Episode 3 of *To Cook A Bear* opens with an eerie sense of déjà vu. The entire village is abuzz with activity as villagers rally together in a desperate search for Jolina. Meanwhile, Maria’s mother stands resolute, insisting that this ordeal is divine retribution, a punishment meted out by the Lord for the girls' supposed "loose morals."
Yet, it is Maria who ultimately uncovers the whereabouts of the hapless girl. Guided by her faithful dog, Siiri, she tracks Jolina down to a desolate, abandoned mill. There, she discovers Jolina, visibly shaken and in a dire state. Though alive, the girl is far from unscathed.
Maria brings Jolina back to the heart of the town, where the Pastor and Jussi are already on hand to offer their aid. The Sheriff, ever the opportunist, arrives swiftly on their heels. He pushes the Pastor aside with little regard and proceeds to interrogate Jolina with a harshness that borders on cruelty. Brahe’s intimidating presence leaves Jolina trembling, and he demands that she "put an end to this foolishness." The terrified girl can barely manage a word, but her trembling is interpreted by the Sheriff as a nod of affirmation, suggesting that she was indeed attacked by a bear. However, the truth is far more sinister. There are unmistakable finger marks etched across Jolina’s wrist and throat, undeniable evidence of a heinous act. Brahe, in his brusque manner, dismisses the Pastor’s compassionate intervention as meddling and orders him to desist.
Our titular character, momentarily succumbing to vulnerability, quickly regains composure and focuses on the matter at hand. Forensic details come to light: semen stains mar the inside of Jolina’s dress, accompanied by the pungent odors of fat and tar. A button is missing, and there is a possibility of bloodstains belonging to the assailant, visible as splatters on her garment.
Before another conversation with Jolina takes place, we learn a crucial piece of information: Beronius had kissed Jolina at the dance. Maria, who had allegedly returned home alone and claimed to have seen nothing, later reveals that this account is a fabrication.
For the time being, the Pastor, displaying his cleverness, brings Maria in to provide additional comfort for Jolina as he diligently strives to unravel the mystery behind the assault. Eventually, Jolina musters the courage to confess that her assailant had strangled her, but she had managed to fight back, stabbing him in the left shoulder with a hairpin. This revelation proves to be a crucial piece of evidence, as it explains the blood spatter found at the scene. Unfortunately, the assailant had concealed his face with a cloth, leaving his identity shrouded in mystery.
The following morning, Maria is hit with more distressing news: her mother has consented to let Roope marry her. Defiantly, Maria refuses, only to have Roope respond by grabbing her by the throat in a moment that could potentially hold a clue. His actions are demeaning and threatening, adding another layer of tension to the already fraught situation.
Meanwhile, the Pastor, undeterred, sets out once again with Jussi on his quest for answers. This time, he decides to enlist the help of Jolina’s dog, Siiri, known for its tracking abilities. Utilizing the scent of Jolina’s sweat, they embark on a search that leads them deeper into the woods. There, they discover a missing piece of a shirt among her discarded clothing, along with evidence suggesting that the killer had been lying in wait, preparing for an ambush.
A pencil shaving found at the scene hints that the killer might have been engaged in writing—or perhaps drawing. This critical piece of information propels the Pastor straight to Nils Beronius’s doorstep.
The presence of the cloth covering the killer’s face adds another layer of intrigue. It seems to imply that the assailant is attempting to conceal his identity, yet the question arises: why go to such lengths to hide his face if he intends to kill the girls regardless? Jussi and the Pastor speculate that the killer might be a “sensitive soul,” someone who shies away from confronting the gravity of his actions.
Adding to the puzzle is the discovery of a stubbed cigar, which could suggest that another individual was lurking in the woods, waiting in the shadows. The plot thickens as it becomes apparent that Jussi is not divulging everything. Flashes of memory from that fateful night hint that the artist, Beronius, was out in the woods with Maria, engaged in an intimate encounter. However, whether Beronius is the one responsible for the heinous act remains uncertain, leaving the mystery hanging in the air like a thick fog.
Unfortunately, the Pastor does indeed find Marsh Labrador lying on the floor—a flower that sets off alarm bells in his mind, given that Jussi uses it as a mosquito repellent. For the moment, he keeps these troubling thoughts to himself and makes his way back to see Lindmark, who has just returned from a recent out-of-town excursion.
The Pastor heads into the store with the pretext of buying pencils and boot grease, but his true intention is to compare the scents with those lingering on Jolina’s dress. And lo and behold, they match perfectly.
Now, the Sheriff emerges as another figure shrouded in suspicion. He is left looking rather foolish when the Pastor effectively overshadows him, claiming credit for all that has been accomplished in the investigation. The Pastor, with a tone of authority, demands that the Sheriff come clean and divulge everything that has transpired regarding the case.
The Pastor proves to be quite cunning. During a congregation, he decides to set up a confession booth, inviting everyone to “make room for God” and accept their neighbor’s confession. His plan is to flush out the real culprit or, at the very least, to coax some truths into the open.
And his strategy pays off. Someone shouts out for Sjodahl to confess her sins. Whether this sin involves sleeping with Beronius or something entirely different remains a matter of speculation.
For now, though, Sjodahl seizes the moment to speak up, publicly denouncing the Pastor as a vagrant and a disgrace. She goes a step further, filing a complaint with the church to have him stripped of his title. Moreover, she vows not to attend services and urges everyone else to boycott him as well.
The power of public opinion and the fear of being ostracized prove too strong for most of the townsfolk, who leave the church service midway through. However, Maria and Jolina also express a desire to leave—not just the church, but the town itself.
Unfortunately, as they discuss their dreams of America, Jolina’s father overhears their conversation. That very night, he sends Maria back home and forbids her from staying any longer.
Maria next shows up to speak with the Pastor, with Jussi present as a notetaker. The atmosphere is tense and awkward, but Maria manages to mention that Beronius is not the one who assaulted Jolina. She knows this for certain because Beronius has an alibi—they were, in fact, engaged in an intimate encounter in the woods.
Stepping away from the boy, Maria confides in the Pastor, her voice trembling with suppressed emotion. She reveals that Lindmark had forced himself upon Hilda, but that Hilda had submitted reluctantly. The sole reason for her capitulation was the dire straits her family found themselves in. Hilda’s father had procured the liquor on credit, and when Lindmark threatened to seize their cottage, the sheriff sided with him. In a desperate bid to save her family from ruin, Hilda had sold herself.
Hilda’s mother remains blissfully unaware of this harrowing truth. And to compound the horror, there looms the chilling possibility that Lindmark had violated Hilda against her vehement protests. The line between coercion and consent blurs, leaving only a haunting uncertainty in its wake.
That very night, tension simmers within the household as Jussi stubbornly refuses to undress in the Pastor’s presence, compelling his adoptive father to face him head-on. The Pastor, well-acquainted with the secrets of the woods and the clandestine flowers that bloom there, knows of Jussi’s covert witness to Maria and Beronius’s intimate encounter. He confronts Jussi, his voice laced with the bitter sting of jealousy, accusing him of usurping the affection that should have been his alone.
Apparently, after that fateful day in the woods, Jussi had simply returned home. Yet, the Pastor harbors lingering doubts. Thankfully, Jussi bears no telltale mark on his left shoulder, absolving him of suspicion—for now. But the boy’s heart bears the scars of his father’s harsh accusations, a wound far deeper than any physical mark.
With Maria absent to keep a watchful eye, Jolina ventures out alone into the night, her path leading her to the outhouse. Unbeknownst to her, a killer lurks in the shadows, his patience a silent menace. He waits, his intent to finish what he had started. And when he strikes, he does so with a macabre flourish, leaving Jolina’s lifeless body suspended from a noose on a tree, a grotesque spectacle for all to see.
