The Ecstasy of Death

"The Ecstasy of Death" is the seventh episode of season one of The Irregulars. It first aired on Netflix on 26 March 2021.
== Summary ==
After demanding the truth from Watson, Bea joins a plan to catch the Linen Man. Jessie fights her fears. Spike scrambles to keep his friends together.
== Plot ==
With the situation in London becoming more dangerous, Bea visits Watson at 221B and demands the truth about why he opened the original Rip. Watson explains his history with Holmes, and how Holmes pulled away from him as he grew more famous. He admits that he opened the Rip accidentally in an attempt to impress Holmes by contacting the spirit world. Bea asks why Watson didn’t save her mother when she was taken by the Rip, and Watson confesses that his is in love with Holmes and was jealous of Alice.
Their conversation is interrupted by Holmes, who enters with Jessie. Holmes tells them that he found her at the docks, and that it seems the Linen Man put Jessie in a magical sleep. Sherlock tells them he believes the man is an ipsissimus, and Watson theorizes he must have come to London to harness the power of the Rip, which would make him incredibly powerful.
Meanwhile, Jessie is trapped and frantically trying to escape her nightmares, where she is being hunted by ghastly plague doctors. The Linen Man taunts her, saying she was too weak to find the Rip. He tells her that once finds it, he will be able to harness the power of fear to control the world. He explains that fear is what allows you to control others, and what turns normal men into monsters. He shows Jessie visions of various future atrocities caused by "ordinary" people, such as the World Wars, the atom bomb, and the KKK.
Back at Baker Street, Holmes points out that they currently have no way of currently finding the Rip or the Linen Man. Luckily, a constable arrives and informs them that they are urgently needed at Scotland Yard.
In the royal palace, Leo is gently chastised by his sister Louise for running away. She tells him that he has to stop trying to be someone else and must accept who he is. Daimler enters, and informs Leo that his German cousin, Princess Helena, is currently visiting Britain. Hearing that the princess is currently looking for a suitor, the Queen has invited her to the palace to meet with Leo. Leo assumes Daimler is behind this development and orders him to leave angrily.
Spike visits Billy in prison. He informs Billy of Leo’s real identity as a royal prince. Billy tells Spike that he expects a harsh punishment for killing Vic Collins; he suspects he will probably hang. He tells Spike to concentrate on closing the Rip. However, Spike response that Billy is an essential member of their group, and promises to get him out.
Bea, Holmes, and Watson arrive at Scotland Yard and immediately spot a dead man on the staircase. They are met by Inspector Gregson, who informs them that a man in a linen suit broke in to the archives and stole the files on every case Watson’s group worked on. Bea realizes that the Linen Man plans to use the case files to find a “monster”, as each has the location of the Rip in his or her mind. Watson points out that Arthur Hilton, or the “Bird Master”, is the only they confronted who is one still alive. The group rushes to Bedlam Hospital, where he is imprisoned.
The Linen Man, meanwhile, continues to bombard Jessie with images of future atrocities. He tells her that together, they can bring order to the world. He reveals that he has a son who is also an ipsissimus, and tells Jessie that they will create a dynasty of ipsissimi to rule over the world. Jessie refuses and keeps running as the plague doctors close in on her.
Spike travels to the palace, and is immediately detained after jumping over the back wall. Inside, Leo has tea with Princess Helena. Leo is sullen and quiet, which irritates the princess. She realizes that Leo is already in love with someone else. She tells him that she is as well, but she will go along with the marriage because it is her duty and for the good of her country. Nevertheless, Leo tells her that he plans to do everything he can to prevent their marriage.
Remembering what the Linen Man said about controlling people through fear, Jessie comes to the conclusion that facing her fears is the only way to escape her nightmare. She determines to confront the plague doctors. However, the Linen Man tells her that her real fear is being being abandoned by others for being unlovable. Jessie ends up in a pit, where the plague doctors bury her alive.
Bea, Holmes, Watson, and Gregson arrive at Bedlam, and are shown to the otherwise empty wing where Hilton is imprisoned. Gregson orders guards positioned on the roof and warns the chief doctor that the Linen Man will soon be coming. Bea is let into Hilton’s cell, and tells him they need his help. She tells him that when the Linen Man arrives, he will enter his head to find the Rip. She gives Hilton a syringe, and asks him to use it on the Linen Man after he does so.
Back in the palace, Leo is surprised to find Spike talking to Louise. Leo asks her to leave, and Spike warns him that the city is descending into chaos. He tells him that the country could collapse if they don’t find the Rip. Spike is upset when Leo implies that he is no longer part of their friend group, but Leo responds he never really was; he was merely pretending to be someone else for a while. He asks Spike to leave on threat of being removed. However, Leo eventually breaks down and admits that he feels he doesn’t belong anywhere, which Spike replies is the reason they belong together.
Night has fallen at Bedlam, while Bea and the police wait for the Linen Man to arrive. Holmes and Watson reminisce about the old days. Watson tells Holmes that he was right about the Snowdonia hawkweed and that Edith Dubois was behind the “Collector” case, though he lies to cover up his involvement in the deception. However, Holmes doesn’t care much, saying there are more important things than being right. They are surprised when one of the guards from the roof falls from the balcony, followed shortly by the other. Everyone hides as the Linen Man enters. He goes straight for Hilton’s cell and enters his memories, where he learns the location of the Rip. However, he realizes Hilton is hiding something. Bea and the group hear a struggle, and hurry to the cell. They find Hilton holding the syringe and the Linen Man laying on his cot. However, Hilton begins to accuse Gregson of stealing his baby, and attacks him. While Watson and Holmes attempt restrain Hilton, Bea enters the cell. She checks to see if the Linen Man is dead, but he grabs her and puts her under a trance. Having sedated Hilton, Watson notices the Linen Man escaping and Holmes sends him after him. Holmes checks on Bea, and instructs Gregson to watch her after seeing she has been touched.
Watson chases the Linen Man, who seems about to escape until he comes to a door he cannot open. Holmes appears and locks a gate behind him, revealing the Linen Man has fallen into his trap. He demands that the Linen man tell him where the Rip is. Bea, Watson, and Gregson arrive, but cannot reach Holmes due to another locked gate. They see the Linen Man talking to Holmes, and are shocked when Sherlock opens the gate and allows the Linen Man to leave before following after him.
Back at Baker Street, Bea and Watson check on Jessie. They cannot understand why Holmes would join the Linen Man, and Bea is particularly upset by his betrayal. As a result of the Linen Man’s touch, she finds herself having visions of her mother, and remembers when her mother left her and Jessie with Sister Anna. Spike arrives at the house with Billy and Leo, who managed to secure Billy’s release. Together, the four friends talk to Jessie, reaching her in her nightmare. This gives her the strength to climb out of the grave and destroy the plague doctors. She also has a vision of workers accidentally breaking into the cavern as part of excavations for the new London Underground, and learns that the cavern is located near Aldgate Station on the Inner Circle Line. Jessie wakes up and tells her friends about her discover, and warns them they have to hurry. Meanwhile, the Linen Man and Holmes break into the construction site at Aldgate, where they find the expanding Rip.
== Cast ==
=== Main cast ===
* Thaddea Graham as Bea Cook
* Darci Shaw as Jessie Cook
* Harrison Osterfield as Prince Leopold
* Jojo Macari as Billy Chisup
* McKell David as Spike
* Royce Pierreson as Dr John Watson
* Henry Lloyd-Hughes as Sherlock Holmes
* Clarke Peters as the Linen Man
* Eileen O'Higgins as Alice Cook
=== Guest stars ===
* Sacharissa Claxton as Dr Renfield
* Edward Hogg as Daimler
* Nell Hudson as Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll
* Tim Key as Inspector Gregson
* Sophie Robertson as Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont
== References ==
Category:Episodes: The Irregulars