YMMV / Cadfael

• Catharsis Factor: Brother Jerome deserves everything he gets. When he's strangled in "The Devil's Novice" by an enraged Meriet, no one is particularly upset.
  Abbot Radulfus: How is Brother Jerome?
  Cadfael: Oh, his throat will mend, but a week or two will pass before his voice returns.
  Abbot Radulfus: Then even in the worst deed, there is some good.
• Magnificent Bastard: Sheriff Hugh Beringar in "One Corpse Too Many" provides Cadfael with the horses and information Cadfael needs to spirit Beringar's betrothed away, whom Beringar has been tasked to find. He hopes to both see his betrothed off safely as he feels no love for her, nor does he wish her harm. However, he wants a job for the king, which he hopes to achieve by providing the king with a large treasure which his betrothed was to take to safety with her. Beringer hopes the treasure will act as a conciliatory prize in lieu of the girl.
• Moral Event Horizon:
  • Ivo Corbière from "Saint Peter's Fair" has already stooped to murder to get his hands on a list of Empress Maude's partisans to give to King Stephen, so that he, Corbière, can win an earldom at least. Emma has it, and Corbière crosses the Horizon when he threatens to rape her to get it—and enjoy doing so. The readers cheer when Emma, in resisting him, knocks the brazier over and he burns to death.
  • This is how Beringar regards Renaud Borchier, alias Cuthred's, betrayal of his liege in her darkest hour in "The Hermit of Eyton Forest".
  • Father Ailnoth from "The Raven in the Foregate" crosses this when he refuses to give absolution to a young woman who has gotten pregnant before marriage. It's also noted that he refused to interrupt his prayers to baptise a sickly newborn and then when the child died unbaptised because of his delay, wouldn't give it consecrated burial. Lord Cassale, a TV-only character from the same story, crosses this for torturing/murdering various peasants without trial.
• Retroactive Recognition:
  • Rosanna from "The Devil's Novice" is played by Chloë Annett, who would later be best known for playing the second Kochanski in Red Dwarf.
  • One of Toby Jones's first roles was in "The Sanctuary Sparrow" as a simpleminded assistant to the goldsmiths.
• They Changed It, Now It Sucks!: A prize example. Leaving aside some questionable casting decisions the television shows' scripts mercilessly alter the book plots. This does not necessarily make them bad television, but it does not necessarily make for a good adaptation either.
• The Woobie:
  • Brother Eluric from The Rose Rent. He goes through enormous mental torment as a result of feeling forbidden love for the widow Judith Perle, and is seen several times praying, weeping, and begging to be released from his duty of delivering her roses, and ends up being murdered in the rose garden.
  • Poor Brother Oswin nearly freezes to death, is beaten by a bunch of marauders, and then falsely believes that he's committed rape and murder. And that's just in one episode!

---