Earlier episodes of Bellevue have had strong religious undercurrents. That trend does not continue tonight. Tonight focuses on connections. Connections within the cases, connections between the crimes.  Connection across time, and “connections.”

Two warnings underscore this episode. The first echoes from last week, “Don’t trust the guy with the fire in his eyes,” and the second is a memory Annie (Anna Paquin) recalls whilst she is reviewing her father’s psych report: “There is someone who THINKS he loves you …. He is dangerous, you wouldn’t know it to look at him. He might be watching right now.” With that in mind …

Peter (Shawn Doyle), is still Annie’s overprotective, overwrought superior and the protegé of her father, Clarence Ryder (Patrick Labbé). The Riddler warned her of a man with “fire in his eyes,” but is it Peter he is referring, or merely a coincidence? We see Peter get all up in the face of the perv who was the initial intermediary between Annie and The Riddler. He is put on notice: if he comes across The Riddler or any guy even sounding like The Riddler, he is to let Peter know. Clearly, Peter is not our creepy messenger, but is he connected in some other manner? We know Peter deliberately set the shed on fire, destroying evidence, but what of his garage? Or is it simply his duty to a mentor and “trust issues” when it comes to Peter and Annie?

Our suspect comes in the form of the renown drug-dealer Jed “Rainmaker” Martin (Neil Napier of Helix).  The police obtain a warrant to search Jed’s home for evidence after they discovered a large quantity of his trademark “Rainmaker” MDMA in Jesse’s room. Instead, they find Jesse’s boyfriend Danny (Cameron Roberts) crashing there. Police also find false eyelashes and size 13 boots they suspect belonged to Jesse. Is Jed engaging in inappropriate relations with minor boys from the reserve? Annie and Virginia (Sharon Taylor) track Jed down and question him while officers remain at his property continuing their search. They uncover a recently-buried tin containing the other pink Eiffel Tower earring and some sweetgrass. This significant find justifies bringing Jed in for questioning and he is later arrested for the death of Jesse. Despite being “low-lying fruit,” Jed believes he is being set up. A final questioning by Annie reveals Jed knew Jesse didn’t belong in the suit his family are planning to bury him in. The earring was who Jesse was. “She was a good kid.” Jed didn’t kill Jesse.

So how is Neil Driver (Andreas Apergis), father of Sandy Driver connected to everything going on? Suffering from schizoaffective disorder, he routinely confuses Annie for his daughter. Coincidentally, he has been back in hospital for 48 hours; the same period of time since Annie’s last message from The Riddler. Annie investigates his home and the entire house stopped at 12:13 on December 24, 1994. Newspapers from December 26, 1994 (the day after Sandy died), January 14, 1995 (the day of Sandy Driver’s funeral), and September 7, 1995 (when Annie’s father took his own life), are on the table with the words, “One day I will be free,” etched into the table top.

Seeing her name marked in the paper, Annie pays a visit to a forcibly-restrained Neil. Here in the hospital he gives Annie a watch that had been missing since the day Sandy was taken. Earlier that day a man approached him on the hospital grounds, gave him the watch, and then left via the woods. Now Neil is giving it to Annie. Neil is not The Riddler. Annie heads out onto the grounds, goes through the gate and discovers the only riddle of the night: “Time will tell if the bracelet fits.” Earlier, Daisy (Madison Ferguson) had given her mum grandpa’s old hospital band. Now, with this latest clue, Annie queries her daughter. Daisy found it not in the trash, as Annie had assumed, but rather on a pole waiting to be found. So what does this mean, “if the bracelet fit”? Was Clarence Ryder on the right track in his investigation?

Annie returns to the Driver home, and Neil has been released from hospital. He attempts to explain December 24, at 12:13. This is the time when life stopped for Neil Driver: he lost his temper with his daughter. He knew she has been up to something with her girlfriend Maggie (Victoria Sanchez). Is this the connection? “If she had just left us alone my Sandy would not have had to die.” Is the connection between Jesse and Sandy a form of retribution? And how did the person who had the watch know about 12:13?

Another interesting “connection”? The episode opened with Annie setting up some home surveillance and later someone taps into it, and begins to watch Annie.

“Hello little light.”

She disconnects the camera, but later reconnects it with the hope this will again strengthen the bond between she and The Riddler, and by extension may lead to the killer or killers.

A couple mentions: Bethany (Emilia Hellman) is the subject of cyber-bullying by her classmates. Eddie (Allen Leech) does not think the job he had been counting on is going to pan out and despite his feelings for Annie, he is spending a lot of time with Briana Holt (Amber Goldfarb) instead. Finally, did anyone else notice Annie making a connection with Brady Holt (Billy McLellan)? These two had a momentary truce followed by that awkward moment when both parties are asking, “What just happened here?”

Another episode absolutely stuffed, and it is difficult to get it all into one recap and keep it under 1,000 words, something which I oftentimes fail with miserably. This week I may have left out some details but I had to leave room.

FINALLY, I get to mention how beautifully the creators of Bellevue are seamlessly including the LGBTQ2 community within this storyline. Oftentimes, shows have a token gay or bi character and it feels forced; an afterthought, as though producers toss an under-represented character in in order to fill a quota. Bellevue has incorporated trans, gay, lesbian and those who are still questioning their sexual identity and/or preferences, and it feels utterly effortless. Those who are marginalized by society, are often the invisible ones never represented in television/media, or the characters embody only the ignorant stereotypes and are used to drive the storyline itself. Not here. These rich characters are merely a part of the landscape, included, and accepted by mainstream Bellevue. Some of the town may not understand it, but most are not judgmental. Here, it is those who are un-accepting that are the minority and even the suspects. People from the LGBTQ2 who are watching Bellevue are seeing themselves on primetime TV. It is about time.

Bellevue airs Mondays at 9 p.m. on CBC.