Episode 4 of *To Cook A Bear* begins with the news of Jolina’s death spreading through the town like a contagious plague. As this grim tidings ripple across the various households, the Pastor finds himself struggling to locate Jussi, who had vanished that very night. The Sheriff has already arrived on the scene, and the coroner has swiftly concluded that Jolina took her own life, deeming it a straightforward case of suicide. However, there is no stool to suggest she hanged herself, and Siiri is conspicuously absent as well. The last time her family laid eyes on her was the previous day, and as the Pastor soon discovers, poor Siiri has been poisoned too, found lifeless in the woods.
The Pastor then turns his attention to Jolina’s body, noticing marks on her heels that indicate she was dragged along the dirt outside, as evidenced by the cuts across them. Grooves in the wood, an unfamiliar rope not found in Jolina’s house, and a nearby broken pencil—where the killer presumably waited—along with a carving of a cross in the woods, all point towards this being a murder rather than a suicide.
Yet, Brahe has already painted Jussi as the culprit and is demanding to know his whereabouts. The boy, however, is out in the wilderness on a grand trek and cannot be found. The Pastor is consumed by guilt, believing he has driven Jussi away after accusing him of murder. That night, he confides in Brita about his overwhelming sense of culpability.
Meanwhile, Jussi makes his way back home to see his family, who live far out, subsisting off the land. The last time he saw his mother, she was drunk and struggled to care for him and his siblings. While Jussi believed her to be the devil, possessed by drink, his sisters argue that she loved them deeply and was heartbroken when he left. Now that she’s gone, he’ll never have the chance to reconcile with her. Nevertheless, a touching reunion takes place between Jussi and his sister, Anne.
Back in town, Beronius confides in Maria, admitting that she is all he thinks about. He reveals that he is only sleeping with Sjodahl to maintain the peace for the time being, but his true desire lies with Maria. In fact, he makes a bold proposition to her, expressing his wish to paint her portrait.
Further discord simmers when the Pastor discovers that the doctor has returned to town. It also seems that the doctor has forged rather close ties with both Brahe and Lindmark. Could it be that all three of them are colluding in some nefarious scheme?
Determined to uncover the truth, the Pastor makes his way to the local store, where he stumbles upon more incriminating evidence that seems to point the finger squarely at Lindmark as the potential murderer. Seizing the moment, he confronts Lindmark directly in front of the assembled villagers. The Pastor boldly references the wound on the left shoulder and demands that Lindmark reveal his shoulder to prove his innocence. However, when Lindmark finally bares his shoulder, it is unmistakably clear—free from any telltale marks.
Meanwhile, at the church, the Pastor's attempts to lead a solemn service in memory of Jolina are derailed by hecklers. Sjodahl takes the lead in denouncing her as a sinner and insisting that the Pajala District Court should step in to address the matter.
As Bishop Sundman prepares to arrive, and with Jussi conspicuously absent, suspicion begins to coalesce around the Pastor himself as the likely culprit. Jolina’s body is eventually interred outside the church grounds, but the Pastor, acting on a whim, secretly moves her remains into the consecrated earth that night. This audacious act only serves to inflame the already simmering tensions among the townsfolk.
Back at home, hostility permeates the atmosphere as Lisa brings up Jussi’s drinking at the dance. She asserts her desire to step into Jussi’s shoes now that he is gone, but the Pastor, frustrated and unyielding, refuses to see things her way.
In search of answers, the Pastor pays a visit to Beronius and requests that he paint his portrait. Beronius observes that they share a certain kinship, as both are seekers of light and truth, albeit through vastly different lenses.
Beronius, ever the flamboyant showman, is eager to display his talents and eclectic collection of trinkets, including his camera and painting supplies. The Pastor becomes increasingly convinced that Beronius is behind the recent killings, and the artist’s cryptic words do little to dissuade him. Beronius speaks poetically of his fascination with humanity, both in life and in death, his words casting an eerie glow over the encounter.
As for Jussi, a moment of stark realization dawns upon him—the rugged, unyielding rhythms of Sami life no longer resonate with his soul. With a heavy heart, he makes the resolute decision to embark on the arduous journey back home. Meanwhile, Maria too finds herself at a crossroads, her heart echoing with the dissonance of married life, which fails to kindle the warmth she had once envisioned. That fateful night, she finds solace—or perhaps, a fleeting escape—in Beronius' embrace.
Yet, Beronius, a man walled off by his unwavering commitment to bachelorhood, is unyielding. His demeanor shifts from tender to tyrannical in a heartbeat. With a force that belies any semblance of affection, he grabs her roughly, his hands closing around her throat in a cruel vice. In a voice laced with venom, he hurls accusations, branding her a whore, his words a dagger to her already fragile spirit. He demands, with a menacing edge, that she flee back to the sanctuary of her home, as if banishing her could erase the night's events from his own conscience.