The Wrong Shape (2013) User Reviews (10)

A more emotionally deep episode.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 8/10 · 13 November 2015]

Ex Doctor Leonard Quinton has a fascination with India, he's given a prophecy by his servant Umesh that he will die that very day. Soon enough the body of Quinton is found hanging in a locked room, with a note left 'I die by my own hand.'

Quite enjoyed this one, an interesting mystery with each character a suspect. The story itself is really interesting, it's sad, and a lot deeper then we'd previously had on the series.

The level of acting is top notch, the show has always had the ability to cast an excellent and varied bunch of actors. Ruth Gemmell in particular is excellent, a stoic but wonderfully emotional turn, she's great. I also enjoyed watching Ramon Tikaram here, he added some depth to the character of Umesh.

Lovely production values, great sets and costumes etc, it's hard to understand why this show doesn't have a more popular evening time slot.

A few unanswered questions, but they seem not to matter, it's enjoyable. 8/10

Swarmy

[valstone52 · 7/10 · 31 January 2019]

I liked the episode, but for some reason I don't like it guy w played umesh. Every time I see him in something he just doesn't fit. Seen him in several different series, always looks sneaky and dirty. Guess back in the dark he'd be a lounge lizard.

The Wrong Shape

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 8 April 2020]

Chronicle of a death foretold. The Indian mystic way.

Leonard Quinton requests the attendance of Father Brown for a poetry recital. Although he looks east for spiritual guidance he wants Father Brown to look after his Catholic wife after he has gone.

Father Brown does not have to wait long. Quinton is found hanged. There are poisonous plants in the garden. His wife was badly affected by the loss of their baby.

Quinton once used to practice as a doctor and he gave it all up.

There was a close connection in this episode with Father Brown's theology in his healing of Mrs Quinton. As to how her husband died, that still remained a mystery despite one person owning up to it.

Grief, guilt, emotional and good spiritual advice

[ctyankee1 · 18 May 2014]

A poet named Leonard Quinton has a man working for him that has cultish type beliefs from India. The man Umesh Varma is Quintons spiritual adviser and tells the poet he sees death for the poet soon. Leonard is married, has his house decorated in the way the cult worships. He has a girl friend Violet Parnassus that lives with him and also a wife that is depressed. He used to be a doctor but does not practice as one anymore.

The wife Mrs Quinton cannot stand the site of her husband for many years so she does not care if Leonard is having an affair. Mr Quinton invites Father Brown to his house. He wants the priest to make sure his wife is taken care of, he still loves her if something happens to him.

Later Leonard dies and is found hung. The story gets more complicated, murder, suicide etc. It comes out toward the end that the Quintons had a child named Olivia who was born deformed and Mr Quinton left his wife and came back. The baby looked like the father but died at 3 months soon after. He came back just before she died. Mrs Quinton held it against her husband and he held felt guilty himself because he had his wife take some medication when she was pregnant. They both seem to think the medicine caused the deformity and Mrs Quinton found it easier to blame her husband for recommending the medicine for her morning sickness.

It is never explained how Mr Quinton got hung. The end is very emotional. Mrs Quinton wants to kill herself. She is broken hearted because of the death of her child and wants to blame God. Father Brown does not get religious in most of these episodes but this was important to me. He tells Mrs Quinton he does not know why her child died or why God allowed it. He tell her that he knows that God knows what it is like to lose a child.(Jesus) and that God is standing next to her and can't stop her suffering but loves her and if she lets him into her heart she will see Olivia again. It broke my heart to hear this. I often thought of the crucifixion and that Jesus died for me. I never thought of God as a parent losing his son in such a painful way on the Cross and feeling the grief of a parent.

So there is some good spiritual advice from Father Brown this time around.

The Wrong 'un

[safenoe · 6/10 · 10 July 2023]

Ramon Tikaram guest stars in this very early episode of Father Brown. It's not a bad episode, not uninteresting, but it's one for the die-hard Father Brown fans.

Anyway, Ramon is famous for his role in Eastenders, and here he plays a major role in dispensing spiritual advice in 1950s England, with references to India and Hindus and so on. Little did the characters know that 70 years later the UK would have an Indian Prime Minister at Number 10 Downing Street.

Anyway, as I said, this episode is for die-hards and I wouldn't necessarily introduce this episode to someone watching Father Brown for the first time.

Well Constructed Mystery

[Hitchcoc · 9/10 · 4 January 2020]

Other than the metaphysical stuff, I really enjoyed this. Don't get me wrong. I'm not opposed to spirituality, but the outcomes here were just too pat for my tastes. Nevertheless, the characters, their secrets, their history, all come into play and they are served well by the writers. The interactions were believable. I did have trouble with the histrionics of the mistress (her fainting spells and overly demonstrative reactions) but they are eventually explained.

a treasure of an epusode

[alyson-english · 9/10 · 16 August 2022]

I'm rewatching these early seasons of Father Brown, and this episode stands out in its patient plot, emotional depth, and lack of cozy murder tropes. I am brought to tears again by the quietly stunning ache of the acting and writing - Ruth Gemmell has had many brilliant roles since this, but she is an absolute powerhouse. And coming off watching the later seasons more recently, having Hugo Speer as the police inspector is just amazing after so many painful seasons of Inspector Mallory's spitting cringe.

The Wrong Shape

[MrFilmAndTelevisionShow · 9/10 · 28 August 2021]

I think this was by far the best episode of Father Brown yet. At least one level above the previous two, I hope the series continues at this standard, I assume it must given they've made so many seasons of it! Mark Williams as Father Brown is truly one of those absolutely perfect casting calls.

The wrong shape

[coltras35 · 4/10 · 5 May 2023]

Poet Leonard Quinton invites Father Brown to the house where he lives with his long suffering wife Martha and young mistress Violet as his spiritual adviser Umesh has told him he will soon die and he wants the priest to look after Martha. Shortly after Violet has threatened him for not leaving Martha for her Leonard is found hanged and Umesh, as his sole heir, is arrested. Martha tells Father Brown that she and Leonard had once had a baby, born disfigured, who died and whom they buried in the garden, the event which she believes drove them apart. Martha's admirer Harris then admits to killing Leonard Quinton - though Father Brown knows better.

An odd episode that is quite emotional and deep but on the whole I found it a bit boring, though the pretty Jenny Jacques as the victim's mistress was quite funny with her hysterics.

Got It Wrong

[Littlelep · 24 June 2020]

One of the characters says to Father Brown that his Bible teaches that Jesus walked on water and fed many with one loaf of bread. Father Brown's reply implies that one should not interpret those passages literally. The Catholic Church teaches that those particular passages must be read literally: they were miracles. It is wrong of the writers to give the wrong impression of such fundamental beliefs and teachings.