#at this point you must have noticed all my faves eps involve

[seance]

THE MUSKETEERS 10TH ANNIVERSARY REWATCH / fave episodes [5/?] ↳ SEASON 2, EPISODE 5 / the return

[jq37]

The Case File – Mice and Murder Ep 3

The Case of the Curious Clues

Before we start, a quick plea to Grant O’Brien: Please stop finding clues. I can only take notes so fast. You’re killing me Grant. Moving on...

We start off this episode with yet another flashback, this time to the final confrontation of Sly and his supposedly dead arch nemesis Fletcher Cottonbottom at Reichenbunny Falls (...Brennan please). Fletcher was using a local castle as a storage center for munitions but Sly tipped off the cops before they could be moved. They do some repartee back and forth before Fletcher, the madman, handcuffs them together and jumps off the edge. They hit the water but Sly is able to lockpick himself out and escape while Fletcher disappears beneath the waves. 

You know what I got from that story? No body.

Anyway, we jump back to the present where there *is* a body, Squire Badger’s specifically. Everyone in the room who isn’t a PC thinks that this must either be the work of ghosts or Mrs. M who was the only person in the room when it happened (allegedly). 

This is a crucial time for clue gathering and Brennan keeps everyone in initiative for investigative purposes. Now, *so much* stuff happens here that I’m not going to recap every single detail--just the major clues and the things that seem relevant. I’m serious, this is like the volume of info we usually get in the once per season later game lore dump ep but it’s episode THREE.

Daisy tries to find a secret door but critically fails. She clocks Gangie, a fellow criminal, and in the moment Rekha and Katie decide that they prob have worked together in the past even though they are very different kinds of criminals. 

Buck, who is outside listening to what’s going on in the room notices that his ankle knife is missing which is Concerning considering a man was just knifed to death. 

Sly has Lars guard the door (he opens it and Buck is discovered, whoops) and then rolls a NATURAL 20 plus NINE to investigate so Brennan just has to tell him literally everything. RIP to him and me. Anyway, here’s the rundown (along with some of the stuff other ppl got):

Mrs. M’s hands are covered in blood but she couldn’t have done it. Based on her personality for one and for other reasons we’ll get to.

The wound is much messier than it would be if a person stabbed themselves typically.

There is a note in Squire Badger’s handwriting that says “Sylvester Cross I am afraid” No indication of if that was the whole message or if he got interrupted (maybe Buck could figure it out with his handwriting checking skills). Daisy from across the room clocks that Sly’s name is written on the paper but can’t read the rest.

The knife is a hunting knife with a pronghorn handle--an animal not common in England but very common in Texas (and Buck is sweating obv).

There is a slight layer of charcoal type dust on everything on the big resolute desk in the room (which makes sense, ash from the fireplace) but there is parchment type dust on the bust of Barkus Aurelius (OK, that one’s good) on the table and that’s the only place that dust is. Ian later notices that the date on the bust is wrong. 

Speaking of, the desk (which we learn later was put in and taken out of storage once Loan Hall was modernized) is bolted to the ground and a lot of stuff has been thrown off it as if by a powerful force but Sly notices that it’s just the metal stuff like things made of silver or with screws. Stone things like the bust and other non-metal things have stayed put. Plus he smells ozone. This was the work of magnets, not ghosts, he concludes. And, for the record, Grant figured this out himself!

Mrs. M’s eyes are rapidly dilating. She is questioned about what happened and she says that she was told she was fired and would receive a small pension. 

(Not a part of Sly’s clue dump but Buck rolls a 24 with disadvantage to persuade everyone he didn’t do it but then 2 nat 1s in a row to see if Harding--who said he was standing outside the door--is suspect. Buck thinks he’s at most a stooge but he did roll a nat 1 so who knows?)

Anyway, back to Mrs. M. Gangie fully believes Mrs. M is innocent and scared. She doesn’t quite remember what happened for a couple of seconds in there and it’s clear this is not the first time she’s had missing time. Sly calls Longfoot (the bunny photographer) over to take a picture of Mrs. M which everyone is a little appalled at until they realize he’s making a point. When the flash goes off, she bugs out like she did in episode 1 and forgets that the picture was ever taken. Sly then has Dr. Magpie list the symptoms of epilepsy. It seems that Mrs. M had an episode triggered by the flash she mentioned seeing and then lost time. It’s possible that what she thought she saw after that she didn’t actually see.

[While Sly is monologuing this Rekha texts Brennan and gets a 17 to swipe the “I am afraid” note. Sly doesn’t notice.]

So if it wasn’t her, then who was it? There’s only one door into the study and anyone who walked in would have to have walked past Mr. Harding, Shellcrest, Calliope, and Tabitha (who is having a marvelous time being in the midst of so much drama). Ah, but who said there was only one door? Sly has Harding pull a sconce and a SECRET DOOR OPENS! Woo! Finally! It’s a classic bookshelf one that opens into the hallway and there is some extremely fine crushed glass under the door. Hmm.

Sly clocks that there is something under the desk but we don’t know what it is because Brennan texts it to him and it’s redacted. There are actually a couple of redacted texts that go around this ep so we are def missing information. 

OK, that’s more or less everything. 

Sly notices that the page is missing and Grant gasps while Rekha does an excellent job of pretending like she doesn’t even remember what paper is being talked about. Constance asks if it’s possible that Mrs. M totally made up the memory because of her epilepsy and between Dr. Magpie and Sly they determine that that’s uncommon but possible. Dr. Magpie says that everyone should leave so he and Sly can examine the body and Sly says that someone should watch Gangie at all times. 

At this point, Harding and Gilfoyle (the butler) say they should establish where everyone was at the time of the murder. A lot of the staff and guests have solid alibis cause they were in big groups/cleaning up together. But the PCs were off alone (or with each other) and had reasons to want to guy dead so they’re prime suspects. Sly even admits that he’s one too. Also everyone dogpiles Ian because Raph makes it so fun. 

Harding mentions the letter that was given to Buck (the one selling his shares in BB and giving voting writes to his rival Josiah) and asks him to read it. Buck reads it and gives a streamlined version of the truth, saying everything except for the part with the proxy vote. With a 26 he is able to allay everyone’s suspicions for now, but now he’s purposefully hidden the truth in a way that can be readily called out if anyone sees the letter or the contract which he resolves to find. 

Buster distracts the group so Daisy can “check the body for a pulse” aka: check the body for the contract. She doesn’t find a it but does find a key attached to a piece of red silk--something that would be weird for him to be carrying around instead of his valet. She figures this must open whatever locked drawer the contract is in and swipes it but Sly clocks her stealing it (his perception ties her sleathiness but an earlier Bless from Ian tips him over the edge--poetic).  

Calliope says that everyone is kinds suspect, including Sly, but *someone* has to solve this and Sly’s their best bet so everyone should just stay put and they can guard the exits. The butler says that, besides the front door, there are some towers that poke up above ground and a servant's exit/entrance by the elevator in the kitchen wing but they can lock down both and have someone guard the front doors. 

The butler is like, lmao yeah Sly I know you didn’t do it and I’m not gonna stand guard here but you know, everyone is keeping an eye on y’all. And then he leaves the PCs, Mrs. M, Constance, and Dr. Magpie in the room with the body. 

Lars is about to go watch the kitchen staff but, before he goes, Sly says to him that he saw Cottonbottom and is obviously quite scared. Gangie, who used to work for the guy, overhears and asks what’s going on. Sly assumes Gangie is playing coy but rolls high enough to know that he isn’t. He saw a starkly white Cottonbottom and one of his known conspirators doesn’t know he’s back? Perhaps it was a ghost after all. 

Case Notes

My 2 fave bits of this episode were “bad to bad bad bad” (and the further riffing) and Daisy throwing increasingly bigger books at Sly.

Even with a Nat 1, Sly gets a 16 on Investigation. Wild. 

I don’t think Rekha got enough props for her “Cross examination” line so I’m mentioning it here.

Brennan said the ozone question was still open--but I assumed it was like the electricity smell from an electromagnet. That would make sense, right? Maybe he meant they hadn’t found the source of it specifically yet?

Brennan says Buck’s knife is a pronghorn knife. I assume they’re made from the animal’s horns? Even if they’re the kind that fall off every season, is that weird? Or is it just like human hair wigs? Also, does this world have leather?

I love that the dice keep supporting the narrative that Daisy simply cannot get her shit together when she’s with Sly because he distracts her too much. Delicious. Their whole relationship is delicious. 

OK, I am a tiny bit suspicious of Calliope. It’s partially the way she took control of the situation near the end and partially the fact that she doesn’t seem like the kind of person who would be involved in this which would make her heel turn delicious. No hard evidence and obv she couldn’t be the person who actually stabbed a guy but idk. Just spitballing. I’m very curious about whether we’ve met everyone we’re going to meet more or less or if there are still outside people/hidden inside people. Because, in real life, a murderer could be literally anyone but in a story, you can’t just introduce a new villain all of a sudden at the end. Bad storytelling. Weak payoff. We’ll see how things start to pan out. 

[stagekiller]

   Y’all can I... just make a point over here real quick?

   So, in S4 ep 16 we meet this guy, Uncle Zach; a charming cook in a dirty apron running his own diner ( very creatively named ‘Zach’s diner’ ) - where soups seem to be the house specialty. He lays out three soups for his beloved nephew, none other than your problematic fave, Jerome. Now, on first glance he probably has us thinking “ Man, this poor guy, his nephew is a renounced criminal, what a burden to bare. ”

  But then he makes this face :

   Aaaaand we start to notice some things that are... a liiiittle bit off about him.

   Number one is probably the fact he dunked his underage nephew’s hand in a boiling pot of chicken broth. Now that’s a rather severe form of punishment for what Jerome claims was his crime ( stealing a cookie from his food truck ) But, apart from an extreme corporal punishment that could potentially have lasting effects ( i.e. Jerome could be permanently scarred ) it’s... also rather creative. Like, Zachary didn’t just go for ‘the belt’ or a wooden paddle or something. You can see there is a measure of unbridled cruelty in the act.    It wasn’t just a punishment. He got out of his way to get creative with it and inflict as much pain as possible.

   Conclusion one: Uncle Zachary used to be sadistic.

 Putting that into perspective, clownman also mentions that him and Jeremiah used to dare each other into stealing a cookie. Okay, we know that Jerome is an unreliable narrator, but he does seem to reminisce when he mentions that and Zachary doesn’t give much of a reaction that would suggest otherwise. So, a dare is a call to demonstrate wit & bravery. A dare needs an obstacle, something that is big/scary or at least intimidating.

   Conclusion two: Uncle Zachary used to be an intimidating grown-up figure for the twins.

   When the cops first walk into the diner in that episode, Uncle Zach is on the booth with Jerome lurking under the table. Jerome has a gun. But there’s two officers. Furthermore, Jerome won’t be able to see whether he makes an expression. He could have signaled or gestured to the officers that Jerome was there and, because there were two of them, and armed, chances are they could have helped him. Yes, it was a risky move, but definitely not as risky as letting Jerome hang around. And yet... he didn’t.    At first one might think this was sourced in sentimentality; they are related, after all and Zachary did use to live with him growing up ( it was mentioned that he had a chuckwagon in the circus ) But, it soon becomes apparent that Zachary had his very own plans for what to do to Jerome; plans that he was not shy to reveal to the cops too!

 “ That monster killed my sister! If I see him again, his screams are what you’ll be hearing! ”

 The irony is brilliant! Jerome is right there! Zachary already has a plan ( the three soups set out, Lunkhead being in the diner etc etc ) and he is so smug about it that he straight up tells the cops, knowing he would get away with it! ... Does... does this behavior remind you of anyone else?

  Conclusion three: Uncle Zachary used to have inflated ego and be vengeful and insidious.

   Going off the information we are given on his very limited screentime, so far he doesn’t come across as the ideal Uncle to have. But hey, surely he must have at least been good to his sister, right? He even expresses some concern over her and mentions that he had advised her to dump Jerome in the river. But Lila went against his advice and kept him...Uncle Zachary was also the one in charge of placing Miah in St. Ignatius. He probably used his connections to do so, given that a scholarship and an adoptive family aren’t exactly easy to acquire. So, we are given to understand that his involvement with Lila’s kids was significant. He also seems bitter that she didn’t abide by his advice and get rid of Jerome, without showing any empathy towards the fact she was a mother and probably fostered some parental affection for her sons.

 Conclusion four: Uncle Zachary was deeply involved in Lila’s life and perhaps even controlling towards his sister.

    He also didn’t do anything to help her financially, or help her out of her predicament. He was perfectly okay with Lila’s ‘profession’, even though it could be argued that she wasn’t living a comfortable life. Uncle Zachary wanted to have a word on what she does with her kids, but apparently he didn’t care to help her raise them and abused them on top of that.

 Conclusion five: Uncle Zachary was never really willing to go out of his way in order to actually help his sister. He was selfish.

   Uncle Zachary is one of the most important parental figures in Jerome’s life. He is essentially, his father figure. In many of the traits I have highlighted, you will see that Jerome took after him. Not only do they smile and laugh in a similar fashion, but their mannerisms align at some points as well!

  Consider this an introductory post for more headcanons, because it got way too long as per usual and I don’t wanna mix up things that are canon with things that are headcanons of my own.