Don’t Trust Anyone
Following last week’s deepening mystery surround Myfanwy, The Rook returns with another episode, one that throws a spanner in the works and further distrust to plant themselves in our protagonist’s mind. We begin with Myfanwy restless and unable to sleep. With multiple questions swirling round her head, she decides to do some research and, more specifically, find information about the Gestalt. We see their training and through archival footage piece together their strange, telepathetic abilities. Lady Farrier speaks to the Home Secretary and together they agree to try and hide the true story, putting it to bed once and for all. Back at the agency, Conrad is called into a meeting about his sordid affair, courtesy of someone in the agency having ratted him out. Unable to trust everyone around her, Myfanwy heads into a car park and tells Lady Farrier on the phone that she believes she’s being followed. Farrier gives her instructions to walk down the road, knowing at this point that she’s being followed by two men. She’s told to head to the underground and get on-board a train but specifically told not to run. However, she pays this no mind as she rushes down the stairs and is almost captured but for Robert suddenly appearing and grabbing the man, holding him off. Unfortunately, the men do eventually find her but the twins arrive just in time and fight them off. With Myfanwy safe for now, Robert tells her she can trust him before she heads into the hospital room and thanks Eliza for her help. She probes the woman further about what happened between them, before she kisses Myfanwy passionately. Rattled, the connected twins feel Eliza’s passion before all eyes turn to the man they’ve managed to capture. Conrad uses his powers to wake him up after agreeing to a united front with Lady Farrier. He begins asking him questions, including just what he wants with Myfanwy, and it’s here we find out the man is called Peter and he wants their rook; more for her potential than her current powers. Meanwhile, Monica continues her pursuit of the black market and asks the agency for £50,000. With the money transferred, Monica dresses in a beautiful white and red dress before heading to the auction. As the pieces are sold off, Monica keeps an eye on everyone around her as her painting is sold for an eye-watering £45 million. Monica agrees to have a drink with Gordon, the man who bought the painting, and he asks her to come with him to the drop-site, which she refuses. She does, however, continue to spy on him after their meeting. Back at the office, Myfanwy disables the surveillance and heads in to ask Peter questions herself. She asks what he wants from her and he nonchalantly replies that he wants to sell her in the black market. He also tells her that apparently people at the agency knew what was happening, furthering her suspicions and paranoia. Following Peter’s tip-off, Myfanwy heads to a site that may just hold answers around what really happened to her. A place formerly known as Glengrove House. As she heads to the site, we leave the episode (and mystery) wide open going forward. Despite a strong start, The Rook settles into a much more methodical pacing here, one that swings back and forth between mundane and enjoyable. It’s a strange pendulum but the mystery is just enough to keep you coming back for more to find out what really happened. Whether the answers we receive will be worth the slow build remains to be seen but the pieces are here for some shocking reveals to come. The furthering backstory around the connected twins is a nice touch and for the most part, The Rook does well with its world-building. With multiple questions still hanging over this one, it’ll be interesting to see what direction The Rook heads next but for now, this latest superhero mystery continues on its methodical journey through its first season.