The Wrath of Baron Samdi is the tenth and final episode of the fourth season of Father Brown.
Father Brown encounters a voodoo priest who is determined to win back the woman he loves, at any cost he has to.
Tropes:
- Big Eater: Mrs. McCarthy lampshades Father Brown's love of food at the end of the episode:McCarthy: Now don't get used to this. Just because we all thought you were dead doesn't mean you get to stuff your face every day.
Father Brown: Noted. - Big Heroic Run: Mallory, with Goodfellow, driving at top speed through the village to stop the coroner, who is ignoring the phone ringing off the hook, from cutting into a not-dead Father Brown.
- Averted in that the poison wears off enough for Father Brown's arm to flail into the coroner, shocking the poor old tippler half to death himself, before Mallory & Co. arrive.
- Clear My Name: Emanuel's dying words are, "I didn't do it" and Father Brown feels obligated to prove him right.
- The Cuckoolander Was Right: Mrs. McCarthy tells Father Brown that, among other paranoid warnings, she hopes he rinsed his toothbrush before using it, because he could be poisoned that way. He is, in fact, poisoned through his toothbrush. He laments this while succumbing to the poison.Father Brown: Mrs. McCarthy was right. Hah! Never thought those would be my last words! (collapses)
- Disability Alibi: Of the humanly possible variety. The assumption is made early on that the door glass was broken in order to unlock the door, but Father Brown belatedly realizes the glass is too small and too far from the handle for any reasonably-proportioned person's arms to reach it.
- Dying Moment of Awesome: An understated one when Father Brown realises he has been poisoned, but like the good Christian he is, is not angry or fearful, just a bit surprised. He just has time to ask how the poison was administered, and then, with a beatific smile and chuckle says:Father Brown: Mrs. McCarthy was right. [beat] Never expected those to be my last words. [collapses to the ground]
- Also subverted, because he's Not Quite Dead.
- Everyone Has Standards: Lloyd is aware from the start that Tommy poisoned his father, Joseph, having seen Tommy running from the scene, but keeps silent due to sympathizing more with Tommy - a seriously neglected and depressed teenage boy with a crush on his abusive father's new Trophy Wife - than with the Asshole Victim Joseph was. But when Father Brown collapses, Lloyd speaks up to Inspector Mallory, saying that while Joseph was no great loss to the world, anyone who would poison a holy man to save his own hide is absolutely not worthy of his goodwill. Tommy tries to make a run for it, but barely makes it out the door before Sid tackles him.
- Expy: As usual, Mrs. McCarthy serves as the (ironically) superstitious purist, expressing shock at heathen rituals occurring in the presbytery, and takes away a Lwa Simba devotional card that Father Brown is given by Yveline. Father Brown, again as usual, serves as the more tolerant, informed source of reason.
- Finger-Licking Poison: Joseph Sinclair is murdered when his son coats the reed of his saxophone in poison. Tommy later dusts Father Brown's toothbrush with the same poison.
- Hollywood Voodoo: Mostly averted. Voudoun is mostly presented sympathetically, and the show even points out it's syncretic nature and its ties to Catholicism. In particular, Father Brown is quite fascinated, and reads up on it while the band is staying over. It turns out a number of Voudoun spirits are more or less re-imaginings of Catholic saints, such as Lwa Simbi correlating to Saint Christopher.
- How Many Fingers?: Mallory tries this on Father Brown after the latter has regained consciousness, and asks if the priest can recall his own name. Father Brown facetiously answers, "Winston Churchill".Mallory: Even half-dead you're a pain in the neck!
- Infraction Distraction: The killer broke the door glass and left a dead chicken as a distraction to avoid notice of the real criminal act.
- When Mallory questions Emmanuel after Joseph's death, he challenges him to prove he owns the car he's been driving. Emmanuel himself calls out the fact that he's been in England for a few days and has already been asked to prove this three times, something he suspects doesn't happen to white folks.
- It's Personal: Inspector Mallory after Father Brown (supposedly) dies:Mallory: You're all suspects in the murders of Joseph Sinclair and Father Brown. My sergeant's going to search you and your belongings. And whichever one of you did it, I'm personally going to see that you hang.
- Like a Son to Me: All the regular cast are devastated by Father Brown's apparent murder, but Sid looks ready to beat the killer to death with his bare hands.
- Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane: Emmanuel appears in the presbytery's den, and when Father Brown asks him how he appeared, he sarcastically refers to magic. When Father Brown is dubious, he puts on a humble look and says "I picked the lock."
- Oh, Crap!: For Inspector Mallory after he realises that Father Brown wasn't actually murdered by the poison, but the post mortem that Mallory ordered will definitely do the trick.
- Politically Correct History: Strongly averted when the black characters can't rent a room in Kembleford. And then played with when Mrs. McCarthy is notably unnerved by the group...because they're all (white characters included) open voodoo practitioners, and she is a good Christian woman, thank you very much.
- Prefers Rocks to Pillows: Father Brown, chagrined by Kembleford's lack of hospitality towards the stranded jazz band, offers them space in the presbytery, though there is little to spare:Father Brown: As long as some of you don't mind sleeping on the floor?
Lloyd Bennett: For us that's the Ritz, Father. - "The Reason You Suck" Speech: A distraught Sid unleashes one of these on Inspector Mallory:Sid: You are nothing but a Keystone Cop. Useless, incompetent, lazy...
- Sweet and Sour Grapes: The band's car is not repaired in time for them to make it to their "gig" in Birmingham, but Lady Felicia says a friend of hers is opening a luxury hotel in the area that could use a musical act. Joseph grins and says he thinks they could be content with that.
- Waking Up at the Morgue: Happens to Father Brown after he is drugged with a poison that lowers his heart rate to the point where he appears to be dead.
- Wham Line: Towards the end of the episode:Tommy Sinclair: [to Father Brown] And you're not going to be able to tell on me either. [beat] You won't be able to, not after the poison I gave you.