Ground Coffee

"**Ground Coffee**", published as **Episode 2 - Ground Coffee**, is the second episode of the first season of *Murphy*. The episode is directed by Alexandra Munroe and written by Annie Vee. It was released on November 30, 2022.

## Synopsis

After quitting his job as a detective, Jack joins Murphy on her search for mythical creatures and monsters. But before he can fully close the police chapter of his life, he and Murphy must work to solve a cold case involving a string of brutal murders across England.

## Plot Summary

Peter Bourgot, a lawyer, and Phillis Burger, Peter's partner, are talking outside of a courthouse in York. Peter states that they need Jack Sherwood to help them with a case, much to Phillis' annoyance. Peter states that if Phillis continues to follow him, Peter's promise to him will be fulfilled. Phillis agrees and calls Jack.

Meanwhile, at Tom Einstorn's café, Jack is sitting at a table with Merlyn Murphy. Since Jack has agreed to join Murphy on her quest to find monsters and other creatures from folktales, he wonders what their next move is. Murphy states that they'll go wherever the monsters call. Murphy is surprised by how she barely recognizes Jack and his obsession with overloading his coffee with sugar (specifically pink sugar cubes). Jack receives a call from Phillis, and he and Murphy abruptly leave the café.

In the car, Jack informs Murphy that they are going to meet with a lawyer that he used to work on cases with when he was still a detective. He then tells Murphy about the Shredder Investigation, a string of brutal murders attributed to a serial killer that was never caught. He describes the crime scene at which the body of Cirilla Monarch, a barista at Tom Einstorn's café, was found.

At the restaurant, Jack introduces Murphy to Peter and Phillis. Murphy, having been injected with a serum that heightens senses during her training for Parliament, notices a disgusting odor emanating from Peter. Murphy becomes more suspicious of Peter when she watches him devour a bloody rare steak. Peter tells Jack that Tom Einstorn, the owner of the café that Cirilla worked at, had confessed to killing her. At first, Jack does not believe him, but changes his mind when Peter presents previously unseen CCTV footage that shows Tom aggressively pushing Cirilla during the night of the attack. Peter says that the footage is good, but is not enough to be able to prosecute Einstorn for the Shredder murders. Jack agrees to help and offers to pay for lunch. When he does, his silver money clip seems to hurt Peter when it touches him, a detail that Murphy picks up on.

Murphy and Jack head back to Jack's flat to retrieve the case file on the Shredder murders. Murphy tells Jack that she believes that Peter is actually a werewolf and that he is wrong about Tom Einstorn being behind the murders. Jack disagrees with Murphy and insists that he wants to close this case for good. When he walks away to read over the case, Murphy notices a bracelet she made for Jack when they were kids and has a traumatic flashback. It ends when Jack comes back into the room, and the two of them head to Jack's old station.

At the station, Jack is prevented from entering by Janet, a receptionist at the front desk. Jack's former partner Elliot O'Donnell walks to the front of the station, berating Jack for abandoning him when he quit. Elliot agrees to help Jack retrieve materials from the evidence room and blackmails Janet into letting Jack and Murphy pass. In the evidence room, Jack has a brief flashback where he hears a young girl's voice (likely Murphy's) yelling out his name. Elliot gives Jack all the materials pertaining to the Shredder investigation. Murphy notices a cross on a necklace which Jack says was ripped off of the victim during the attack, as well as a blood from the victim, and a large amount of hair that didn't register in a DNA test and led to a dead end in the investigation. Jack also finds a journal with missing pages and swears that it wasn't always incomplete.

Murphy and Jack go to Peter's office to meet with him, but Jack chooses not to hand over the evidence to him yet. During the meeting, Murphy stands up and browses through Peter's book collection, sniffing as she goes. Phillis bursts in, telling Peter that there is a pressing matter that he must attend to. After Peter steps out, Murphy discovers an old article in Peter's collection that implies that he may have been involved in the werewolf trials back in the 16th century. Jack notices the hair gel that Peter uses to keep his hair firmly in place and decides to try it out for himself. While Peter's briefcase is open, he also notices a collection of pages that were missing from the journal in the evidence room. After Jack places the pages in his own briefcase, Peter reenters the room, surprised at Jack's curiosity and that he was able to try the hair gel. Jack covers for himself, and he and Murphy leave Peter's office, remarking that they need to speak with each other once they get back to Jack's flat.

At Jack's flat, Murphy once again tries to convince Jack that Peter is a werewolf, pointing to the name "Pierre Bourgot" in the article she took from Peter's office. Jack still isn't convinced, and he finally tells Murphy the details of Cirilla Monarch's last night, nearly breaking down at the end of the story. Jack says that he wants to compare the pages he took from Peter's office to the journal in the evidence room, so he and Murphy head to the train station to meet up with Elliot.

Outside the train station, Elliot once again berates Jack for quitting his job and abandoning him, but the joking stops when Elliot punches Jack in the arm, a signal that they are being watched. They make a plan to take the train to Murphy's flat, knowing that whoever is following them by car can't follow them on the train. Elliot says that he is almost positive that it was Phillis' car he saw, leading them to the assumption that Peter might know that they're onto him.

When they get to Murphy's flat, Elliot compliments the setting while Jack once again points out how disorganized it is. Jack compares the missing pages with the journal and comes to the conclusion that Peter is indeed a werewolf and is responsible for the Shredder murders. Elliot is told that Peter is a werewolf and doesn't know whether to believe it or not. Murphy has Jack open her china cabinet to reveal that it is actually a hidden armory with all sorts of weapons and tools meant for fighting cryptids and creatures. She takes a pair of silver knuckles for herself and closes the cabinet. She then gives a silver plate to Jack to use against Peter, and gives Elliot a walking stick that he wishes were a shillelagh instead. They make a plan to go to the crime scene and meet Peter there.

At the crime scene, Peter remarks that it is a strange meeting spot. Murphy and Jack accuse Peter of being a werewolf and of being behind the Shredder murders. He denies this, but changes his demeanor when Murphy mentions the werewolf trials and that the only other people who knew about them were Parliament. He then tells Murphy of the cravings he has for human flesh. He pulls his hair gel out of his briefcase and begins to apply it to his hair, transforming him into a werewolf. Murphy remarks that this is strange since her knowledge of werewolves told her that they transform when the moon is full. Phillis pulls out a knife and a fight ensues.

Elliot quickly dispatches Phillis, knocking him to the ground. Murphy brandishes her silver knuckles and scores some blows against Peter. When Jack notices Murphy tiring, he charges after Peter with the silver plate, but is knocked to the ground. Peter turns his attention to Murphy once more but is caught off guard when Jack throws the plate at him, the silver hurting him. This gives Murphy an opening, and she punches him with the silver knuckles until he turns back into a human.

Peter admits his defeat, something which upsets Phillis greatly since Peter had promised to teach Phillis how to become and live as a werewolf. Murphy asks Peter about his ability to transform, but Peter refuses to give her details, telling her that he could be killed if he divulged that information. Murphy tells him that they will be telling the police about who was really behind the Shredder murders, although they will omit the werewolf part. Peter agrees to draft up a letter to his crimes, and Peter offers his office to Phillis. Murphy, Jack, Elliot, and Peter leave Phillis behind at the scene of the crime.

Following the fight, Peter's letter and the evidence is handed over to Jack's former boss, Andrew Marino, who concludes that Peter had gone insane. Jack receives a call that Tom Einstorn is being let go and is cleared of Cirilla's murder. Murphy drives Peter to a werewolf village that acts as a sanctuary for those who transform into werewolves and isolate themselves from society. Peter says that he might tell Murphy his secrets someday, and although Jack can't forgive Peter for what happened, he decides that he needs to understand monsters in order to fully help Murphy. Murphy and Jack leave the village, and Jack visit's Cirilla's grave on the drive back.

When Murphy and Jack arrive back at Murphy's flat, they find that Elliot had already let himself in through the unlocked door and was waiting for them with a bottle of champagne. He says that he wants in, and he joins Murphy and Jack on their quest to find monsters. Meanwhile, at the werewolf village, Peter is out hunting alone since he is the only werewolf who does not rely on the full moon to transform. Phillis emerges from the shadows and impales Peter with a silver sword, killing him. He then utters the words "No loose ends".

## Credits

### Cast

* Emma Grace Myers as Merlyn Murphy
* Dan Vasquez as Jack Sherwood
* Drew Burt as Elliot O'Donnell
* Antone Correia as Peter Bourgot
* Francis Pàce-Nuñez as Tom Einstorn
* Alison O'Brien as Janet
* Christina Adele Quoka as Cirilla Monarch
* Lucas Yudman as Phillis Burger
* Elyssa Eliseo as Young Girl

### Production Team

* Directed and Produced by Alexandra Munroe
* Written and Produced by Annie Vee
* Music, Sound Design, Music Supervision, and Editing by Dennis S. Mowers

### Songs

* "Comin' Up" by Fox Indigo
* "Anyway" by Boy Jr.
* "Proof" by Nicholas Olmoz
* "Running Out of Time" by Trae Sheehan