Ep 3. The Flitcraft Parable

Dr. Eldon Chance is back in the third episode of season 2 and finds himself once again in a complicated mess. Just as he has seemingly figured out a way to rid himself of the danger that his former patient, Raymond Blackstone poses, he is thrown a curveball in the form of a new case.

This episode is titled "The Flitcraft Parable" and takes its name from a famous passage in the book "The Maltese Falcon" by Dashiell Hammett. The episode opens with a short flashback where an old detective, reading from the passage, explains the meaning of the Flitcraft Parable to a young Chance.

Chance's new patient is a woman named Fiona Lenore. She is a wealthy woman who has been convinced that her life is in danger due to a man that she met at a bar. Her paranoia and fear are compounded by a series of anonymous notes she has been receiving. Chance initially dismisses her fears as unfounded but is intrigued when she admits to being a fan of the Flitcraft Parable.

As he investigates Fiona's case, Chance is reminded of the Flitcraft Parable, which is a story about a man named Flitcraft. Flitcraft narrowly escapes death when a beam falls on his job site, just inches away from him. This brushes with death makes Flitcraft realize how meaningless his life is and causes him to disappear. In his disappearance, he assumes a new identity and a new life but soon finds himself yearning for his old life and family. Hammett’s story is a comment on the futility of escaping from the inevitable.

Chance sees similarities between Fiona's situation and Flitcraft's story. He starts to see her case as a kind of poetry of fate, where one's fate cannot be changed or avoided, no matter how much one tries.

As Chance delves deeper into Fiona's case, he comes across several clues that suggest her story is not exactly as she has presented it. Some of her actions and the people she has interacted with suggest that she may be hiding something. Chance becomes more and more determined to get to the truth of her story.

During his investigations, Chance bumps into Jaclyn Blackstone, the ex-wife of his former patient, Raymond. Jaclyn warns him of Raymond's intentions, but Chance has his own agenda and decides to keep Jaclyn out of it.

The episode builds up slowly, but the payoff at the end is worth it. As Chance gets closer to the truth, he realizes that the case is more complicated than he initially thought. The episode beautifully ties together several storylines that have been brewing in the season, and the viewer is left with many questions about what will happen next.

"The Flitcraft Parable" is a thoughtful episode that explores themes of fate, identity, and the inevitability of truth coming to light. It is a reminder that in a world where we try to control every aspect of our lives, some things are beyond our control. This episode is worth a watch for fans of the show and anyone interested in thought-provoking mystery dramas.