This article contains spoilers for Bodkin episode 1, "One True Mystery". Bodkin is a slow-burn Netflix dark comedy that follows a team of true-crime podcasts as they investigate a number of disappearances in a small Irish town.
Bodkin episode 1 introduces us to our core trio: enthusiastic American podcaster Gilbert Power (Emmy nominee Will Forte), his crack researcher Emmy Sizergh (Robyn Cara), and Irish investigate reporter Dove (Siobhán Cullen). Dove writes for The Guardian, and is (unwillingly) sent to Ireland to assist GIlbert and Emmy by her editor, Damien.
Dove's got no love for true crime projects, and would prefer to stay on her current story... but after the death of her source, Dove's left with two choices: help out, or find another job. So, she begrudgingly assists the podcasters who travel to Bodkin to look into a group of unsolved, seemingly unconnected disappearances from 25 years into the past. But on arrival, it seems like the locals are keen for the past to stay in the past. Here's a full recap of everything that happens in Bodkin episode 1.
The mystery begins
Bodkin opens with Dove entering an apartment building, looking for her source, Krtek. Sadly, she finds the man has been hanged (police assume he died by suicide). Damien tells her she will under no circumstances be allowed to continue working on the story she's been investigating for 18 months now. He's sending her to Ireland, to collaborate with a true crime podcaster called Gilbert Power whom The Guardian have partnered with.
Dove meets Gilbert and his researcher Emmy in the airport, and it's clear from the frosty reception she gives them that this is anything but a perfect partnership. However, Emmy's set them up with a full itinerary of interviewees, places to visit, acommodation and a driver, Sean, and the team are soon on the road in Sean's car.
On the drive, the podcasters explain to Sean why they've landed in town. They're here to look into the "Samhain Mystery". 25 years ago, three seemingly unconnected people disappeared from the town of Bodkin, Ireland in the midst of their annual Samhain Festival.
Sean takes them over to Mrs O'Shea's Guest House to drop their bags off. Whilst away from the group, Dove encounters a large dog in the guest house conservatory, one who promptly leaps back out the window... but when Dove asks, Mrs O'Shea says she doesn't own a dog. And when Gilbert and Emmy explain to the owner that they're investigating the disappearances, Mrs O'Shea certainly seems distracted.
Having checked in, the gang travel up to Ailbhe's Hollow, a circle of standing stones where the town would gather for their Samhain Festival. Landowner Darragh tells them the town used to march up here for a big party on the night, but it doesn't get much use nowadays. Whilst Gilbert starts recording some of the preamble to his new show, Dove complains to Damien about her new colleagues: her editor tries to encourage her to stay on task.
A trip to the pub
After the visit, they gather at a nearby pub and discuss the missing people. There's schoolteacher Fiona Doyle: the only family she's got in town is a cousin called Bridgit Pierce. They have even less info about the other two missing persons: the second was a man called Malachy O'Connor, and the third was a younger boy, but they don't even have a name for him.
Gilbert is keen to speak to some of the locals, especially about the more mystical side, to potentially include a folklore angle for color, but Dove tells them this won't work. She believes the folkloric stuff is just a way for people to frame what really happened, and steers them to a traditional pub, Fagan's Bar, so they can find the real Bodkin and make headway on their investigation. In both bars, she also spies their driver making some sort of deal with other customers.
At Fagan's, Gilbert is enthralled when a patron, Teddy, delivers an impromptu song to the rest of the bar. Dove tells him this isn't what everyday life is like. Gilbert soon finds himself being forced to down pints of Guinness after being taken in by local fisherman, Seamus Gallagher; outside, an older man tells Dove he knows that word's already gotten around about their podcast. He says he knows what really happened to the missing people: they were attacked by horses.
Frustrated, Dove heads back inside, sees Gilbert making friends, and phones Damien again. He's far less agreeable this time; he gives her the ultimatum of either cooperating with the podcast or finding a new job entirely. And that's when she spies that same dog from the guest house staring at her in the street.
When morning comes, Gilbert wakes in the guest house with a wicked hangover. He gets a call from his partner who needs him to take care of some money troubles; sounds like Gilbert isn't quite as successful a podcaster as we might've thought. When he makes his way downstairs, Emmy tells him that Dove's gone AWOL, and she can't get hold of Sean on the phone, even though his car is still parked outside.
While Mrs. O'Shea sorts Gilbert some breakfast, Dove returns and inquires after how Emmy booked Sean, as she believes he knows something and, despite thinking true crime podcasting is "morally bankrupt", she believes in telling the story beneath the Samhain Mystery. Dove asks for Sean's address and heads into town on foot, solo. Meanwhile, Gilbert and Emmy prepare for a packed day of interviews, beginning with a chat with Bridgit Pierce.
Stern warnings
When they arrive on her doorstep, Bridgit shuts the door in the podcasters' faces. With Gilbert reasoning people are bound to open up to them the longer they're in town, they decide to meet with Sergeant Ruari Power, a member of the Garda who investigated the disappearances all those years ago.
Ruari doesn't believe there's too much of a story to the missing people. He thinks they might have used the festival to slip away from a small town. The conversation becomes a bit more lively when Gilbert introduces himself as a fellow Power (they might even be related!), and Ruari spices up their coffees with some whiskey. We see Emmy and Gilbert putting an apparently-drunken Ruari to bed and slipping out of his house... but the sergeant springs from his bed the second they leave, watching them walk away through the window. What's he hiding?
Dove (eventually) finds her way to Sean's home. She manages to sneak in through the back door but finds the place abandoned. Soon after, Seamus Gallagher drops by, shouting about not being able to afford any more screw-ups and asking if he had sorted some problem for him. Sensing a lead, Dove follows Seamus (a man she suspects she recognizes from somewhere) through town and out to a cliff. There, she watches him throw a bouquet into the sea.
Unfortunately, Dove isn't as stealthy as she hoped, as Seamus confronts her. He warns her that the town might not want a podcast made about it but tells her where she can find his house, so she doesn't need to keep sneaking around. Shortly thereafter, Dove is chased down the road by a car. She tries to escape it by veering off the road into some woods. When she returns to the road, she's struck by a vehicle. Whilst she's lying there, two men spring out and warn her to leave the past alone, or she'll be seriously hurt, before speeding off into the distance. Walking back to town, the same dog crosses her path once more.
The episode then ends with Emmy revealing she'd swiped a file on the Samhain Mystery from Ruari's house. Gilbert is upset as they're not here to play detective, just to tell the story. Their conversation is interrupted by a fire engine speeding to an incident. The pair follow it to the guest house, where they find Sean's car ablaze. Looks like the townsfolk really want them to let the past lie...
Bodkin is now available to stream on Netflix. Looking for your next watch? Check out our list of the best Netflix shows for What To Watch's top recommendations.
