Wake Up

Former boxer turned priest Jud Duplenticy is reassigned after punching a rude deacon. Langstrom, the bishop, assigns him as assistant pastor to Monsignor Wicks at Our Lady of Perpetual Fortitude in Chimney Rock. This move places Jud into a troubled, high-stakes parish from which the rest of the story unfolds.

Jud challenges Wicks about his inflammatory sermons that have driven away most of the flock. Their confrontation at a church meeting ends with Wicks punching Jud in the abdomen. Jud retreats to Nikolai's bar to process the fallout and the fragile peace of the town.

During a Good Friday service, Wicks is found murdered, stabbed in the back inside a storage closet near the pulpit. The weapon is a knife fashioned from a devil's head lamp adornment Jud had previously stolen. With the evidence murky, suspicion quickly falls on Jud.

Police chief Geraldine Scott summons private detective Benoit Blanc to take on the case. Blanc enlists Jud to assist him, convinced of Jud's innocence and intent on uncovering the truth behind the murder. The town buzzes with rumors about faith, power, and money at the heart of the crime.

Blanc discovers from a taped game video in Samson's shack that a radio frequency burst occurred around the time of Wicks' death. The exact moment remains unclear, and the burst suggests either a device or interference that could skew alibis. This clue widens the circle of suspects beyond Jud.

Jud stays inside the church after everyone leaves and removes a liquor bottle hidden behind a closet door to protect Wicks' reputation and the flock's faith. Blanc notes this as suspicious, hinting at a larger, more complicated motive beyond mere loyalty. The action marks a turning point in the case.

Vera reveals she possesses a document showing Cy is Wicks' illegitimate son, deepening the town's intrigues. The revelation binds Cy’s ambitions to the church's fortune and unsettles long-standing loyalties. The community wrestles with how personal secrets shape public faith.

Cy Draven explains that Wicks found Prentice's fortune and planned to use it for a political career, with Cy as his heir. He claims Wicks' bank accounts are empty and mentions Eve's Apple as the key to the mystery. The conversation exposes a dangerous web of wealth, power, and motive for murder.

Jud uncovers a receipt indicating crypt-opening equipment was ordered a week before Wicks was murdered, implying prior knowledge of the plan. This suggests the killer anticipated Wicks' death and prepared to stage events to mislead the flock. Blanc uses the clue to sharpen the case against a broader conspiracy.

Blanc demonstrates that Nat Sharp spiked Wicks' private flask with tranquilizer and used a hidden adornment to stage a resurrection-like murder. Jud's earlier suspicions are reframed within a larger conspiracy among Wicks' followers. The plan culminates in a covert stabbing that frames others.

Blanc completes his summation but acknowledges he cannot fully explain Wicks' resurrection or Samson's murder. He chooses not to arrest Jud immediately, offering grace and leaving room for confession. The congregation departs divided between belief and doubt.

Martha re-enters to confess that Prentice swallowed Eve's Apple, the diamond at the heart of Wicks' fortune. She explains that she plotted with Nat and Samson to stage the resurrection to retrieve the gem. Before dying from poisoning, she surrenders the truth and accepts Jud's absolution.

Jud reopens the church, now renamed Our Lady of Perpetual Grace, with most parishioners having moved on. Cy threatens to sue over the diamond, but Blanc and the congregation pretend ignorance to avoid further scandal. The Eve's Apple diamond remains hidden inside the church's new crucifix.