Die Spreeus episode 6: Haunted by his past

Spoiler alert! This article contains show spoilers, so it’s up to you if you want to watch the episode first or read on and have more insight while you’re taking in the scenes on your screen.

“It’s best to let sleeping dogs lie,” warns forensic investigator Mkhize (Bongo Mbutuma) at the start of episode 6 of supernatural thriller series Die Spreeus. The tokoloshe isn’t something you play with – a fact that Mkhize understands well. Even though he doesn’t believe in the imp-sized Zulu sprite, he is wary of even saying the beast’s name.

The tokoloshe doesn’t decide who it’s targeting. It is sent by a sangoma as a sort of curse placed on someone. And in this episode, the tokoloshe terrorises Annetjie (Jenna Dunster), the wife of car mechanic Wynand (Carel Nel).

Wynand’s personal life lies in ruins because he’s cheating on Annetjie with Sally (Greta Pietersen), who is dating his best friend and mechanic co-worker Knoetze (Neels van Jaarsveld).

Wynand has been distant and spends most of his nights at work; at least that is what he tells Annetjie. The truth is more sinister – after one “late-night spent under a car’s bonnet”, Wynand was thrown in police holding cells after attacking his worker Victor (Siya Mayola).

Annetjie screams when Wynand comes home, telling him that someone had been in their room while she slept and tried to assault her. Wynand immediately assumes it is Victor, so he goes to Victor’s room on his small holding to beat some sense into the man.

Die Spreeus detectives Bas and Beatrice (Chris Vorster and Monique Rockman) are asked to help when Victor’s grandmother Thulani (Thoko Ntshinga) and the other workers on Wynand’s small holding claim that it’s the tokoloshe is terrorising Annetjie, and not Victor. Being aware of the legend behind the tokoloshe, the investigative pair begin their search for the person who has cursed Annetjie, only for some of Bas’s own ghosts to start coming out the closet while they search for the Zulu demon…

Double life

When Bas was still working as a cop, he infiltrated criminal gangs under the alias Sebastian Stone. Chris says that this double life cost Bas his family. “His wife Renske (Vicky Davis) was murdered by the gang when ‘Sebastian Stone’ no longer wanted to be part of them and they discovered Bas’s real identity.”

Bas wears the pain of his wife’s murder and his guilt as a reminder. Chris admits, “While Bas didn’t stab Renske with the knife, he feels as guilty as if he had and her death has been haunting him for years.”

The stress and trauma of his wife’s murder forced Bas into his shell. He only came out again in episode 1 when he resigned as a shopping centre security guard after being approached to head up Die Spreeus. (Do you remember comedian Schalk Bezuidenhout’s hilarious cameo as Bas’s boss?)

“He completely withdrew from the world. He stopped all social interaction and started living in isolation,” adds Chris.

Gun control

Episode 6 is going to push Bas to another new level – having to use his gun again. But while Bas can’t pull the trigger during a confrontation with the tokoloshe, Chris explains that there is a good reason for his reluctance to shoot. “It has something to do with his son Dewald (Anderson White),” warns the actor.

Unaware of his tragic past, Beatrice worries that her partner Bas can’t make quick decisions or react when the situation calls for it. “She needs to trust Bas with her life and at this stage, she can’t do it if he is afraid to use his firearm,” adds Chris.

SPOILER ALERT: Bas and his boy

Remember how Bas took a day off work in the first episode to celebrate his son Dewald’s birthday with the youngster? In a shocking scene at the end of the episode 6, it is revealed that Dewald also died four years earlier like his mom. Does Bas realise that he’s living with a ghost?

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