Quiet as a Nun: Part 3: The Black Nun

The death count increases, Sister Edward tragically suffers breathing difficulties and later dies. The schoolgirls tell Jemima the legend of The Black Nun.

This is the iconic episode, Armchair Thriller's highest point, it's a fabulous episode, a great story development, but of course it's fondly remembered for one moment, the conclusion, even now it gives me chills.

As it stands, this had a 7.8 rating, absolutely no way, this is much, much better than that score would suggest, this is one is deserving of a score in the 9's.

It's definitely known for the horror moments, but there are a couple of lighter, humorous moments too, the look on Jemima's face during her car journey with Sister Lucy, very funny. Sister Lucy really is an interesting character, she's been very keen to stir.

Once again, the use of music and lighting is absolutely spot on. The atmosphere here is quite something.

I bet this gave many viewers nightmares, it did me.

10/10.

The Black Nun. What can I say without giving the ultimate spoiler? But this episode of the superb Antiona Fraser book, absolutely scared the heck out of me when it first aired in April 1978 (I was just 11) in fact I had trouble sleeping for weeks, however this only fueled my adoration of well made supernatural horror films which stuck with me for life, so I guess the end of episode 3 of Quiet as a Nun was my gateway drug of my love of spook!

In this episode our hero investigator Jemima Shore, determined to unravel the mystery of the death of a nun at a convent, takes her torch & goes off to investigate the Tower of Ivory where the nun died in strange circumstances. She is intrigued by stories of a spectral Black Nun that is said to appear just before someone dies. However she is sceptic, & is suspicious that she is being thrown off scent because she is getting a little to close to the truth of the mysterious death. That night the sound of a rocking chair moving echos from an attic room.

This whole series of 6 episodes is an absolute must for fans of murder mystery. It is a decent well told tale which has hardly aged. The acting is a little average but the direction & the pacing are excellent. The ending of this episode earned a spot on on Channel 4's Top 100 scariest moments at number 63 & when I saw this as an 11 year old it gave me nightmares for weeks!