(by kitsilanoca-1 on 22 August 2006)

This was my favorite's of Ellis Peter's novels, and as it turned out I wasn't failed by this episode. It has become my favorite's of the whole Brother Cadfael series, and the only one on DVD that I own.
It is hard to put all of Peter's complex stories into 70 minutes, so any characters or scenes that are cut out aren't really missed as the writer and director are able to bring the main part of the story into excellent focus. They even show us events we are told happened in the book, but Peter's doesn't describe, so we feel closer to those characters that those events involve.
The story tells of the monks, plowing the Potters Field that was given to the by Sir Eudo Blount, overturn some soil, uncovering a decaying body in a shallow grave; a woman's body with long black hair. Since Lord Eudo died six months before fighting in battle for King Stephen, no one is sure who the body is, until someone mentions the potter's wife, Generys.
Ruald, the potter left his lovely wife Generys to join the Benedictine monastery in Shrewsbury, claiming it was a call of God and that though he loves Generys, he loves God even more. Generys is heart-broken and feel betrayed by the church. Everyone see this when she is cast out the abbey gates by Brother Jerome, and she sobs back at him "You are unChristian!" and then shoves away Lord Eudo's teenage son Suliean as he tries to comfort her, saying "You are a boy! What can a boy give me!" Generys disappears later on and everyone believes she finally found another man, but with the uncovering of the body, wise Brother Cadfael finds himself searching for the truth of what happened and uncovers an ill-fated love triangle involving Generys, Lord Eudo and his wife. Seeing Generys' unhappy position makes you wholly sympathize with her when she and Eudo become lovers; at the same time the elegant but long-ill Lady Astola also wins your feelings of sympathy as you learn the what led to Generys' death from her.
I think the whole cast did a very fine performance: lovely Sioned Jones was very convincing as the abandoned wife Generys, Jack Klaff, handsome as ever, made a strong Lord Eudo and Mel Martin was wonderful as a painful wisp of the once beautiful Lady Astola Blount.