Samuel Spade of “The Maltese Falcon” fame has been prowling the French countryside with a new mystery on his hands. That has been the premise of Scott Frank (“The Queen’s Gambit”) and Tom Fontana’s “Monsieur Spade.” The six-episode thriller has reached its halfway point this week, as the third episode is aired. Clive Owen’s jaded performance as the world-weary but still sharp American detective is the cornerstone of this series, as it rides several mysterious waves, trying not to fall. “Monsieur Spade” Episode 3 unmasks certain characters and brings a whole new religious angle to the mystery at hand. Here is everything that went down.
Monsieur Spade Episode 3 Recap:
The third episode starts with a flashback where Sam Spade (Clive Owen) visits Philippe (Jonathan Zaccai). Spade offered five thousand francs to Philippe to make him disappear. To leave Bozouls. Spade tried his usual charm filled with subtle threats so that Philippe would listen. Spade was already married to Gabrielle (Chiara Mastroianni) by that time. And it was important to her that Philippe disappeared. However, Philippe did not listen. We know Philippe would eventually go to Algeria, but at that time, Spade failed to persuade him.
Back in the present, the Algerian boy, Zayd, is discovered by Samir, a man who works for Marguerite (Louise Bourgoin) in her bar. Samir brings the boy to the local Muslim community in Bozouls. Zayd’s frayed but expensive clothing draws attention from everyone there. They are sure Zayd comes from a rich family. Not everyone is a fan of Samir helping the boy. Two of the guys tell Samir that the boy could bring trouble, potentially giving the French authorities the chance to deport them. They decide to call the Imam.
Local police chief Patrice (Denis Menochet) catches up with Spade. Patrice tells Spade that they are visiting the Bishop, as the Church is also getting involved in the killings of the six nuns. They meet the Vicar General, and he is accompanied by another priest: a new American priest, Father Matthew (Dean Winters). The Vicar General tells them the killer, “The Monk,” has been found. Patrice is aghast to learn that the Church has already apprehended the Monk and planning for his trial in the Vatican. The Vicar General informs that the French Government has already signed off the extradition.
Spade realizes he would need to meet Philippe to know more about this mysterious Algerian boy. Through a mutual acquaintance, the local doctor, Spade, cleverly lets Audrey, Philippe’s mother, know that someone has attempted to shoot Teresa (Cara Bossom). Philippe might not care about his daughter, but he would not want Teresa dead. Philippe calls Spade and asks to meet him in the cemetery at midnight. Spade obliges. But he immediately realizes that he should not have left Teresa alone.
Monsieur Spade Episode 3 Ending Explained:
Did Philippe Send Attackers to Kill Spade?
After realizing Philippe’s trick, Spade rushes back to his house. He does find Teresa safe. But, his relief does not last long. Both he and Helena have their guns out but are temporarily relieved to see each other. But their fear of a home invasion quickly becomes true as a team of masked assailants attacks Helena. Before Spade can come to Helena’s aid, he is also attacked. It seems Philippe, not unexpectedly, tricked Spade and sent goons to his house. If Phillippe has sent them, then Teresa would be okay. However, if the attackers are from the same people the ‘Monk’ belonged to, then it could be fatal for Teresa. We will have to wait for the next episode to see if Helena survived this attack or not. Spade, we would hope, would find a way to come out of this new peril.
Who is the new American priest? Who was the “Monk”?
After the Vicar General asks Patrice to hand over their findings to Father Matthew, Spade deduces the Church wants the boy, meaning Zayd, as well. Spade tells them that the ‘Monk’ would not be as helpful as the Church is hoping for. He already lost the boy before venturing into his mass-murdering spree. A steadfast Patrice says that he and Spade would continue their investigation. Just when Patrice’s party is about to leave, Father Matthew calls them back. Out of earshot, the Vicar General, Matthew, tells them that he is on their side. He reveals that Monk’s name is Friar Angelo. He also reveals that there is a secret society inside the Vatican. Angelo has been a part of that. It is clear why the Church wants the problem solved in their own backyard.
Who is Mahdi?
When the Imam came to see Zayd at Samir’s house, the name ‘Mahdi’ once again popped up. According to Islam, Mahdi is a prophetic figure. A second coming of Muhammad, if you will. Mahdi is supposed to rid the world of all evil and unify all the Muslims in the world. In this context, it would appear that Zayd holds a similar significance, especially to the Algerian Muslims. But it would not be surprising if Zayd is revealed to be a Paul Atreides-like figure here. His constant scribbling of numbers, whether it is on the wall or the notepad, makes him an intriguing boy. Zayd has not yet shown to be speaking anything. But the Imam is right when he says that Zayd is already saying a lot with his scribbles. It is just that nobody is listening to him.
How did George Fitzsimmons plant a bug on Spade’s house?
One of the twists that comes towards the ending is when we finally see the Fitzsimmons at their lair. George Fitzsimmons (Matthew Beard), along with the woman he portrayed as his mother (Cynthia Fitzsimmons), seems to be on a mission of their own. George’s demeanor has been suspicious (we suspected him to be the Biker-killer in the last episode’s recap).
As the home invasion of Spade’s house is underway, we see George and his ‘mother’ listen to the sound of that from a transmitter. Earlier in the episode, George has hung a painting of his on one of the walls of the sitting room. It would appear that the painting is a decoy for bugging Spade’s house. When the sound of a gunshot is heard, George tries to go to the house, but his ‘mother’ stops him. There are many questions about the allegiance of the Fitzsimmons. Are they really mother and son? Or is that a fake identity they have taken? Are they with Philippe or with this secret society that Father Matthew has talked about? The next episode could shed light on these mysterious Fitzsimmons.
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