Cadfael: Monk's Hood

The Set-up: Abbott Heribert (Peter Copley) is called a way to a council to account for the Abbey of Shrewesbury. While he's gone, Prior Robert (Michael Culver) is the acting Abbott, with Brother Jerome (Julian Firth) as his right hand. Prior fully expects that the Father will be removed from his position and he will be named the new Abbott.
Cadfael (Derek Jacobi) is preparing a very dangerous concoction should someone ingest it - Monk's Hood oil - which is a great linement but fatal if even a few drops are swallowed. It is to be applied to the aching back and shoulders of one of his brothers.

The Rest: The lord gets poisoned, the wrong squire gets blamed. It turns out that one of the other squires is really the lord's son. By Welsh law, a bastard may inherit the father's land so that is why he killed his father and blamed the other squire. He stabs Hugh Beringar trying (Sean Pertwee) to make his escape.

Commentary: What a surprise to learn that Shrewesbury is but half a day's ride from Wales. And that is half a day on the back of a donkey. I guess that kind of makes it Hugh's own fault that he got stabbed - the Deputy Sheriff of Shropshire probably shouldn't go off looking for blokes in Wales.
Speaking of the Shire - I'll share a little bit of what I think about in every episode (both those already reviewed and those upcoming), wouldn't this story be so much better with hobbits? And maybe a ranger now and then? And you could just have stories of elves and dwarves, they wouldn't need to be in any of the episodes. Cadfael could have travelled to Gondor to fight in the last great war against Mordor - Minas Tirith stands in fir Jerusalem. The show is so much better when I'm 'Tolkeinizing' it.

Proof: monk's hood oil staining a purse.