TV Review: Midsomer Murders Set 17
Originally published at Grasping for the Wind. Please leave any comments there.
Actors: John Nettles, Jason Hughes
Format: Box set, Color, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
Number of discs: 4
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Acorn
DVD Release Date: February 22, 2011
Run Time: 400 minutes
Popular British village mystery series Midsomer Murders continues to make its way to the US with the release of Set 17. Containing four 100 minute episodes, this new set of mysteries continues the story of clever but understated Detective Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby (John Nettles), his gifted protégé Detective Sergeant Ben Jones (Jason Hughes), and the newest official addition to the force, Detective Constable Gail Stephens (Kirsty Dillon).
The golf links have never been so dangerous as in “The Dogleg Murders.” The 13th hole of the local swanky gold club is notoriously difficult to traverse because of its L-shape course. But when a man is found bludgeoned on a public trail that cuts the course, Barnaby and Jones are thrust into the middle of festering class warfare and sibling rivalry. Rife with golf in-jokes and Barnaby’s stoic-but-resigned reaction to Joyce’s insistence on his being more athletic, this episode is the funnies of the four. This particular episode contains all the best elements of Midsomer Murders: quirky villagers, a multilayered mystery with no clear solution, a fatalistic love triangle, and the friction between the classes.
Local artist Henry Hodgson is known for his idyllic farm life scenes. Yet Midsomer is anything but when a newly discovered Hodgson painting comes up for sale in “The Black Book.” After the painting is sold, a murderer begins striking down members of the local art world. Barnaby and Jones must follow a twisty trail of clues to discover the cause of these murders. This particular episode may not be appropriate for family viewing, as one several-minute conversation is shot in an art studio where a nude woman is posing for a portrait. It is background, but some parents who have been accustomed to watching this show with younger family members may need to fast forward. The death scenes are also much more violent than one normally expects from Midsomer making this episode decidedly more “adult” in content. The story does have some excellent old-fashioned sleuthing as Barnaby digs around for information on art in the local library (always learning, that Barnaby) and from a pretty art teacher. Barnaby’s “besotting” with the art teacher lacks subtlety and falls rather flat due to a poor script rather than the actors’ efforts. Otherwise, this episode is entertaining and has a surprise culprit that was hard to guess.
“Secrets and Spies” reveals a little of Barnaby’s professional history (though little is done with it) when he agrees to officiate a cricket match for Jones. When a British spy turned double agent is killed, a local madman thinks it’s a mysterious “beast of Midsomer” but Barnaby suspects a more human culprit. He, Jones and Stephens must tear free the secrets of a family of spies a hard fight indeed. This particular episode was entertaining, but lacked the typical layering a Midsomer story. The whole “beast of Midsomer” angle was superfluous and barely even used, while the rest of the story watched more like a family drama than a mystery unfolding. Barnaby officiating of the cricket match is rather hilariously played but for the most part Barnaby and his team are always one step behind Her Majesty’s government -an unusual position for Barnaby. Essentially, the best part of this episode is Barnaby’s officiating, and a small surprise in the spy plot arc.
Business interests clash with the academic who made their business possible in “The Glitch.” George Jeffers thinks the air traffic control system he invented is fatally flawed, but CEO Clinton Finn disagrees, even going to far as a fund a new wing of the local college where Jeffers works if they will shut him up. When attacks begin against Jeffers, Barnaby and team are called in to find the culprits. There are simply too many, including an ex-wife, Finn, and members of his own college. I was not totally a fan of all the characters, feeling they were a little flat and unsympathetic (victim or culprit) and the “Bucketman” subplot was just ridiculous but the Midsomer standard of quirky villagers with unusual hobbies and a difficult to derive answer to the mystery were redeeming. This is one of the more exciting episodes of Midsomer if only because Barnaby shows off his impressive racecar driving skills!
Midsomer Murders Set 17 are four more of the cozy village mysteries fans have to come to love. Nettles and Hughes have settled into their roles and play off each other very well. The addition of Kirsty Dillon as Gail Stephens softens some of the harder edges of the male characters while also bringing key and invaluable assistance to the solving of the mysteries. These episodes adhere more closely to the novels by Caroline Graham and original episodes than previous sets. I don’t recommend newcomers to the series start here, but I do think that overall these are solid, entertaining British mysteries.
The DVD set includes text cast interviews, fascinating facts, and production notes.