"The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" The Boy with an African Heart (TV Episode 2009) Poster

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8/10
Roots
jotix10031 August 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Mme. Ramotswe is consulted about the break-ins of several stores in the area. One thing is common, all the places that were robbed had unprotected small windows through which small children could be sneaked in the stores. A lot of common sense goes a long way for Precious to get to the culprits that have been doing the robberies.

The high point of this episode comes in the way of the unexpected visit of an American woman, Andrea Curtin, who has come to Botswana in search of her son, missing now for ten years. Mrs. Curtin is a woman with a determination and she has the money to spend in tracking down the disappearance of Michael Curtin, an eager young man that came to the country trying to do good and in the process, finding his African roots.

The case of the missing young man takes Mme. Ramotswe to a far away place where Michael helped establish a sort of commune trying to grow things using different unorthodox methods. When Michael went missing, Mrs. Curtin and her husband came to Botswana to look for him, but they could not find him. A trip to the old place where Michael was last seen shows an empty and dilapidated area. Only a carved piece of wood, bearing Michael Curtin's name give Precious some hope.

Grace Makutsi proves she has learned quite a lot working for Mme. Ramotswe. In fact, it is this valuable secretary who tracks down one of the men that were involved with Michael in the commune. Precious takes Mrs. Curtin to the place, now deserted where an older woman reveals something that will lead to finding the woman that was romantically involved with Michael. She still lives, and the surprise is that she has a young son, fathered by Michael.

An appreciative Precious Ramotswe announces to Grace that effective immediately, she will be promoted to assistant detective. Grace breaks down because she has not been completely truthful to her employer. She confesses tearfully about her sick brother Richard, something she has kept to herself. An understanding Precious assures Grace how good she must feel unburdening herself of the weight she has carried for so long.

Another good episode in the series. Directed by Charles Sturridge and written by Nicholas Wright, they have adapted the material that Alexander McCall Smith novels about the lady detective Precious Ramotswe working in Botswana. The subject matter appeared in "The Tears of the Giraffe" and Mrs. Curtin was a white woman. Here, the creators made the incident perhaps more credible by changing Mrs. Curtin's race to black. One can see how an idealistic Michael Curtin could have been attracted to get to know his African roots.

Good acting all around by the ensemble African crew. CCH Pounder, the Guyanese actress makes a dignified Andrea Curtin. Jill Scott and Anika Noni Rose are the main reasons for watching this series.
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