British Network Television
‘Father Brown’: S06.E04. “The Angel of Mercy”
Bridgette McCarthy’s friend, Freda Knight, dies in her sleep
Niall Fraser’s The Angel of Mercy, originally televised in the British Isles on Thursday, 4 January 2018, is another Dan Muirden written Father Brown episode where we’re asked to question certain established moralistic beliefs. Muirden’s central theme, before the opening titles begin, becomes readily apparent. Should terminally ill persons be able to determine for themselves when their time has come to die?
The Angel of Mercy, after opening with an exterior shot of the Powderham House Care Home, takes inside the facility to where we find Bridgette McCarthy visiting with Freda Knight. Mrs Knight, in significant pain, wants Mrs McCarthy to end her suffering by smothering her with a pillow. Mrs McCarthy, a staunch Roman Catholic, can’t bring herself to do what is needed.
Immediately after the opening titles, outside St Mary’s Catholic Church, we find Father Brown and Lady Penelope “Bunty” Windermere reminiscing over a recently deceased parishioner that had apparently passed away in…
