Episode 1 of "Hound's Hill" unfolds with a haunting prelude set 18 years ago, whispering of a tale both prolonged and ominous – a saga stretched across five one-hour episodes, indeed fitting the bill! The narrative then pivots to a misty, moonlit eve, where Mikolaj, a teenage reveler inebriated by sorrow, is rescued from the roadside by his father, Tomek. Mikolaj's heart is heavy; his sweetheart, Daria, has just severed their ties.
Upon escorting him home, Tomek's tranquil evening is shattered by a phone call: a murder has been discovered in the shadowy depths of the forest. The victim? Daria, Mikolaj's former love, now lifelessly laid out in the brutal aftermath of violence. Tomek, driven by fatherly instinct, rushes Mikolaj to the grim scene, where the young man's eyes behold the harsh reality of his loss.
Years leap forward, casting Mikolaj in the spotlight as a renowned author. Yet, Daria's demise continues to shadow his every thought, estranging him from his father and many of his hometown acquaintances in Zybork. His book, a scathing portrayal of their collective past, hasn't endeared him to anyone, painting them all in hues of disfavor.
For Tomek's birthday, Mikolaj arrives with his partner, Justyna, but the atmosphere is thick with tension, an unspoken war lingering in the air. Tomek, recently recovering from a heart attack kept hidden from Mikolaj due to their fractured relationship, bears the brunt of the writer's literary scorn.
The book's hostility runs deep, mirroring a painful truth: Mikolaj's absence at his mother's funeral and the portrayal of a character in his novel – a brutal figure who assaulted his mother, bearing a striking resemblance to Tomek under a different name – has left Tomek seething with anger and betrayal. The evening unravels in a tangled web of unresolved emotions, culminating in an abrupt, acrimonious departure under the cloak of night, leaving the father and son bound by pain, yet adrift in their quest for reconciliation.
On their journey back, the duo speeds through the forest until they are forced to slam on the brakes upon discovering a lifeless body sprawled across the road. The deceased male seems to be none other than Grazyna's husband, Bernat. Given the lateness of the hour, Tomek offers the group refuge at his place for the night.
Mikolaj is unwavering in his determination to uncover the truth behind these events. The next morning, he sets off to confront Gizmo, the man arrested in connection with Daria's demise and also her brother. Gizmo's quarters are adorned with chaotic drawings of animals, particularly foxes, hinting at a disturbed mind. He addresses Mikolaj as "paleface" and mutters the enigmatic sequence "two, one, eight." A postcard, which serves as a tool for blackmailing Mikolaj, lies nearby, seemingly penned by Gizmo himself—despite his illiteracy.
Meanwhile, Justyna's identity as a journalist comes to light, and hints of an affair with her editor emerge from messages on her phone, amidst unconfirmed rumors of a missing loved one. The town of Zybork is crumbling under the weight of illicit finances. Tomek belongs to a resistance faction battling against ex-mobsters who have taken over the town, with Kalt at the helm. Their goal is to construct a luxury hotel amidst the crumbling infrastructure, which Tomek fiercely opposes. Could these deaths be linked to this power struggle?
At the police station, Mikolaj and Justyna give statements regarding Bernat's tragic demise. Amidst this turmoil, Tomek and Mikolaj share a tense embrace, marking a fragile reconciliation. During his interview, Mikolaj realizes that Gizmo might have been onto something significant. Recall the numbers 218? They appear to be linked to the final page of his book.
However, when Mikolaj arrives to confront Gizmo, he finds the latter deceased, having apparently chewed through his own veins in a grim act of self-harm.
