The Hand Of Lucia is the fifth episode of the fifth season of Father Brown.
An erotic novelist with a foul temper moves to Kembleford, seeking to publish her latest steamy book. In order to gain financial support, she threatens to reveal the person whom one of her characters is based on, which will lead to public humiliation. When she winds up dead, the suspected figure is a prime suspect; but the reasons and rationales for her murder go far further than that.
Tropes:
- Asshole Victim: Lucia, oh so very much. Her emasculation of James,while he sits there literally sobbing with humiliation, is painful to watch.
- The Atoner: Lady Ursula started a charity for helping rehabilitate ex-con women specifically in order to try to atone for her past acts which saw an innocent person take the blame.
- Blood Is Squicker in Water: Bunty flushes the toilet after a bout of emesis, and the water is red. She calls in Inspector Goodfellow, who digs out Lucia's dismembered hand from the toilet tank.
- Break the Cutie: James is a sympathetic, if unappealing,
Woobie character. Lucia completely destroys him emotionally, causing him to lash out against his entire upbringing. - Chronic Evidence Retention Syndrome: Invoked when Lucia's hand is found; it's an open question why the person wouldn't have destroyed it, rather than kept it whole. Justified in that the reason is to use it to frame someone else who would be implicated by it.
- Disposing of a Body: Subverted. Mildred's body is just left on a couch with a blanket over it. When Bunty goes to lie down after consuming Friar Novak's literally-stomach-churning stew, she reaches over and grabs a blanket from the other couch — only to find Mildred's body underneath it.
- Distinguishing Mark: Supposedly, Lucia has a tattoo on her hand that identifies the real person that Lulu is based on. Her killer cuts off and removes her hand.
- The Food Poisoning Incident: Friar Novak's stew sends Bunty to the powder room... chronically.
- Humiliation Conga: Lucia digs hard into James after their aborted tryst, brutally, calling him every emasculating term and trope in the book, harshly, till the poor young man is beyond emotionally destitute. While he is still undressed. This seems to be on purpose (perhaps she sabotaged their lovemaking) in order to manipulate him against his mother, Lady Ursula.
- I Am Spartacus: When Lady Ursula is about to be arrested for Lucia's murder, suddenly Friar Novak confesses to the crime — awkwardly. Mallory arrests him instead anyway.
- I Ate WHAT?!: Bunty thinks Friar Novak's stew is delicious... but then he tells her what's in it.
- Ironic Echo: When James lashes out at his mother, he laments that he wishes he knew his father, as there'd be "someone he wasn't ashamed of." When he is later faced with the knowledge of who is father is, his reaction isn't entirely one of pride.
- Luke, I Am Your Father: Friar Novak turns out to be James' father, who has been around his whole life, but his mother didn't want him to know.
- Manipulative Bastard: Everyone who has known Lucia closely is unable to fully express just how controlling and persuasive Lucia could be.
- Mrs. Robinson: Elder Lucia seduces vulnerable, virgin James, to manipulate him against Lady Ursula.
- She Knows Too Much: The reason Mildred is killed.
- The Unmasking: Lucia's semi-autobiographical erotic novels involve herself, and a ravishing lover named only Lulu. The real identity of Lulu is a core part of the plot, as Lucia is threatening to reveal it, and possible candidates factor into the motive for her murder.
- The Vamp: Lucia, even in her mature age, tries (and frequently succeeds) to use feminine wiles to manipulate everyone — man, woman, manchild, from James, to Lady Ursula, to even Inspector Mallory.
- Vomit Indiscretion Shot: Bunty's last visit to the W.C.
- You Know What You Did: Lucia's killer later explains that the reason for the killing was because of acts that Lucia (and Lulu) had done that they took the fall for, ending up with an ex-con's life. The reason is explained by the killer just before they are about to kill Lady Ursula, too.
