Burden of Truth Recap: “Still Waters”

As the proverb states, “still waters run deep.” Unfortunately for the small town of Millwood in the Canadian import Burden of Truth those still waters are actually horrible sludge-filled barrels which were dumped and buried underground in the field used by the high school girls’ soccer team. It would seem that Joanna and Billy have finally found the culprit behind what caused the illness of the affected girls; but they need to know who dumped those barrels.

As the episode opened, Joanna, while out on a morning run, took pictures of the companies in Millwood that could have been behind the chemicals that were found in the affected girls’ bloodstreams. But in doing so, she seemed to pick a tail – someone following her around town in a large black SUV.

But she was on a mission; she needed to know who was to blame for the illness. In order to make that determination, she and Billy needed a hydrologist to dig wells to check the groundwater. Since they didn’t have the big bucks to pay for the hydrologist normally hired by Joanna’s bigwig law firm, she took out a loan on her condo.

I’d say she is really obsessed with finding the culprit and is willing to put down her money to learn the truth.

After facing some opposition from Millwood’s mayor, they were able to dig one well at each of the four possible companies that were suspected. But when the hydrologist determined that the flow wasn’t coming from anywhere it was ‘just there,’ they needed to test the soccer field. Despite not having a permit to do so, Joanna and Billy had the hydrologist dig the well, which brought about a whole new problem. They discovered a barrel buried in the ground overflowing with what looked like yellow sludge.

A disposal team was then brought in – the same one used by the local mill – to dig up the barrels and transport them out of Millwood. This was the prove Joanna and Billy needed, but they still needed to know who was behind the illegal dumping in that field. They decided to follow the disposal truck, but they were run off the road by the owner of that black SUV. Just what is going on in Millwood?

During the episode, Joanna also learned a startling revelation about her MIA mother. When Joanna was about 11 years old, her mother had been in the hospital for about a month supposedly due to a bout with pneumonia. But during the course of digging one of those four wells with the hydrologist, Joanna learned that the now defunct hospital was actually a psychiatric hospital.

This reveal led Joanna to grill her father about the truth; and again he blew her off, blaming it on the rumor mill in the small town and not being willing to talk to her any further. Hiding much, daddy?! Of course, Joanna went directly to the town doctor to get details and what little he was able to ethically share with her was that her mother had exhibited all the classic signs of a mental breakdown and it was Joanna’s father who had her mother admitted to the psychiatric hospital. OUCH!

What did you think of last night’s episode? Who do you think is behind the dumping of those toxic waste materials on the soccer field? Who do you think is driving that SUV that’s aiming to stop Joanna and Billy? Please share your thoughts below.

The next new episode of the debut season of Burden of Truth will air on The CW on Wednesday, August 15 at 8/7c.

[Photo Credit: CBC/Cause One Productions Inc. and Cause One Manitoba Inc.]