The episode kicks off with Miranda Frobisher (Tiffany Gray), her voice laced with intrigue, informing Sam Gillespie (Max Brown) and Felix Livingstone (Jerry Iwu) that the strawberry in question was an ingenious deception—crafted from marzipan. Sam, sharp as a tack, posits that Miranda might have terminated Samira Rowbatham (Mina Anwar) upon discovering her connection to Aubrey Frobisher’s (Martyn Ellis) untimely demise. Miranda counters by casting suspicion on Bunny Frobisher (Katherine Kingsley), revealing her as Aubrey’s sole beneficiary and a possible perpetrator. Just then, Sister Boniface (Lorna Watson) enters, clutching a box that harbors the deadly strawberry. Sam, his instincts honed, concludes that whoever orchestrated the strawberry’s creation is the culprit. Wilf Wilson (Daniel Laurie), lurking in the shadows outside the door, eavesdrops on the tense conversation.
Moments later, Robbie Rowbotham (Les Dennis), his brow furrowed in concern, inquiries about the motive behind Samira’s demise. Felix probes if Robbie was aware of the meeting between Aubrey and Samira, where they discussed the Panto Charity account on the eve of Aubrey’s passing. Robbie, shaking his head in denial, earnestly begs for their help in uncovering the killer. CC Lowsley (Robert Daws), determined to maintain morale, reassures the cast that Sam and Felix will crack the case. He mocks the notion that GSADS would ever allow murder to overshadow a performance. Mrs. Clam (Belinda Lang), her heart set on the children’s joy, underscores the importance of the pantomime. Jonas Blake (Ed Birch), resolved, sets off to find replacements for Aubrey and Samira. Clam, volunteering as the wicked stepmother if no other suitable candidate emerges, selects Dorothy Thimble (Sarah Crowden) for the role. Despite his initial doubts, he assures Dorothy’s perfection and whisks her away. Insistent, Clam urges Lowsley, now acting chairman, to convene an emergency meeting.
In a private moment, Wilf confesses to Peggy Button (Ami Metcalf) that he ended Samira’s life. Sam, confronting Wilf shortly after, demands an explanation. Wilf, his eyes gleaming with conviction, asserts that Samira deserved punishment for her cruelty as the orphanage matron. He recounts tales of children hating her, nicknaming her the “Wicked Witch.” Sam queries the method of poisoning, prompting Wilf to place a can of rat poison on the table. Later, Sam hands the rat poison to Sister Boniface, reluctantly acknowledging the need for arrest despite their disbelief in Wilf’s guilt. Sister Boniface confirms their suspicions with a toxicology report revealing strychnine, a component of rat poison, as the poison used on Samira.
Elsewhere, Sister Peter (Tina Chiang) diligently snapshots and inspects the pin, which served as a clever conduit for the turkey. Upon Sister Boniface’s arrival, Sister Peter whispers her suspicion—the fox has been framed.
Sam entrusted Peggy with the task of uncovering details about Janice, a fifty-year-old woman, while Felix revealed that the charities were bogus, with funds funneled into a single account. Amidst a lively card game between Wilf and Peggy, Miranda abruptly interrupted, demanding an explanation for a confession. Peggy, accompanied by another officer, escorted her out. Meanwhile, Felix and Sam confronted Robbie, suggesting that Aubrey had onto Samira’s fraudulent charities. Felix accused Robbie of Aubrey's murder, arguing that he had motive as Aubrey's exposure could have ruined him. Robbie denied any involvement with the fraudulent account, except for its being in his name due to Samira's legal inability to hold one herself. Felix disclosed that significant purchases were traced back to the account. Portraying Robbie as a "weak man" overly reliant on Samira, Felix noted his current state of confusion. Sam queried Robbie about a Christmas card perched on his mantelpiece, which Robbie claimed ignorance about its origin.
At the Great Slaughter Theatre, GSADS members gathered to address the situation with Jonas. Lowsley lamented that Jonas had turned their pantomime into a mockery. Tom Thomas (David Sterne) mischievously proposed tar and feathering him, while Lowsley advocated for a more civil approach. Sam presented Sister Boniface with Aubrey’s Christmas card, similar to one sent to Samira. She observed the absence of Saint Joseph on Aubrey’s card and the peculiar crows depicted on Silas Kaleb’s card, surmising that the same individual had killed Aubrey, Samira, and Silas.
Back at the theatre, Claim and Lowsley informed Jonas of his termination as GSADS director. Jonas boasted about his directorial debut drawing critics from afar, but Claim emphasized the importance of the audience, to which Jonas was dismissive. Jonas warned of the dire consequences for GSADS if he couldn't work with what he deemed amateurs. Lowsley dreaded the group becoming a joke.
In the lab, Reverend Mother Adrian (Carolyn Pickles) exhorted Sister Boniface to persist in her quest to uncover Samira’s killer. She expressed concern for Wilf, comparing him unfavorably to Dougal, who had a family and thus might face a fate like Broadmoor. Sister Boniface distinguished that Dougal had a family, unlike Wilf.
At the police station, Peggy updated Sam and Felix that Janice had a conviction for theft thirty years ago, specifically stealing a bracelet from her employer, Aubrey’s mother. Police Constable Hector Lowsley promptly arrested Janice.
Sister Peter and Sister Boniface grill Sister Reginald (Virginia Fiol), their inquisitive gaze honed on the mystery of the vanishing turkey, Terry. They unfold evidence that unequivocally points to Terry's self-imposed exile into the woods. Sister Reginald, who nurtured him from a fragile egg, concedes to unburden her soul to Reverend Mother.
At the police precinct, Detective Lowsley’s mind drifts back to the time he apprehended Janice, who dramatically claimed to be pregnant with Aubrey’s flesh and blood. The Frobisher family, however, dismissed these claims outright, stating Aubrey’s alibi was solidified by his presence at Oxford. The bracelet, incriminating in its silence, was unearthed beneath a floorboard in Janice’s quarters. Lowsley divulges that Derek Spike, later ensnared in a bribery scandal, faced termination. Felix ponders whether Spike was enticed to frame Janice. Lowsley confirms this conjecture, although Janice has already served her sentence behind bars.
Meanwhile, Sister Boniface is handed the toxicology report on the rat poison, its findings poised to unravel secrets. Just as Sister Reginald prepares to confess her presumed guilt to Reverend Mother, Sister Peter interrupts with exhilarating news – Terry has returned, unscathed. Reverend Mother beams with joy, contrasting sharply with Sister Reginald's disconcerted demeanor.
At the police station, Felix frees Wilf, the toxicology report revealing the poison to be a benign concoction of salt and bicarbonate of soda. Wilf confesses, sheepishly acknowledging he pilfered it from the props table. Sister Boniface alerts Sam, revealing she has identified the Christmas card sender. Intriguingly, Lowsley too seems to have received a card, adding another layer to the enigmatic tale.
Wilf confesses his deeds to Miranda, citing her status as the prime suspect in Samira’s murder as his motivation. She reassures him with a wry smile, hinting at far more ingenious plans had she been the perpetrator. He inquiries about their friendship, to which she responds with endearment, labeling him a “champ” and pledging an unbreakable bond.
Elsewhere, Sam embarks on a staged break-in at Jonas’ abode, only to find Sister Boniface has beaten him to the punch, the backdoor already ajar. Back at the theatre, an unseen assailant strikes Lowsley from behind, casting a shadow of suspicion over the proceedings. At Jonas’ house, Felix puzzles over the connection between Jonas and the trio of victims. Sister Boniface’s deft lock-picking reveals a copy of Janice Kaleb’s "Once Upon A Time," dedicated to Samira, Silas, Aubrey, and Lowsley, and inscribed to her son, Jason Kaleb – an anagram that subtly points to Jonas Blake. Felix promptly alerts the police as Sam dashes out the door, his mind racing with newfound revelations.
At the theater, Lowsley dangles precariously from the ceiling, suspended by a single rope. Jonas's mind drifts back to a fairy tale narrated by Janice, which unsettlingly proved to be fact. He recounts the tale of Princess Janice, to which Lowsley promptly claims kinship, asserting he is her son. The princess, ensnared by love, fell for a prince who underwent a mysterious transformation into a frog. Lowsley's accusations then take a dark turn, labeling Jonas as the murderer of his father, Aubrey. Jonas counters by alleging that Aubrey seduced Janice and later disowned his own flesh and blood.
A vivid flashback ensues, where Aubrey coldly disavows any knowledge of Janice. In a fit of rage, Jonas plunges a knife into Aubrey's heart. Returning to the present, Jonas candidly confesses to Aubrey's murder. Silas, harsh and unforgiving, exiled 16-year-old Janice upon discovering her pregnancy, and Aubrey refused to marry her. Jonas hesitated to slay Silas, haunted by eyes that mirrored Janice's.
Lowsley vehemently denies accepting a bribe to frame Janice for theft, but upon glimpsing a shadowy figure in the hallway, he admits, under duress, to accepting a pork chop from Ted Button as payment. Jonas begins to sever the rope holding Lowsley, just as Sister Boniface bursts in, announcing that Trevor Jones is in dire need of his inhaler. Lowsley reassures Jonas of her innocence, yet Jonas commands her to remain still. She, curious and undeterred, urges him to continue his narrative.
Jonas unfolds his tale of abandonment, sent to an orphanage while Janice battled tuberculosis. He claims Samira told him that Janice rejected him, consigning him and countless others to a life of torment. The orphanage cruelly deceived Janice, informing her of his supposed death. Meanwhile, Sam and Felix rush to Lowsley's rescue, with Sister Boniface engaging Jonas in conversation about his turbulent upbringing as the adopted son of rugged outback farmers. Driven from his home, Jonas fled to Melbourne and eventually returned to England, motivated by a thirst for vengeance.
In this heightened narrative, the tension mounts, each revelation painting a more vivid picture of a tangled web of betrayal, love, and retribution.
Jonas severs the rope, sending Lowsley plummeting towards the earth's embrace. Felix, swift as a flash, seizes the dangling cord, while Sam latches onto Felix's leg, halting Lowsley's descent mere inches from the unforgiving ground. Jonas, his voice commanding, beckons them all to descend. Sister Boniface, with a mischievous twinkle in her eye, places a horse's head over Jonas's head, rendering him a comical figure struggling to free himself. With a gentle touch, she assists Lowsley to his feet, while Jonas, losing his footing, tumbles to the floor below, only to be apprehended shortly thereafter.
Sister Boniface, her voice tinged with sincerity, expresses her condolences for the hardships Jonas and Janice faced. Jonas, gratitude etched across his face, acknowledges her words. When prodded about Janice's fate, he reveals a poignant tale: upon returning to England, he sought her out, driven by a need to prove his triumph and her misjudgment in leaving him. To his shock, he found her hospitalized, battle-scarred by cancer, having believed him deceased for years. Janice's remaining days counted in mere handfuls after the truth was unveiled. Vowing vengeance for her suffering, Jonas saw fit to conclude her fairy tale in his own way.
As Jonas is led away, Lowsley, with heartfelt gratitude, thanks Sister Boniface and offers a Christmas gift from the esteemed Great Slaughter Police, to which she replies with a hint of intrigue. Miranda interrupts, disclosing that Lowsley is her half-brother and the perpetrator of their father's murder. Sister Boniface, ever the compassionate soul, shares Lowsley's tragic backstory—torn from a loving mother's arms and condemned to a childhood marred by abuse. Bunny, whispering tales of curses, expresses her eagerness to escape this haunted place. Felix, however, informs her that she must accompany them to the station to clarify matters concerning her deceased first husband, a claim contradicted by Sam, who points out her husband's very much alive existence in France. Bunny, defiant, declares him dead to her following his betrayal with another woman, unaware of the perilous waters of bigamy and fraud she might soon navigate. Sam, turning to Miranda, bestows upon her what is rightfully hers as her father's sole heir.
Amidst this turmoil, Lowsley assumes directorial duties, urging the group not to let adversity dim their spirit. Arguments ensue over the fate of their performance, yet Lowsley's resolve prevails. Elsewhere, Reginald's conversation with Terry takes a dark turn, halted just in time by Sister Boniface and Sister Peter. Wilf's introduction to Adrian and Miranda brings forth the promise of Maplecrest Farm, a beacon of hope for individuals seeking independence. Miranda, eyes twinkling with friendship, envisions a future where she and Wilf can cherish daily companionship.
The audience, entranced, savors the magic of Cinderella. As night descends, the sisters gather for a festive dinner, their spirits brightened by Sister Boniface's heartfelt "Happy Christmas" to Sister Reg. Terry, a solitary figure, is framed against the fence, a reminder of the complexities and conflicts that intertwine their lives.
