(by noelcox on 11 April 2012)

Cadfael is always good value, but this episode is a delight. Brother Cadfael's novice is found injured and a young nun in his company, and two orphan children, missing. The nun is discovered dead, and the novice is the prime suspect. There is a twist in the identity of a wandering visitor from the East, and a surprise for Cadfael.
The special effects are up to the highest standards in the series, and the writing is good and the emotion raw and poignant. One feels for Cadfael and the others in this episode in a way which one might not have done in other episodes. One or two details of the story might not be entirely realistic from an historical perspective, but the atmosphere is wonderfully evocative.