees Leopold, she asks him who he really is. She accuses him of putting them all in danger, but Leopold talks about how lonely he is. Bea has learned that he’s part of the Royal Family, and she tells him she doesn’t ever want to see him again.
Vic wants Billy to fight him
Episode 6 doesn’t end well for Billy either.
Vic Collins confronts Billy in the streets and asks to fight him. Billy doesn’t want to fight, but Vic starts repeatedly whipping him. Eventually, Billy fights back, but after a few punches, Vic falls, and on impact, he dies. People nearby want to call the police.
The ending
Bea asks Jessie to get deeper into her nightmares so they can understand the Rip. Jessie is upset that everyone expects her to do what she doesn’t want to do — it’s understandable why she fears it. Meanwhile, as Sherlock Holmes is about to inject drugs, he has a change of heart and blows out the candle.
As the episode ends, Jessie walks through to the harbour and loads of people are on the floor dead. The darkness is taking over the city. She finds the other Ipsissimus that has been communicating with her via her dreams — now known as the Linen Man. They hug each other, but the situation soon turns sinister, and although predictable, it’s Jessie we feel sorry for. The Linen Man asks where the Rip is and wonders why she hasn’t gone deeper into the minds of the monsters. He calls her weak and says he will take care of it now — in a twist; he tells her he doesn’t want to close the Rip and then throws Jessie into her nightmares. Before he did, he removed her tattoo, so she can’t escape the terrors.
The Irregulars season 1, episode 6 arrives at a juncture where the characters enter their final test, which brings the audience up to what feels like two finale-type episodes. The characters feel enamoured with purpose as we reach this stage, where actions mean consequences.
Dr Watson’s scribes
- Bea tells Leopold that she’s able to cope better since he’s arrived, and they kiss. Billy watches from a distance, and be seems jealous.
- Sherlock Holmes thanks Jessie as it’s been a while since he’s been out.
