Undertaking (The Nevers)
"Undertaking" is the fourth episode of the American science fiction drama television series The Nevers. The episode was directed by David Semel and written by Madhuri Shekar. It originally aired on HBO on May 2, 2021 and also was available on HBO Max on the same date.
The series is set in Victorian era London and follows a group of people, mostly women, known as the Touched, who suddenly manifest abnormal abilities. Among them are Amalia True, a mysterious and quick-fisted widow, and her best friend Penance Adair, a brilliant inventor. The episode follows Amalia working with the women in the Orphanage to try to find Mary's murderer after the events of the previous episode while also trying to uncover a mole within her group.
The episode received mixed-to-positive reviews, with critics praising Amalia's new character development but criticizing the writing. The episode was watched by 0.515 million household viewers.
Plot
The women from the Orphanage bury Mary after the events of the previous episode. When purists start bad-mouthing them, Mundi has officers arrest them. Amalia chose not to attend the funeral and has been going to bars, getting drunk, and starting fights with some of the patrons after trying to steal from them. When she returns to the orphanage, Penance tries to comfort her but Amalia releases her frustration instead. Primrose speaks with a crying Myrtle in her room, trying to understand her drawings. She eventually finds out that Myrtle heard a secret message during Mary's song. They contact foreign members to try to decipher the message, which is just "Come before the dark." In the police station, Mundi questions the purists, who are frightened at finding that he is a former boxer and reveal that people hired them to crash the funeral and insult the women. Mundi then confronts Hugo and accuses him of sending them in order to scare the women and join his club but Hugo reassures him he had no involvement with the men.Amalia, Penance, Lucy, Annie and Cousens discuss a list of suspects behind Mary's murder, with Maladie, Lord Massen, the Beggar King and Augie deemed suspects. Penance talks with Augie to try to make him confess but he maintains his innocence. Annie tries to confront the Beggar King but is held off by one of his henchmen, Nimble Jack, a Touched with the power to create a shield and is told that he was not involved in Mary's murder. Amalia visits Lord Massen, who states his innocence, suggesting that Mary was murdered for representing hope for the Touched. The last comment makes Amalia believe he had a part in the murder and plans to destroy his business in the warehouse dock. Mundi finds Maladie strangling his superintendent, where she reveals she was in the funeral before escaping. Mundi follows her and manages to get her unconscious.
Amalia, Lucy and Annie meet at the docks to blow the warehouse. However, Amalia exposes Lucy as Lord Massen's spy. Lucy admits working for him as he promised to give her a cure to her power, where she breaks everything she touches. She attempts to flee and gets into a fight with Amalia. Amalia holds her at gunpoint but decides to let her go in a boat. Lucy reveals the location of the real munitions and Annie blows up the warehouse. Back in the Orphanage, Amalia tells Penance about Lucy's betrayal before being interrupted by Primrose, Harriet and Myrtle. They have found the complete message, which is directed at Amalia: "Amalia, my lonely soldier. I didn't leave you. I went inside the city. I was damaged... incomplete. I had to heal. Soon we will all be ready. But it's dark. There's a darkness. Find me. Let them help, those who will, but come below and find me. Come before the dark, and we can save..." with the last part being incomplete because of her death. Harriet believes that the message is not of Mary's, but someone else speaking through her.