Ep 1. The Pale Horse

In Agatha Christie's Marple season 5 episode 1, titled "The Pale Horse," viewers are taken on a thrilling journey into the world of the supernatural and murder. Marple, a veteran detective with a keen mind and a soft voice, is asked to investigate the strange case of three seemingly unrelated deaths that all lead back to the Pale Horse Inn.

The episode starts with Marple being summoned to London to visit her old friend Father Gorman who is tending to the dying Mrs. Davis. She has told Father Gorman that she thinks her dying husband was poisoned and the murderer was one of the three witches who live in the village of Much Deeping. Marple initially dismisses the notion of witches as folly, but when Mrs. Davis dies, she decides to investigate further.

Marple arrives in the village of Much Deeping where she is met with skepticism and coldness from the villagers. She learns that the witches are in fact three young women who run a herbal business out of their cottage. Discussions with the women reveal clues about a "list" of people who have all suddenly died, including Mrs. Davis' husband and a wealthy businessman named Zachariah Osborne. The women tell Marple that they did not have anything to do with the deaths but they were threatened by a woman named Thyrza Grey who is living in the Pale Horse Inn.

The Pale Horse Inn is known for its eerie atmosphere and infamous reputation. Marple checks in to the inn, where the unsettling atmosphere and unusual behavior of the guests, including the enigmatic Mark Easterbrook, only add to the sinister vibe. Marple finds herself becoming drawn into the spell of the inn, and she discovers that Thyrza Grey has also died of mysterious circumstances.

Marple soon realizes that Thyrza Grey had been using her knowledge of the supernatural to blackmail the people on the "list". She had cultivated a reputation as a witch and had convinced them that she could curse them with her powers. The people would then pay her large sums of money to lift the curse. However, their fear had also enabled her to slowly poison them, knowing that they would blame supernatural causes.

The climax of the episode involves an unexpected twist as Marple and Mark Easterbrook track down the killer. The tense confrontation between the murderer and the detectives will keep the audience on the edge of their seats right until the very end.

Overall, "The Pale Horse" is a gripping murder mystery that combines classic Agatha Christie elements like misdirection and charming characters with a supernatural twist. Fans of the show will not be disappointed by this cleverly crafted episode, and new viewers will be drawn in by the intricate plot and suspenseful atmosphere.