In episode 6 of Bodies, things got pretty dark, pushing Elias Mannix to the edge. His own mother, Sarah, shut him out when he needed her the most. That rejection hit hard, making him question if love was ever on the cards for him. At that moment, the words of his future self suddenly made sense, and without a second thought, Elias hit that button. London paid the price, turning half of the city into nothing but dust and debris. Meanwhile, in 2053, Elias Mannix used the Throat Time Machine to travel back to 1880 to put his plan into motion. Defoe tries to follow suit but is shot by Iris. And now the story continues!
Spoilers Ahead
How Does Elias Mannix Charms Polly?
In the opening of Bodies Episode 7, Elias Mannix wakes up in 1886 London. After recovering from his injuries, his mind starts churning out plans. While at the hospital, he reaches out to Agatha Harker, stating that he’s her long-lost son, Julian Harker, missing since the war. At first, Agatha is cautious, but a mother’s heart softens her skepticism, and she begins to believe Elias. But Elias’ plan falls through when Agatha’s dog, Archie, reacts strangely to his scent. This raises Agatha’s suspicions, and she starts having second thoughts.
Elias realizes he must come clean. He confesses that he isn’t her son but offers to repair both her finances and her loneliness. Elias suggests he’ll marry a policeman’s daughter, and they can create their own happy family. Elias starts placing himself in Polly’s vicinity. He knew just how to tug at her heartstrings. He’d often compliment her piano skills, making her blush. Not to mention, he even invites her over to play piano for his mother at his swanky estate. Elias had that irresistible combo of wealth, smarts, and gentlemanly manners, and no matter how hard she tried, Polly couldn’t help but fall for him.
What Happens To Detective Alfred Hillinghead?
Polly urgently reaches out to Harker, seeking his help for her father, Alfred Hillinghead, who’s being transported to Pentonville prison. But why is Alfred in prison? In reality, Alfred, while working with Henry Ashe, found some serious dirt on Harker. They uncovered a photo that placed Harker at the crime scene. The photograph was incriminating evidence that could land Harker in the slammer. However, Harker was always a step ahead. He pulled a slick move, drugging Alfred while he attended Agatha’s séance.
When Alfred was out cold, Harker had his men place him next to Defoe’s lifeless body and take incriminating pictures. With this damning evidence, Harker coerced Alfred to frame Henry Ashe for Defoe’s murder. But Alfred, having developed genuine feelings for Henry, refused to comply. He advises Henry to skip town and vanish to safety, but the latter refuses. Left with no other alternatives, Alfred ultimately writes a false confession, claiming he’s Defoe’s killer. After Polly begs for help, Harker comes to see Alfred and makes him an offer. He offers to spare his life if he agrees to let him marry his daughter. Alfred refuses, and Harker orders his henchman to kill Alfred. Later, Harker spins a lie to Polly. He told her that her father, Alfred, wasn’t brave enough to face the jury and took his own life.
What’s Polly’s Role In Harker’s Grand Scheme Of Things?
With Alfred out of the picture, there’s no one left to stand in Harker’s way and keep him from marrying Polly. They tie the knot, and soon after, Harker becomes a father, welcoming a healthy baby boy. It’s everything he ever yearned for—a family that loves and treasures him, filling the gap he experienced during his formative years. Harker’s early years were marred by difficulties. He was constantly shuffled between foster homes after social services deemed his mother, Sarah, unfit to raise a child, labeling her an addict. This turbulent upbringing left a scar on his life, shaping the man he would become. But now, he finally has the family and stability he always longed for.
Harker realizes it’s time to come clean to Polly, especially now that they have a child together. He confesses that the reason he knows about future events is that he himself is from the future. He elaborates further, revealing that their son will have children, and among them will be Harker’s own father. Polly, deeply in love with Harker, agrees to play her part in his grand scheme of things. But how? In the coming years, Polly will order Whiteman to close the murder investigation of Defoe. Furthermore, she’ll also take on the role of manager at Harker’s Bank. Polly will also help Harker record messages for his younger self as a precaution in case he loses his footing and fails to carry out what needs to be done.
Why Did Iris Maplewood Travel To 1880?
In 2053, the weight of her actions hits Iris Maplewood like a ton of bricks. She comes to realize that she unknowingly helped the man responsible for the 2023 London bomb attack, causing the loss of countless lives. On top of that, she had also shot Defoe, the only person capable of stopping Elias. Fortunately, Iris discovers a vital clue in Defoe’s notes, which states that the Throat’s time-traveling abilities work both ways. It doesn’t just send you to the past; it can transport you to the future as well. Teaming up with Hasan, they revisit the spot where Iris first found Defoe. Hours later, their patience pays off, and they manage to locate Defoe and prevent him from dying. The battle is far from over, but with Defoe back in play, Iris and Hasan can still turn the tides in their favor.
Defoe, on the other hand, is just fed up with the endless attempts. He believes their efforts are worthless as if fate itself is rooting for Elias to win. The whole cycle keeps playing out, no matter how much they try to interfere. Elias keeps going back in time, persuades Agatha that he’s her son, exploits her resources and his foresight to amass millions, ties the knot with Polly, and so on. It’s like a never-ending loop, and there’s no breaking it.
However, Hasan can’t shake off what Andrew, Elias’ foster father, told her in 2023. He mumbled something about Elias meeting his end, drowning in regret. After hearing this, Iris throws out the idea of time travel again, not back to 2023 but all the way to 1886. Iris’ plan is to try to get Elias to see the darkness in his grand scheme and hopefully stop him. The thing is, Hasan’s been down this road before, trying to reason with Elias, but Elias went ahead and set off that bomb in 2023. It’s a tough call, but Iris is convinced that going all the way back to 1880 might be the only way to stop Elias Mannix.
Final Words
The final episode of Bodies is shaping up to be a real rollercoaster. We see Iris traveling back to 1880 using the Throat. She’s hell-bent on stopping Elias, even though he used to be someone she looked up to. She’s in the end game now, and considering Elias is from the future, who knows what moves he’s got up his sleeve? The final episode also promises to reveal why Andrew hinted that Elias would meet his end with regret.
The show’s been knocking it out of the park with each episode, and the finale looks like it’s going to be no exception. The way it handles time travel, tossing aside a bunch of complicated theories and just introducing it as a natural phenomenon caused by the Duetsche particles, is refreshing. Bodies makes us question everything we thought we knew about time travel. This show basically says there are no rules when it comes to temporal displacement (time travel). It’s a bold approach, and Bodies has nailed it.
