Fiend Or Friend?

Fiend Or Friend? is the eleventh episode of Series 1 and was first broadcast on 16th September 2012.

Synopsis:
Sinbad and the gang make their way to a monastery in the hope that Tiger’s friend, Brother Angelico, will point them in the right direction of the Land of the Dead – unsurprisingly, an awkward place to find. Wanting no part of the mission, Gunnar turns his hand to silk trading instead. Even that proves troublesome when the Providence’s toughest crewmate falls for the charms of Lara, a new widow whose husband met a grisly end courtesy of the Fiend, a beast which, according to the islanders, comes with the wind. And it’s about to get decidedly breezy…

Bitten by an altogether different monster of the green-eyed variety, a jealous Father La Stessa spots Gunnar and Lara kissing and weaves a tall tale that frames Gunnar as the Fiend. It falls to Sinbad and his friends to prove their comrade’s innocence by finding the real culprit.

Could it be that Taryn has turned over a new leaf and started to atone for her sins? You’d be forgiven for thinking so when the sorceress is spied at the same monastery dressed up as a nun. Alas, it is merely a disguise and an even more out-of-character one awaits when Taryn tries to hitch a ride.

Plot:
Night on the island of Malta, and a man runs away carrying a bundle. He trips while looking nervously behind him, dropping the papers inside of the bundle. Some of them blow away and he picks up what he can. As the man gets up and looks around, something lunges at him from out of the darkness and drags him away.

At the monastery on Malta, Father La Stessa comes to see the boy living there, Tial, and performs a magic trick for him. Tial's mother Lara Assauge comes over La Stessa, who offers to find her a new cottage. She assures him that he's done enough for them already and leaves with Tial.

The Providence crew come ashore and discover that the harbor master has abandoned his post. Gunnar tells them that he has no interest in coming with them to find a way to the Land of the Dead. However, Tiger insists that her contact, Angelico, isn't crazy. Sinbad reminds Gunnar that he needs the map but the Northerner says that he has silks to deliver and moneys to collect, and he wouldn't be welcome there if it did exist.

At the monastery, La Stessa tells the monks to go help Angelico and to be gentle with him. The elderly Angelico is gazing into a pond and the monks escort him away.

In town, Tiger finds a tavern while Rina privately asks Anwar if there is any point in looking if Gunnar has abandoned the quest. The doctor insists that Sinbad needs them and goes after their friend, and Rina reluctantly goes into the tavern with them.

Gunnar arrives at Lara's cottage with his silk and asks for the tailor. Lara explains that her husband the tailor is dead and she can't afford to pay for the silk. Gunnar gives them with the merchant's compliments and starts to walk away, and Lara invites him in for dinner.

At the tavern, Tiger insists that Angelico will be there. Sinbad wonders why they shouldn't go to the monastery and Tiger explains that the map isn't monastery business. The tavern owner, Philippe, welcomes them to the Golden Star and tells them that the tavern is for islanders only. Tiger explains that they're looking for Angelico and Philippe tells them that the brother is close to death and hasn't left the monastery in weeks.

La Stessa brings a nun to Angelico's bedside and she assures the father that if there is any spark of knowledge left in Angelico's mind, she will bring it out. A monk tells La Stessa that the harbor master is the most recent death. La Stessa goes to the site of the murder and finds the papers that the harbor master was carrying. He crumples them and looks around, and then goes back to the monastery.

Gunnar opens the window of the cottage and notices claw marks on the window sill. He shows Tial a magic trick with a horse-shaped necklace and then gives it to the boy.

Tiger leaves the tavern and tells Sinbad that she refuses to disturb the dying Angelico with Sinbad's business. He apologizes for her friend and asks if anyone else might know, but Tiger tells him that there is no one else. Bells chime in the distance and everyone seals up their homes and businesses. A monk daubs red paint on the doors and windows and Anwar realizes that it's more than early closing.

La Stessa comes to the cottage and finds Tial playing outside. Inside, Lara helps Gunnar clean up and invites him to keep the cloth so that he'll remember the day he visited. He promises to remember her always. Meanwhile, La Stessa examines Gunnar's necklace and the boy admits that he got it from the stranger. The priest gives him a coin for the necklace.

Gunnar tells Lara that if he ever visits again, he will do what he can for her. The wind picks up outside and Lara desperately asks him to stay until it has passed. The Northerner says that it will look improper if he's not gone by nightfall and Lara apologizes for inviting him in and causing trouble. She wishes that she had sent him away and Gunnar asks her to tell him to go. She can't and Gunnar dismisses her fears as superstition. Lara explains that the Zeleg Fiend tore apart her cottage.

La Stessa tells Tial to take his horses to the well.

Lara warns Gunnar that the Fiend killed her husband and will come again since she has spoken of it. Gunnar says that he is where he wants to be and starts to kiss her, but the fire in the fireplace goes out and La Stessa and his men barge in. The Northerner tells Lara to find Sinbad and then attacks the intruders.

Rina suggests they should leave but Sinbad refuses to go without the map. Philippe tells them to come back into the tavern and bars the doors behind them. He tells them that it's happening again and Sinbad asks why they are using the mark of Passover and what is passing over. Philippe tells them that the Zeleg Fiend is contained within a man and emerges at night to kill. He warns them that the islanders can resist the spirit but newcomers are vulnerable. Lara comes in and tells Sinbad that La Stessa has captured Gunnar and is accusing him of being the Fiend.

Lara leads the group to a secret entrance into the monastery but refuses to go further. Sinbad tells Tiger to find Angelico and get the map while the rest of them rescue Gunnar. Tiger makes her way to Angelico's room and tries to rouse her former teacher. Angelico wakes up and greets her, and Tiger asks about the map to the Land of the Dead. As the nun tending to Angelico listens from the shadows, the monk tells Tiger that there is no map that could hold the knowledge. However, he tells Tiger that she will see it by the starlight. At that, the nun—Taryn in disguise—leaves the room.

La Stessa gathers the monks and proclaims Gunnar guilty of possessing the spirit of the Fiend. Sinbad and the others barge in and insist that Gunnar is innocent.

A guard captures Lara as she tries to leave the monastery.

Father La Stessa shows the monks the necklace that Gunnar gave to Tial and claims that it shows the beats within. Sinbad insists that it's no evidence and La Stessa has Lara brought in. He shows her the cloth that she used to clean Gunnar and then claims that it shows how the Northern has influenced her. Gunnar says that he stole it, hoping to protect her, but La Stessa passes sentence of death on him. Sinbad points out that they have only just arrived but La Stessa says that the spirit is trapped in Gunnar and they must destroy it by killing him before nightfall when he changes. Seizing on that, Sinbad asks for them to wait until nightfall to execute Gunnar, giving him time to prove that his friend is innocence. The monks respond to the logic of his argument and La Stessa agrees to the delay.

The disguised Taryn tends to Angelico and asks for his dream of the lamp. Realizing she isn't who she claims, Angelico tells her that she won't find the way to the Land of the Dead. Taryn grasps his hand and holds it until he dies, and then turns away.

Sinbad and the crew return to the tavern and ask Philippe how they find the Fiend. He tells them that it will find them as Tiger arrives, and the others explain what they're doing. Anwar says they should find a pattern to the death, predict the next victim, and capture the Fiend. Tiger disagrees, saying that they have to rely on instinct rather than logic, and Sinbad agrees with her.

Lara goes to see La Stessa, who asks if she believes Gunnar is the Fiend. She insists that he isn't and La Stessa tells her that if she's right, the Fiend is still out there and she and her son will stay under his protection.

Tiger tries to pick up the Fiend's trail and finds its hair on the trail.

Tial visits Gunnar in his cell and offers him a cup of water. The Northerner tries to reassure the boy as Lara comes to collect her son. Once she sends him on his way, she asks why Gunnar defended her rather than save himself. He tells her that six years ago, those he loved were taken in the night as revenge for his crimes. Since meeting Lara, he hasn't felt the pain of that loss. Lara gives him a file and tells him to free himself.

Sinbad and Tiger enter the tunnels as nightfall approaches. She tells Sinbad that there is no way to obtain the map from Angelico's scrambled mind. He turns and walks away, angry.

In town, Anwar and Rina break into the harbor master's cabin.

Tiger apologizes to Sinbad for failing him and he suggests that it's time he focus on the living.

Anwar finds the harbor master's logs and notes on the contraband he discovered. There is a reference to a particular herb, anconitum, and Anwar recognizes the name but can't place it. The doctor tries to work out why the harbor master left his post in the middle of the night and Rina spots writing on the ceiling.

Sinbad and Tiger find a collection of bloody skeletons and the bounty hunter picks up the Fiend's scent.

According to the harbor master's writing, a shipment of anconitum arrived before the death of each victim. La Stessa's name is there and Anwar figures that the harbor master tried to warn the father. The sun starts to set and Anwar and Rina head to the monastery. They hear Philippe break something in the tavern and Anwar insists on going in to investigate. The tavern owner is frantically sweeping up. A trapdoor opens in the floor and Sinbad and Tiger come up. Tiger says that the scent is at its strongest and there is also the scent of wolfs bane. Anwar remembers that anconitum is the proper name for wolfs bane and explains that the herb draws out the hunger of beasts. The doctor realizes that someone is shipping in the wolfs bane and orchestrating the attacks. Philippe suddenly transforms into the Fiend and leaps past the crew, running off into the night. Tiger realizes that it has Gunnar's scent because someone gave it the handkerchief, and the crew chase after it.

At the monastery, Le Stessa tells his guards to bring Gunnar through on his signal. Once the father leaves, Gunnar attacks his guards. Tial watches as he pins one to the wall and demands that he remove the chains, and the boy yells that Gunnar must be the Fiend. Stunned, Gunnar hesitates and the guards subdue him.

La Stessa tells Lara that she must flee the monastery with him before the Fiend arrives. When she refuse, La Stessa demands to know when she will stop dismissing him, and yells that he would have done anything for her. Lara realizes that the Fiend kills for him and runs off.

The guards bring Gunnar out before the assembled monks and prepare to decapitate him. Lara steps out and tells them to stop, pointing out that it is night and Gunnar hasn't transformed. She tells the assembly that she gave her handkerchief willingly to Gunnar, but La Stessa pulls her aside, claiming she is possessed with devilish lust. Tial arrives and says that Gunnar isn't the monster because the Fiend has arrived. It steps into the courtyard and the monks run away in fear, leaving Gunnar chained to the executioner's block. Lara frees him as the Fiend advances on them and Gunnar tells her to take Tial and run.

Sinbad and the others arrive as Gunnar picks up the executioner's attack. They try to distract it and Gunnar attacks it from behind. As it pulls the weapon free, they run into the monastery with the Fiend in hot pursuit. Meanwhile, Lara hides Tial in a closet.

The Fiend chases Sinbad and the others up the stairs and corners them. Tiger realizes that Gunnar's coat is covered in wolfs bane and Sinbad throws it out the window... and at the feet of the passing La Stessa. The Fiend leaps after it and kills the father. Lara joins the others as they confirm that La Stessa is dead. A naked Philippe is cowering in the bushes.

Later, Tiger goes to see Angelico's body and she tells him that they'll travel again someday. Meanwhile, Philippe tells the others that La Stessa discovered his secret after he had killed a few goats. The father said he would cure Philippe but used him as a weapon against his rivals. Anwar suggests that he fashion a cage for nighttime and an enthusiastic Philippe runs off to start building it immediately.

Tiger emerges from the monastery and sees Angelico's cane at the pond. As she reaches for it, the moon emerges from behind the clouds and shines down on the pond, revealing the map beneath the waters. When Tiger turns, she finds Taryn behind her. Sinbad finds the bounty hunter a few minutes later and she collapses in his arms. She tells him that she's seen the map and they take her to the ship. Gunnar stays behind to share a final kiss with Lara.

At the Providence, Anwar tells Sinbad that Tiger needs rest. Gunnar comes aboard and tells them that he will accompany them to the Land of the Dead. Tiger revives and looks up at Sinbad, who says that he can never thank her enough. Once he leaves with the others, Tiger looks in the mirror and sees Taryn in her reflection.

(recap provided courtesy of TVRage.com)

Episode Info:
To be added...

Quotes:
Tiger: I'm getting hints of roasted lamb and... a honey-based ale. We're definitely in Malta. Sinbad: Yeah. You don't have to do that whole sniffy routine. You could just ask someone.

Tiger: Did I not promise you honeyed ale? Sinbad: Well, it's not exactly tracking when there's a great tavern sign above the door.

Tiger: It's me. Tiger. Your pupil. You promised me--always a way there and always a way back. You were right. I've seen the world, and still I find you again. You can't leave me now.

Gunnar: This isn't a prison. This is where my friends the mice tell me stories. Tial: Mice? Gunnar: You’ve never heard a mouse tell a story? Of course, you have to listen very carefully. Tiny voices. And nearly always about cheese. But happy endings.