Character Relationship Map: The Wicker Tree

Characters

• Sir Lachlan Morrison (played by Graham McTavish) — protagonist

  Laird of Tressock who secretly invites evangelical visitors to participate in a pagan May Day ritual to restore the village's fertility. He orchestrates the festival and is ultimately pushed into the...

• Lolly (played by Honeysuckle Weeks) — protagonist

  A local villager who engages in sexual encounters with both Steve and Detective Orlando. After Steve's ritual death, she gives birth to his child, helping to restore the village's fertility for the fi...

• Beame (played by Clive Russell) — supporting

  The Morrison family butler tasked with preparing Beth for her role as the May Queen. He attempts to sedate her with spiked milk, which accidentally kills the family cat, prompting Beth to flee and att...

• Beth Boothby (played by Brittania Nicol) — minor

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Sir Lachlan Morrison → Lolly (Power Laird And Villager) — Their connection reflects the village hierarchy and Sir Lachlan's interest in Tressock's fertility crisis.

  Sir Lachlan is the laird of Tressock, while Lolly is identified as a female villager whose child later contributes to the village's restored fertility...

• Sir Lachlan Morrison → Beame (Professional Employer) — Beame serves Sir Lachlan's household and carries out duties connected to the ritual plan.

  Beame is identified as the Morrisons' butler and is tasked with preparing Beth for her role as the May Queen.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Lolly → Beth Boothby (Narrative Fellow Ritual Victim) — Their storylines converge through Tressock's ritual system, though no direct friendship is established.

  Lolly remains within the village's fertility-centered ritual world, while Beth is selected as the May Queen and later displayed with previous May Quee...

• Beth Boothby → Beame (Conflict Assailant And Target) — Beame's attempt to control Beth provokes an immediate physical struggle.

  Beame attempts to sedate Beth with spiked milk, and Beth attacks him before fleeing the house.

• Sir Lachlan Morrison → Beth Boothby (Unknown Deceptive Inviter) — Sir Lachlan presents hospitality while concealing the ritual purpose of Beth's visit.

  Sir Lachlan and Delia invite Beth and her fiancé to Tressock to preach, but secretly intend them to serve a central role in the May Day celebration.

Story Analysis

An evangelical mission is absorbed into a fertility cult's ritual, producing sacrifice, revenge, and the renewal of a dying village.

Plot Progression

1. Mission Meets Hostility — Beth and her fiancé travel from Texas toward Glasgow as evangelical missionaries. Their preaching receives a hostile reception until Sir Lachlan offers them hospitality in Tressock.
2. Tressock's Fertility Secret — The visitors enter Tressock and discover that Sir Lachlan's invitation conceals a May Day purpose. The village's infertility crisis and its unusual social environment create growing unease.
3. The Pagan Revelation — A secret investigation uncovers the villagers' worship of Sulis. At the same time, personal betrayal and doubts about remaining in Tressock intensify the visitors' vulnerability.
4. The May Day Sacrifice — Beth and her fiancé accept ceremonial roles without understanding their meaning. The May Day ritual turns into a violent pursuit and ends with the fiancé's death.
5. Ashes And New Blood — Beth fights Beame, confronts Sir Lachlan, and burns him in the wicker tree before being captured and killed. Lolly's childbirth gives Tressock a new generation while the village prays for more men.