The initial pitch of Bodies was that four detectives over different time periods were investigating the same body showing up in their various eras, however two detectives don't make it to the end of episode 7 of this Netflix mystery show.
Spoiler alert? Not quite, as the fate of these two characters was already hinted at in previous episodes, but it's a shock to see some of our main characters end their journeys before the show is complete. There's one episode left after this one, and episode 7 sets up the last hour of action.
Bodies episode 7 features less time-jumping than previous episodes, instead focusing on the Victorian era, so unlike in our other recaps, we'll be presenting information in the order it's shown in the Netflix show. Nice and easy.
For a recap you can check out our previous guides to the episodes of the Netflix series, or visit our meet the Bodies cast guide to remember who's who. But let's not waste any more time, and jump into our Bodies episode 7 recap.
Elias Mannix becomes Julian Harker in 1889
The episode begins earlier than we've seen so far in the show, with Elias Mannix (Stephen Graham) waking up in 1889 after his time travel jumping at the end of episode 6. He's taken to hospital where he recovers from the bullet wound, and is visited by Julian Harker's mother.
As we've already seen in the show, Mannix takes the identity of Julian Harker who died in the war, and the mother quickly cottons on to this. However Mannix is honest about this fact and tells the woman that his plan is to make a better future for her and everyone; she comes on board. He also says that he'll make her a grandmother, with his wife to be the daughter of a policeman. We can guess who this will be!
One year later, Harker goes to Longharvest Lane where he witnesses the first body showing up, but he hides when Ashe turns up to take pictures. Later, he goes to church to watch the young Polly Hillinghead (Synnove Karlsen) play piano at church, which we previously saw in episode 3, when Hillinghead teamed up with Ashe to hunt the murderer.
When those two depart church, a thief steals Polly's locket, but Harker apprehends the thief to return the item. He invites her to play piano for his mother, to which she accepts (two things that Polly mentions in episode 4). After a lovely recital, Harker asks her to keep coming back, to play for his mother.
We also witness as Harker begins to form his cult, including buying the Harker Bank, and planning a vault where he'll construct his bomb. Polly finds a portrait that he painted of the dead Defoe, but the man plays it off. The man also offers her a full-time position to look after his mother, which she accepts.
Next, we jump forward to the end of episode 6, with Hillinghead being arrested for the murder he implicated himself in. Polly asks Harker to use his influence to help the man, obviously not knowing of Harke's role in the crime.
When Hillinghead is being transferred to Pentonville Prison, Harker gets in the wagon and tells the disgraced detective that he plans to date the man's daughter. Hillinghead is obviously upset, but Harker sends in a man to kill Hillinghead: our four detectives become three. Later, Harker tells Polly, who's understandably distraught.
Maplewood keeps some secrets in 2053
Our detective in 2053, Iris Maplewood (Shira Haas) is interviewed by her boss as well as the Prime Minister as to the whereabouts of Commander Mannix (who, if you'll remember, just jumped through a time portal). Maplewood tries to tell them about the incident but they're clearly part of Mannix's cult.
At home, Maplewood finds Gabriel Defoe's (Tom Mothersdale) notes on time travel — and realizes that the four bodies that we've seen investigated aren't the only ones. That's because, as established, time works as a ripple, so as a body appeared four days before Defoe's time-jump, another will occur four days after it. The notes promise that the technology exists to save him next time.
Maplewood visits her brother, where Shahara Hasan (Amaka Okafor) is resting after being shot. They concoct a plan to rescue the man, and four days later, they do just that. Using sci-fi tech they save the man and rescue him from the alleyway.
The life and times of Julian Harker
Back in the past, Polly Hillinghead and Julian Harker get married, despite their massive age gap. They fall in love and eventually have a child called Hayden, and afterward, Harker decides it's time to tell Polly about the cult.
The man explains everything to her, including the fact that Hayden's child's child's child is his father. So in effect, the man has become his own great great great grandfather, a time loop trap that it's probably best not to think about.
Then we jump forward to 1941, when the pair are elderly, as Polly prepares to kill the child Esther (as we saw in episode 4). At the same time, Mannix records the last of the vinyls that he uses to pass on his teachings to the cult.
The next day, we get to rewatch the events of episode 6: detective Charles Whiteman (Jacob Fortune-Lloyd) goes to their home and kills the two of them, ending the twisting life of Elias Mannix / Julian Harker. Shortly after, he's hanged for this act — we lose yet another detective, bringing our survivors' count down to two.
One more plot to stop the bomb
In 2053, Defoe is recovering from being shot in the head. Maplewood wants to try again to stop Mannix, but Defoe makes the very good point that they're already in the loop, so can't change it or they'll create a paradox. If you'll recall, Maplewood made this point in a previous episode and Defoe denied it, but now they're swapping positions apparently.
Hasan recounts what Andrew Morley told her in episode 4; Mannix died with regret in his heart from the bombing. So Maplewood concocts a plan to jump back in time and sow the seeds of doubt, in a play to change Mannix's mind.
Maplewood jumps into the time travel portal, knowing that she'll never be able to return. She wakes up in 1890, naked as all the time jumpers do, but missing one other important thing: her back implant, which lets her walk.
