We were discussing this at work today (what else are we going to do when the boss is on holiday?!?), and we're split 50/50 between the mortuary assistant bloke, and 'someone else'.
In all the other Messiah's, the killer has always had a semi large role from the start that was never at the forefront of the investigation, but always 'there'.
The other office theory covers a whole range of people, some people going with Isobels Dad, or even his mum. The 'Flower Guy' was also a strong favourite as someone thought that his daughter (the one that died 10 years ago) could have something to do with it, or another theory that links into that one is that the dodgy old ex-preist who murdered the bloke who kept confessing to abusing a young girl, well that girl was either flower blokes daughter, or Isobel.
Oh no - i've only got half an hour to get dinner done in time for the last part! Must go now!
Toodles!
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Schnorbitz
19 years ago
Someone in your office got it right, sjh-designs.
That crematorium death was horrible - even though it was less outwardly gory than the others.
With elements of The Disappearance of Lady Carfax and Diamonds are Forever, I think that's my new worst nightmare.
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rarchy
19 years ago
"The other office theory covers a whole range of people, some people going with Isobels Dad, or even his mum"
Well they got it right! Have to say I thouyght about all of the people it could be, the teacher, the father, the priest, the mortuary assistant, but never once thought it could be Rachel.
What did you all think? I liked it but found it moved too fast at times, and I needed more time to put things together and understand what was happening (though I'm always a bit slow). Also didnt like the way it was in 3 one-hour parts, ruined the suspense for me a bit - you wouldn't watch a 3 hour film in three parts
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Apocalypse91
19 years ago
I think it was good, I missed the first 3 Messiahs so I didn't know quite what to expect.
I have problems with the ending. We heard next to nothing about the killer and her death was a little, well, abrupt. I was thinking there'd be a fight.
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carly-morris
19 years ago
I totally agree with the last two comments. It went quite fast; they didn't pander so much to the likes of me who enjoy murder thrillers being made completely clear.
And yes, the ending was just weird, and really unsatisfying...there was no sudden point where I thought, "Woah! It's Rachel!". It just sort of gradually dawned on me. Oh well, it was still enjoyable.
I STILL don't get why Isobel killed herself...if it was just because of her lover dumping her, then that's poor.
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helen_ashton_92
19 years ago
At the end of the first nights episode I was discussing it with my dad and we each thought it was Rachael. After watching the other 3 Messiahs it alwayz seemed to be that the killer was with them from the beggining. It also seemed to be a member of their workfroce, but I can't seem to remember what happened in the third one, only that it was set in a hospital. But after the second part we were doubting that it was Rachael as it seemed too obvious to be her. She was also not there at some point in the episode where there was another killing going on. As you saw the other team members there when this was going on it was obvious it wasn't any of them. Also because of Rachael's daughter Isobel commiting suicide and with the first two victims being linked to the college she may have been angry that her daughter had died and others at the college were still alive. And the way the victims rists were slashed seemed as though to have been cut by someone who had cut things before :D Anyway that is my theory and I was correct about some of it. I also guessed the killer.
Love
Me xxx
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LadyBadger
19 years ago
I really enjoyed it. I've taped it, so i think I'll watch it again, all in one go. I'm glad they showed it over 3 nights, rather than last year when they split the second part in half and showed the news in between, I hate that.
I wouldn't have guessed Rachel. I only guessed it might be her when they made the mortuary connection, all the sinister close ups of the young assistant where too obvious. I just don't get why nobody realised Rachel had gone bonkers, I mean she appeared to be getting on well with her job and having completely sane conversations with top detectictives etc, yet at the end we see she's clearly as mad as a brush, which she must have been for weeks?
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Pallid_Amaranthine
19 years ago
Ehhh, but the book Isobel had made, didn't that have pictures of the victims in? Was kinda tired at the time, but couldn't figure this bit. So Rachel went around killing the people in her daughter's book?
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cannygeet
19 years ago
Isabelle had been completely alone al her life (Dad and Mum wrapped up in work, closet homosexual) so that when she was dumped she had noone to confide in and thus turned to despair (the 8th deadly sin that automatically casts the person to hell). Knowing her daughter was in Hell and knowing that in the Inferno a soul was saved Rachel sets about creating Dante's Inferno to save her daughter and bring her back (hence at the end "she's here"). She used her daughter's book to find suitable victims.
Hope that helps. I still don't know where Rachel got her superhuman strengths to lift giant rocks and tie up to people who are alive.
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Pallid_Amaranthine
19 years ago
All right, but why did Isobel include all these people in her book if it was, as her mother said, a place where she poured out all her despair each night etc? She was not planning their murders or of the opinion that they should be in Hell.
lol - perhaps the strength of the desperate and slightly unhinged - although, I'd have thought you'd find unknown strength if you were the victim being tied up, rather than the killer.
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cannygeet
19 years ago
It was only her girlfriend who appeared in the book as she was the catalyst for Isobel's despair. Her mother interpreted the other circles of hell as she saw fit.
Yes, I agree. If someone was putting a meat hook through my groin and I think I would find a bit of extra strength from somewhere. How she overpowered the fat bloke is another mystery. I noticed Tim disappeared after he gave Rachel a lift...i wonder if he helped; they did seem close.
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eantara-nibs
18 years ago
It was only her girlfriend who appeared in the book as she was the catalyst for Isobel's despair. Her mother interpreted the other circles of hell as she saw fit.
Yes, I agree. If someone was putting a meat hook through my groin and I think I would find a bit of extra strength from somewhere. How she overpowered the fat bloke is another mystery. I noticed Tim disappeared after he gave Rachel a lift...i wonder if he helped; they did seem close.
When they found the restaurateur's car there was a syringe on the car floor/seat.
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rarchy
19 years ago
Maybe she drugged them and as it was her who did the forensics she tampered with the results (and kept Tim away from anything she needed to keep a secret). I think her being the forensic scientist was an important aspect as she could lie, or not be straight, about what had happened to the victims as it suited her?
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union_jak
19 years ago
I think the killer was really predictable in this one, which is a pity because the first two took me by surprise. I knew from the very start of IV who it was, and was telling everyone it. Hopefully if they do a fifth one (and they should), it will be harder to spot the killer.
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shotaway36-1
19 years ago
Who said it would be Rachel? That's right, I did. Damn I'm good.
"We may still have mail."
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cannygeet
19 years ago
Anyone can say who it is and guess right but at hthat early stage you have no proof. It's like having a sweepstake and just picking a character at random like people do with Casualty based on who's going to die.
I knew the killer wasn't going to be Red...can I have a prize?
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union_jak
19 years ago
I'm not going to run around saying I knew it, I just did, but I didn't mean it like that! I have had to study Messiah in the past, and there are subtle hints in the openings of each Messiah, if you can read it well. Besides that, I thought Rachel was an obvious killer, her daughter had just killed herself, you know.
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