The March 10, 2023, release of episode 3 of “Beyond Paradise” starts with showcasing the beautiful landscapes of Shipton Manor on a bright sunny morning. As we have noticed that every episode holds a different mystery, and the series offers something exciting in each episode. Although the start has not been great, “Beyond Paradise” is still getting loved by the audience. The first two episodes do offer a good mystery, but both episodes have been hit-and-miss. However, episode 3 does bring something different this time. Here’s a detailed recap of episode 3 of “Beyond Paradise.”
Spoilers Ahead
Not Just A Painting
Anne (Barbara Flynn) introduces Humphrey (Kris Marshall), Esther (Zahra Ahmadi), and Kelby (Dylan Llewellyn) to art dealer Terence Witham (Rufus Jones), who wants a volunteer to guard the famous painting of the “Solo Mare.”
After Humphrey and Esther gave Kelby the responsibility of guarding the “Solo Mare” before its reveal to the masses, Kelby started to dedicate himself to guarding the prestigious painting, which belonged to the royal family of Lady Louise Fitzallan (Pooky Quesnel).
Edith And The Army Of Edith
As Humphrey and Esther approach Shipton Abbott, they see a group of protestors shouting “justice for Edith.” When Humphrey asks who Edith is, Esther explains to him that a group of people call themselves Edith’s Army, and they believe it was actually Edith who made the original painting of “Solo Mare.”
The Disappearance Of The Famous ‘Solo Mare’
As the sun sets and darkness rises, Kelby starts doing stupid things in the locked room where he stands alone to protect the painting. Interestingly, a person approaches the house, and suddenly the power goes off. Anxious, Kelby opens the door to check if everything is alright or not. He leaves the door open, but when he comes back into the room, he sees through the window that a man is running. The power comes back a few moments later, and Kelby gets relieved.
The very next morning, Kelby tells Anne that the painting is totally safe and that he did his job to perfection. But the situation takes an interesting turn as everyone gathers for the grand reveal of “Solo Mare.” When Anne takes the curtain off the painting, everyone gets shocked as the painting has disappeared, and there is just the frame left.
Humphrey and Esther find out Kelby did go out of the room while leaving the door open. They sent Kelby back to Shipton Abbott and wondered how someone could steal the entire painting within such a short amount of time.
Kelby gets very upset and blames himself for the incident. Humphrey comforts him and promises that they will catch the thief as a team and everything will be alright. Esther and Humphrey discuss the fact that although Augustus Craig signed the painting, many believe Edith was a secret protégée, and she actually made the painting of the “Solo Mare.”
Investigation
Humphrey and Esther visit Edith Jay’s descendant Isla Jay (Annette Badland). Isla mentions that she has nothing to do with the disappearance of the painting. Moreover, she claims that she has proof that would establish that it was Edith who made the painting, and she shows the original sketch of the “Solo Mare,” which was made by Edith.
Humphrey does background checks on Last Fitzallan and finds out she is not that much wealthier than they thought, as she and her husband struggle to maintain standards. The doubtful part is that, amidst the crisis, she still has offered half a million pounds to the art dealer, Mr. Witham. The painting was discovered by Mr. Witham in a small-town auction.
The Shipton Abbott Police search for the orange baseball cap-wearing thief whom Kelby saw on the night when the painting was stolen.
Ex Factor
Archie (Jamie Bamber) and Humphrey sit and drink together to have a little awkward conversation. They start talking about Martha (Sally Bretton) as Archie asks Humphrey if it bothers him that he and Martha are now working together. Humphrey chuckles and says indirectly that he is not bothered, which ends the awkward conversation.
Solving The Mystery
Kelby astonishingly manages to find and catch the thief. Humphrey and Martha start the interrogation and find out it was Lady Fitzallan who ordered him to steal the painting, but he did not steal it and claims that someone else stole it before he got the opportunity.
Esther and Humphrey then carry the investigation further and interrogate Lady Fitzallan, but she confesses that she did hire the thief, but it was only to save the reputation of her family, and she doesn’t know where the painting actually is.
Humphrey, as usual, tries to think about everything from a very different angle to join the puzzle pieces and solve the mystery. He finds some interesting facts about Mr. Witham, including that he is closely in touch with many forms of art, including magic. Then Humphrey cleverly solves the mystery that the painting was never stolen and that it was just an illusion, followed by a series of misdirections to establish that the painting of “Solo Mare” has been stolen. The motif was very simple. Mr. Witham stole his own painting because he discovered it was not made by Augustus Craig, and if it was found by anyone, he had to return the money with an extra amount for selling a fraudulent painting.
Ending
The Shipton Abbott police catch Witham and Humphrey manages to secure the painting. The grand reveal of how the painting disappeared within the frame is fascinating. The third episode of “Beyond Paradise” ends with a romantic dinner between Humphrey and Martha.
All in all, this episode showcases a great detective story, and this time the episode manages to deliver. It will be exciting to see what the next episodes will offer to the audience of the show.