In the enigmatic realm of the genre-bending crime series ‘Bodies,’ the curtain rises on Detective Shahara Hasan (played by the talented Amaka Okafor) discovering a lifeless body on the eerie Longharvest Lane in contemporary London. The cadaver is that of an unidentified naked man, his eye pierced by a gaping hole. Yet, this perplexing occurrence is not confined to the present day alone.
Detective Alfred Hillinghead (brought to life by Kyle Soller) unearths the identical lifeless body in the same location back in 1890. Likewise, Detective Charles Whiteman (played by Jacob Fortune-Lloyd) stumbles upon this macabre mystery in 1941, while Detective Iris Maplewood (effortlessly portrayed by Shira Haas) encounters the same in 2053.
Each of these detectives embarks on a relentless quest for the truth, only to become entangled in a web of conspiracy that threatens the very fabric of London. The burning question: Can they salvage the city before it’s too late? Let’s dive into the riveting tale.
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Unmasking Sir Julian Harker
The enigma surrounding the first Julian Harker, an elite figure of London who met his demise on a battlefield in Burma during the 1880s, serves as the linchpin of this intricate plot. Commander Elias Mannix, an authoritarian figure from the dystopian 2053, travels back in time to 1889 with the audacious intention of usurping Harker’s identity. Astonishingly, Harker’s mother discerns the true identity of her ersatz son but decides to play along, seduced by the tantalizing prospect of leveraging Mannix’s futuristic knowledge to accumulate wealth through shrewd stock investments.
Armed with her newfound insights into the future, she carves out a successful career as a psychic medium, while Harker/Mannix initiates the establishment of a banking enterprise known as Harker & Co. However, the facade conceals a nefarious agenda: the formation of a cult dedicated to orchestrating the catastrophic 2023 London bombing, masterminded by the teenage Elias in 2023, resulting in the loss of half a million lives. Over time, the malevolent design for the bomb takes shape within the depths of the Harker & Co. bank.
Unveiling the Enigma of the Body on Longharvest Lane
The body found on Longharvest Lane, which plays a pivotal role in the narrative, belongs to Gabriel Defoe (skillfully portrayed by Tom Mothersdale). In the year 2053, Defoe leads a group called Chapel Perilous, whose primary objective is to thwart Mannix’s sinister machinations, working in tandem with Hasan. Remarkably, Hasan has traversed time to reach this dystopian future. Ever since her son met his tragic fate in the 2023 explosion set in motion by Mannix across various timelines, Hasan has been steadfastly determined to unravel the threads of destiny and prevent the catastrophic detonation. Fortunately for Hasan, Defoe, a seemingly unassuming professor by day, possesses the knowledge of time travel.
At first, Defoe vehemently denies the existence of such profound quantum discoveries when questioned by Maplewood, who conducts an investigation on behalf of Mannix. However, Maplewood, the lone detective who uncovers the living Defoe, is already aware of the presence of another version of Defoe in 2053. During her investigation, Defoe witnesses his other self on the verge of death, a realization that his time on Earth is ebbing away, along with his opportunity to enlist Maplewood, an unwavering devotee of Mannix, on his side. Failing initially, Defoe resorts to drastic measures, abducting Maplewood and escorting her to the headquarters of Chapel Perilous, where Hasan awaits. Together, they reveal to Maplewood the existence of Defoe’s time-travel device, known as ‘The Throat,’ and the sinister plot Mannix is hatching. His plan involves traveling back in time and initiating the sequence of events that culminates in the 2023 explosion.
As foretold by Mannix himself, he arrives on the scene. Maplewood, still believing herself to be an agent of justice, facilitates Mannix’s entry into ‘The Throat,’ poised to transport him to the year 1890. Defoe seizes the opportunity to leap after Mannix, but before the transition completes, Maplewood, under the influence of external forces, fires her weapon at Defoe. The result is a cataclysmic event, whereby Defoe’s body fractures across four distinct years. Astonishingly, it is revealed that Maplewood is the true perpetrator, contrary to Hillinghead’s initial suspicions.
Fortunately, Defoe had anticipated such a turn of events. He had devised a plan, understanding that the angle of the bullet’s impact could determine his survival. Furthermore, he orchestrated his return to 2053 just in time to join forces with Maplewood and Hasan to thwart Mannix’s catastrophic scheme. With precision akin to a well-oiled machine, Defoe reemerges four days later. This time, Maplewood, fueled by vengeance, engages her half-brother Alby (portrayed by Edwin Thomas) to design a headgear that could rescue Defoe from the brink of death. Together, they embark on a daring mission to retrieve the injured Defoe from the ominous Longharvest Lane, and this time, they succeed.
The Climactic Unraveling
As the narrative hurtles towards its climax, Maplewood commits wholeheartedly to Hasan and Defoe’s audacious plan to dismantle Mannix’s dark agenda. She journeys back in time to 1890, only to confront an unforeseen obstacle: the absence of the futuristic device that enables her to walk in the past. As she materializes, disoriented and unclothed, baffled officers confine her in a jail cell alongside Hillinghead.
He has confessed to the murder of Defoe, and as history has shown, he stands on the precipice of execution at the hands of Sir Julian Harker’s henchmen. (Harker being the identity assumed by Mannix in 1890.) It is here that Maplewood realizes the urgency of her mission; Hillinghead’s death is mere hours away. In a desperate bid to avert the impending tragedy, she shares with him crucial information about the future, including the unsettling revelation that Harker/Mannix will wed Hillinghead’s beloved daughter, Polly (played by Synnøve Karlsen).
Moments before his inevitable demise, Hillinghead divulges to Harker/Mannix the entirety of the information he has been entrusted with—Mannix’s nefarious schemes, the revelation of Harker’s true identity as Mannix, and all the intricate details. This disclosure casts a shadow of doubt over Mannix’s grand plan. He grapples with profound uncertainty: Will his intended path truly purify the future of London? Will it genuinely instill the sense of being loved, as he and his cult have fervently preached over the years?
Despite ultimately proceeding with Hillinghead’s execution, a transformed Harker/Mannix returns home, choosing to confront Polly with the harsh truth. He lays bare the extent of his actions, his role in her father’s demise, and the chilling insight
into the future. Their union remains intact, leading to the birth of a child, the future police chief, Hayden, portrayed by Michael Shaeffer, who, in 1941, serves as Whiteman’s superior. However, unlike previous iterations of this timeline, Polly’s devotion to Harker/Mannix wanes, replaced by doubt and a deep-seated feeling of being unloved. Harker/Mannix, burdened with guilt and surrounded by an atmosphere of uncertainty, endures years of profound unhappiness.
Polly, driven by a potent mix of bitterness and a sense of obligation, persuades Harker/Mannix to persist in his mission. He seemingly complies, maintaining the course until old age creeps in, signaling the impending end of his journey. In a clandestine act of redemption, he re-records the message intended for his future self. This time, he strives to rectify the past. As Whiteman arrives to carry out the second loop of this timeline by assassinating him and Polly, Harker/Mannix implores Whiteman to deliver the revised recording to Hasan in 2023. After a reluctant agreement, Whiteman fires a fatal shot at Harker/Mannix. Branded a marked man, Whiteman seeks refuge in his local pub, where he meets a grim fate at the hands of Hayden and his cohorts.
In 2053, while Defoe and Hasan anxiously await Maplewood’s return to Longharvest Lane, their attention is drawn to a familiar brick wall where Hillinghead had etched his name. However, this time, Maplewood’s name adorns the wall as well, alongside a cryptic clue for Hasan. This clue hints at a hidden message left for her at a nearby police haunt—a place that met a devastating end in the 2023 explosion. Fueled by determination, Hasan employs ‘The Throat’ to journey to 2023, where she encounters the chaos of the fateful day. She stumbles upon Harker/Mannix’s recording hidden behind a photograph featuring Whiteman and his colleagues. The recording carries a critical message, urging young Elias to reconsider his malevolent plot.
In a sequence of events mirroring a previous loop, Hasan rushes to the home of Sarah Mannix (brought to life by Natalie Gavin), who had surrendered Elias as a baby. Her mission is to enable the tormented Elias to reconnect with his mother, just moments before he is set to trigger a second detonator and unleash devastation.
In 2053, Hasan contacts her 2023 counterpart from within Sarah’s residence, playing the recording for Elias. As he absorbs the shocking truths revealed, he is faced with a harrowing decision: the sacrifice of his own life to spare others from the cataclysm that Mannix set in motion. It is a dreadful fate, yet Elias ultimately rejects the detonation. He vanishes, his fate sealed as he departs existence in 2023.
The Untangling of Destiny
Elias’s pivotal decision, abstaining from detonating the bomb, reshapes the destinies of the detectives and the narrative itself. Every detective emerges from the maelstrom of events alive. As the series reaches its denouement, the loop resets, unfurling familiar scenes from different timelines. In 1890, Hillinghead’s gaze locks with his future lover, Henry, on the street for the very first time.
In 1941, Whiteman crosses paths with a child named Esther, who had met a tragic end in a previous iteration. Finally, in the present day, Hasan commences her day just as she did in Episode 1—bidding farewell to her son and attending a far-right rally alongside her colleague, Rick, who had met his demise in another loop. This time, Longharvest Lane holds no lifeless body. As Hasan departs in a taxi, she engages in a conversation with the driver, a face hitherto unfamiliar to her—Maplewood, who bears knowledge of Hasan’s name.
Bodies Season 2 Release Date: Is it Happening?
The lingering question that tantalizes fans: Will there be a second season of ‘Bodies’? As of now, no official plans have been unveiled regarding the continuation of this limited series. The enigmatic tale has concluded, leaving viewers at the crossroads of time, contemplatively awaiting the next twist in this convoluted journey.
