Summary
Three Pines is a little too artsy at times for my liking, with unnecessary dream sequences and poetic motifs throughout, but the mystery case makes for a solid story nonetheless.
The murder investigation continues in part two of the premiere. Armand (Alfred Molina) and his team start to delve further into the case and find fresh motives for their ever-growing list of suspects. Everything seems to point towards the husband, but there are other individuals with strong motives of their own. It’s another slow and steady installment that builds to an enthralling ending. But who is CC’s killer?
Three Pines season 1, episode 2 recap – who killed CC de Poitiers?
“Whiteout Part Two” starts with a flashback. It’s a year earlier and a woman smothers a family member to death with a pillow. It’s quite a darkly lit and purposely vague scene, but it becomes apparent as the episode progresses that we are witnessing CC kill her own mother. The series then jumps forward to the present day, Armand has brought all the locals together to recreate the curling match. It’s a cruel and awkward affair, but it helps Armand visualize the murder better. Everyone is ordered to stand in their normal places, although Saul suspiciously stands in the wrong place on more than one occasion. The event is replayed, and Armand sees just how easy it would have been to get away with the murder. All eyes were on the curling match. This was calculated and meticulously planned.
The partner is usually the first culprit in a murder investigation, and the husband, Richard Lyons has many reasons for wanting CC dead. He knew she was having an affair with her photographer and CC had a hefty life insurance policy. Intriguingly, Richard also has a great knowledge of electrics, having made inventions in the past. Yvette is asked to look into Richard’s financial situation in more detail. In the meantime, they look into CC’s family history, but they can’t seem to find her birth name or anything at all on her parents. Her name doesn’t exist, and her parents’ names are also fakes too.
CC’s coroner’s report reveals that she had a high dosage of niacin in her body, which is a vitamin used in detox that can bring on a hot flush. The killer must have placed the niacin into her drink to make her so hot that she would take off her gloves and become electrocuted in the process. Armand is actually impressed, this is the perfect murder.
Jean-Guy stakes out Saul’s house, another of Armand’s prime suspects. The photographer is seen burning items outside his rental. Jean-Guy closes in on the suspect and stops him from burning a hard drive. On the bonfire are photographs already, but the hard drive is thankfully saved. Saul is brought in for questioning. He admits to the affair when they find naked photos of CC on the drive. Saul himself is a married man and he says how he didn’t want the scandal getting out. Armand looks through the drive and finds photographs from the curling match. These include a picture of Richard handing CC her coffee, just before her death. Did he spike her drink?
Yvette’s snooping concludes that Richard’s finances weren’t great. School fees had bounced, there were unpaid bills, and they were living beyond their means. Richard made some bad investments and appeared to be very much broke before the payout. Armand and the team pay the husband a visit. He denies any wrongdoing, stating that he loved her, but hated what she had become. CC was a bully, who even mistreated her own daughter Crie. Richard wishes that he had killed her, but there is no evidence to prove that he actually did anything untoward.
They need hard evidence, and Yvette miraculously finds a clue in CC’s birth certificate. She was born Cecilia Longpre, and her mother is apparently Emily Longpre. Armand knows exactly who this is and goes to question the lady right away. She denies being CC’s mother, she’s in fact her aunt. Emily recounts the history of the family. CC’s mother Eleanor was depressed and attacked CC before being institutionalized. Eleanor died a year ago, and CC subsequently moved to Three Pines after this death. Emily asks to reconvene tomorrow – it looks like we have a new suspect on our hands.
The Blue Two-Rivers’ case continues to build momentum too. Pierre informs Armand that she was spotted two days ago and may now be involved in the seedy world of drugs. Armand updates the family, but again they will not believe a word he says. Blue’s mother Missy gets rather angry and shouts at Armand for his lazy investigating. She begins to routinely stand outside the police HQ, silently protesting. Isabelle is sent to take her home, but she refuses to move.
Three Pines season 1, episode 2 ending
Yvette is asked to stake out Emily’s house, but she falls asleep on the job. Armand and his team turn up the next day to find Emily’s house empty. She has left a video paused on her TV though. They play the video and in it, Emily confesses to killing CC. She mentions the washer fluid, the Niacin, and the cables. Emily argues that she did it for Crie, to save her granddaughter’s life. Armand goes hunting for Emily as a snowstorm intensifies. Bea reveals that Emily will more than likely be found by her own daughter’s grave. Armand finds and rescues Emily before the storm claims her.
Back at the situation room, Yvette is interested in keeping CC’s boots. This triggers a brainwave from Armand, who instantly figures out who the killer is. He says that Emily can’t be the killer, she didn’t know about the base of the boots. The real killer must have confessed to Emily, revealing the small details, but leaving out the fact about the boots. Armand races over to Richard’s house, but he isn’t there to arrest the husband, it is the daughter who he needs to speak with.
Yes, Crie, CC’s daughter is the killer. Armand has it all figured out. CC was mentally torturing her own daughter and Crie sought her revenge. Crie then admits to witnessing CC kill her own mother, as recreated in the opening scene. Crie is arrested and the case is closed. It’s a clever twist, but also a sobering one. The installment ends with Armand returning to base to find Missy standing on the headquarters’ roof. He sprints to the rooftop, but he’s too late, Missy jumps.
What did you think of Three Pines season 1, episode 2? Comment below.
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