The Incurables

"The Incurables"
Season	8
Episode	13
Airdate	February 9, 2015
Writer	Peter Mitchell
Director	Eleanore Lindo
Recurring	Janet-Laine Green as Mrs. Lynd Anastasia Phillips as Charlotte Daiva Johnston as Eva Pearce Emma Campbell as Rose Maxwell
Previous	"The Devil Wears Whalebone"
Next	Toronto's Girl Problem

"The Incurables" is the thirteenth episode of the eighth season of the Murdoch Mysteries and the one hundred-ninth episode of the series. It first aired February 9, 2015.

Summary

Detective Murdoch investigates the death of Nurse Collins who has been killed at the asylum where Dr. Ogden works.

Somehow, the extremely violent patient Rose Maxwell managed to get out of her room and knock out the guard, Samuel Drainie. It appears she then used his knife to stab Nurse Collins– 11 times and there are also bite marks on the victims body. The possible motive: convicted murderer Rose blames Dr. Ogden and Dr. Grace for her current incarceration and has vowed revenge.

Dr. Ogden takes him to Samuel Drainie, the security guard, who explains that if they behave themselves they're allowed half an hour of free time in the recreation room, after which they're locked back in their room. Rose wasn't allowed out of her room, due to her always being agitated, and he brought a knife to protect himself after being attacked four times. Drainie explains he was working there for fifteen years, and all the doors share a common key. He then explains he saw Nurse Collins being attacked and ran to help her, and wasn't sure if all the inmates had been out of their rooms at the time. As he leaves, Murdoch reminds him to take his lantern.

Dr. Ogden admits it was possible he forgot to lock one of the doors, but not all of them, something Murdoch agrees is unlikely. Murdoch thinks one of them may have taken a key, and they decide to talk to Rose Maxwell. As they walk down, Julia explains she has a severe psychiatric condition and isn't responsible for her actions, which Murdoch points out doesn't make her less dangerous. As they try to question Rose, she says the door was open, but Eva Pearce interrupts, wishing to speak with Detective Murdoch.

Drainie signals one of the other men to stand by as Rose and Dr. Ogden speak, the former referring to their time on the island. She expresses that she wishes she killed all of them for congratulating "that witch" for taking her Cedric away. Rose admits to killing Nurse Collins due to her enjoyment of the feeling of killing someone. She tells her to give her regards to Emily Grace, unnerving Dr. Ogden so much that she leaves. As the doctor turns away and asks the man to lock the door, Rose leaps from her bed and tackles Julia, punching her in the back. As the other man hesitates, Murdoch bodily removes her from Dr. Ogden, and the security guards lock her in once more. Julia, though shaken, is all right.

Crabtree finds all of the women's fingermarks on the murder weapon.

Rose is questioned once more wearing a straitjacket. She admits to biting Nurse Collins but she was still alive then. Meanwhile, Hannah tells them that Nurse Collins was cruel as she would take away her "babies," at the slightest provocation. Then, Mrs. Lynd explains she picked up the knife because it was handy. She also claimed Nurse Collins got what she deserved, as she was wicked. She also refused to explain what she did, but told the pair to talk to Charlotte, as she was Nurse Collins' "favourite."

While Murdoch and Dr. Ogden attempt to question Charlotte, another personality, Maddie, comes to her defense. When Dr. Ogden questioned her about the knife, she told Dr. Ogden she grabbed it to keep Rose away from Girlie, another one of her personalities, as she wasn't all there. Dr. Ogden then asks to talk to Girlie, the more shy, innocent personality inside Charlotte, and she greets her. When she asked what Nurse Collins did to Charlotte, Girlie fears she'd get in trouble. After Dr. Ogden assured her she wouldn't, Girlie explained that Nurse Collins would touch Charlotte in places she wasn't supposed to.

Murdoch and Dr. Ogden discuss the matter in a filing section, and she tells him she took all the files related to Nurse Collins to look for proof of her mistreatment of the patients.

Finally, they talk to Eva Pearce, who appears to be desperate, and once again repeats she'd say anything Murdoch would want her to say. When asked about Nurse Collins' alleged molestation, Eva refuses to speak ill of the dead. Dr. Ogden attempts to talk to Miss Pearce, but she rambles about how Rose is insane, and how she blamed Dr. Ogden for catching her, putting her in the ward and "destroying" her life. Dr. Ogden questions her again, but Eva tells her Rose was waiting for her to let down her guard, and then she'd get her. Miss Pearce then reveals that she believes that she's in the ward because she fears Eva will steal her husband away from her. Dr. Ogden calls her deluded, but Eva then threatens Dr. Ogden by telling her when she got out, they'd figure out exactly who the deluded one was. Dr. Ogden, losing her nerve, chastises her by exclaiming she will never leave, as she's exactly where she's supposed to be. Walking back into Dr. Ogden's office, she admits she lost her temper, which Murdoch assures it was perfectly reasonable.

Checking the guest log, William and Julia discover Cedric Maxwell visited his sister every single day. Julia finds his address on file, and Crabtree and Murdoch bike to his cheap apartment. They discover the key mold, the tickets, and suspiciously passionate letters. Cedric admits that Rose is his adopted sister, and that they love one another. Cedric also confesses to taking the key and making a copy after the guard left it on his desk. They had planned to flee the city together and start a new life, and Rose wouldn't have killed Nurse Collins to lose that chance. All they wanted was to be with each other.

Rose tearfully confesses that Cedric never succeeds, and that others take advantage of him. She begs the detective to let her out to protect him. When asked about the door, Rose admits that the door was unlocked. She only wanted to make sure the "witch" wouldn't hurt anyone else.

The person who opened the door, Murdoch and Julia believe that someone killed Nurse Collins and was blaming it on Rose. Julia decides to stay and review the files, while Murdoch returns to the Station House.

Julia reviews the files of four out of the five women. Samuel intrudes, bringing Julia tea and telling her they were all locked up. Questioned about Eva Pearce, he says that Eva Pearce was never out of her cell, and she was the least trouble.

Julia then falls asleep, then wakes in Ward C, surrounded by the women. Eva tauntingly tells her that no one can hear her screams, as no one hears one of them. Hannah keeps asking Dr. Ogden to look at her "baby," while Rose demands to be freed from her straitjacket. Eva reveals that the women plan to escape, but only after taking their revenge of Dr. Ogden.

Back at the Station House, Murdoch finds an arrest report for Samuel Drainie, by the name of Jamison Wilkes.

The women blame her for their mistreatment under Nurse Collins, though she pleads ignorance. Julia attempts to plead with Charlotte, (actually Maddie) who tricks her and reveals to the others her escape attempt. Eva, in new clothes and with the key, explains she has many friends. Maddie then tells Dr. Ogden that when they get out, the two of them will find men and live the life of luxury. Hannah pleads with them to be quiet for her baby's sake, but Maddie takes the doll jumps on it, shattering its china figure. Girlie then appears, trying to comfort Hannah.

Samuel Drainie then peers in, though Dr. Ogden screams at him, he refuses to let her out. Eva then reveals that Mr. Drainie was the true molester, and that she persuaded him to help them after telling Nurse Collins about Mr. Drainie's behaviour. The guard then killed Nurse Collins in front of her eyes to protect his secret, and she manipulated him to get Dr. Ogden into Ward C. Julia then fights with Eva for the key, but is knocked out by Charlotte with a bedpan.

Murdoch is surrounded by reports of Jamison Wilkes' assault on his father, where he was tried and found guilty as a minor. He attempts to call Julia, but still receives no answer. He then immediately rushes to the asylum.

The other women release Rose and give her a pipe, watching as Dr. Ogden desperately tries to fight them all off. Murdoch catches Eva Pearce escaping, but is forced to let her go to rescue Dr. Ogden. Julia knocks out Rose with her broken wrist, but then Maddie picks up the pipe. Forced to think on her feet, Julia desperately tells Maddie that Girlie, Charlotte, and she will be punished if she hurts her. Reaching out to the Charlotte persona, she begs her to stop, promising Drainie would pay for what he's done. At that moment, Charlotte regains control and lowers the pipe.

Murdoch enters with a security guard, assuring himself of Dr. Ogden's wellness. She tells him about Drainie, and he tells her he knows. Mrs. Lynd then tells Murdoch off for taking his time.

Back at home, William tells Julia about Drainie's behaviour. William reveals that Drainie would don a nurse's uniform and touch women, most under the influence of drugs. Drainie's dark history was that he was sent to jail after attacking his abusive father, and kept going in and out of institutions his whole life. Julia is incredulous that no one checked his credentials, and resolves to change things about the ward.

Meanwhile, Eva Pearce tricks a man into giving her a cab ride by telling him she's been robbed. She turns with a look on her face promising revenge.

Character Revelations

• It had been believed that the previous antagonists had been sent to prison, but the fact they were sent to the asylum instead is revealed.
• Julia realizes William is trying to protect her; he admits he isn't comfortable with Rose Maxwell since she attempted to murder the doctor, but Julia reassures him she can take care of herself.
• Eva Pearce  blamed Dr. Ogden for putting her in the ward and "destroying" her life, revealing that she believes that Julia fears she will steal William away from her.
• Murdoch admits that to Eva that she's as sane as him.
• Hannah confesses to murdering children because she couldn't stand their suffering.
• Rose killed her family to protect her brother Cedric.
• Charlotte admits she has two more personalities, but she believes she has them under control, but she isn't sure who to believe.
• Eva had always been poor, but suddenly a new life seemed within her grasp upon being engaged to a rich man, but he discarded her. Eva completely snapped and enraged.
• Julia wakes nightmare where the patients try to kill her. Murdoch awakens as well, she tells him to go back to sleep all is well.
• Eva Pearce escapes in this episode and will have her revenge.

Continuity

• Previous antagonists are revealed to have been sent to the insane asylum, such as:
  • Eva Pearce in Murdoch in Ladies Wear & The Murdoch Sting
  • Rose Maxwell in Friday the 13th, 1901
  • Mrs. Lynd in Murdoch On The Corner
  • Charlotte in Me, Myself and Murdoch

• Mrs. Lynd greets Crabtree with happiness and tells him that she's sorry for trying to kill him the last time he saw her.
• Inmate Hannah asks Crabtree to take her doll's (who she believes is her child) finger marks as well.

Historical References

• The asylums of twentieth century Britain and Canada were tall, Gothic structures that held the insane for very long periods of time, often for their life time. They offered no remedy, rehabilitation nor fair treatment, most insane asylums treated their patients without compassion because of their mental illnesses and/or violent behaviour.

Trivia

• Dr. Ogden works at an asylum which also houses the "incurables" (or insane ward) this was established with Dr. Roberts in Season 2 as the Toronto Hospital for the Incurables.

Cast

Main Cast

Yannick Bisson as William Murdoch
Hélène Joy as Julia Ogden
Thomas Craig as Thomas Brackenreid
Jonny Harris as George Crabtree
Georgina Reilly as Emily Grace

Recurring Cast

Janet-Laine Green as Mrs. Lynd
Anastasia Phillips as Charlotte
Daiva Zalnieriunas as Eva Pearce
Emma Campbell as Rose Maxwell

Guest Cast

Tara Nicodemo as Hannah
Bob Bainborough as Samuel Drainie
Brandon Crone as Cedric Maxwell
Chris Whitby as Attendant
Lauren Spring as Nurse
Paul Nadeau as Man

Gallery