S17E4, A Vintage Murder

S17E4, A Vintage Murder: We're here at a festival of sorts, at a beautiful vineyard, full of...vines....and vino. And well now, wait--bodies are dropping like drunken flies--is Joyce Barnaby at this event?! Ah, no such luck, but still, these folks are the very unlucky type of Midsomer residents (haha, as if it's only a FEW unfortunate souls in this county). Familiar, well-acted supporting cast here--this episode's atmosphere is also familiar, so we're off to a good start! Bad neighbors, fueds, sabotage, revenge, grief, and the serious theme of driving while intoxicated promise a full plot on the plate. Still, these appetizers are tasting a bit stale as the main course--a murder, any murder, has yet to be served. Tick tock... Hmm ...Well, Kate and Charlie, our favorite BFFs are having a fun night together at least. These two--their relationship is nice to watch here-- because instead of them constantly just trashing each other as per usual, they do so here with a sibling smile and take-away dinner in front of the telly. And the joke Charlie makes, "That's Ok, I've seen worse," regarding a victim's messy room, a subtle diss to Kate-- It's cute! What's not cute? The first murder victim, but now the bottle is spinning and the mystery begins. So as we all know, nothing pairs better than a glass of white wine than a bunch of red herrings, and we're loaded! Wait, what's this? Our Charlie is finally getting some romantic action (not from sisterly Kate, mind you!)? This episode has everything! Everything including ab update for the Barnaby family as we visit with Sarah in a suit and Betty's new caretaker, aww, another hint at next season's changes? Oh, and "ballet dancers and male egos," best line ever! If you're going to miss any Midsomer episode--do not miss this one! It's velvety smooth, softly balanced, and the perfect nightcap to an otherwise slightly slaggy season. Cheers!

 

S15E1: The Dark Rider

S15E1, The Dark Rider: I really like the opening scene, full of booming thunder, an old castle at night, and a mysterious headless horseman! It's like Halloween in the Summer (watching this in late June)! Spooky, but not seriously sinister. The first episode of season 15 has John (still jolly), Sarah (still academic), Sykes (still cute), Ben (still skeptical) and Kate (still morbid). The guest cast is a family of snooty, unlikable, rich jerks, with a couple of exceptions. Particularly annoying are Diana and Sasha (do women really strut like that? How ridiculous). Gorgeous scenery, pretty interiors, ancient family fueds, horses, and a pair of identical twins--tra la! Sarah and her historical society are involved as well. The plot gallops along at a steady pace, keeps me wondering. The conclusion might be a tad too unlikely for some, too obvious for others, but for me, good enough. 

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S14E8, A Rare Bird

S14E8: Let's Tweet

Starts off quant with lovely scenery, some curious conflict, and light-hearted exchange between the Barnabys. We've got birds, ballet, and murder--its all right by me! Guest actors are convincing, several characters are also likable and interesting. Love the sweet sounds and scenes of nature, and of course the usual village building exteriors and interiors. Dr. Kate Wilding, here on her 4th episode, is still as seemingly cold as her mortuary. She'll need time to thaw out her character, totally natural.

The plot slows down half an hour in, but we see the detectives enjoy an ice cream cone, so hey! An hour in and we get our 2nd murder and a couple of possible motives. I notice that whenever Jones has a theory about the murder, Barnaby doesn't try to see it, usually replying, "Maybe, maybe not," which does start to irk me. Not very encouraging leadership here. Anyway, the house full of stuffed dead animals is indeed creepy. And we see John cooking a tasty meal (guess he's been practicing) while we discover Ben is getting some action elsewhere. And like many times before, even since Season 1, the DCI's wife provides the detail that clicks in the final piece of the puzzle. Overall, the atmospheric quality of the episode let's me forgive its flaws (such as its ending). A good one!

S14E7, A Sacred Trust

S14E7: Get Me to a Nunnery!

A vulgar opening scene as we see 2 teens having sex in the dirt (they will no doubt regret their poor choices as much as we regret having to witness them). A few more idiots take to doing idiot things, and there's our unfortunate set-up. But moving on to the Nunnery adds some charm to the atmosphere, thankfully. A beautiful, peaceful sanctuary with dignified characters-- more of this, please. Sister Catherine is a lovely character as are the other nuns, portrayed with a genuine respect. Here we learn that Kate, just like John, is a proud Atheist. It seems weird to have 2 main characters be openly anti-God. I mean, we know from the past that Tom and Ben don't fancy church on Sundays, but they at least left it ambiguous and weren't too openly smug about it. An Atheist can be just as self-righteous as any religious person, and here's a fine example. Anyhow, we see Mrs. Barnaby in her element, putting a bunch of school bullies in their place. There's still no believable suspect half way in, which I actually enjoy, since it adds to the mystery of it all. And oh what a tangled web we weave! Except for the first crass minute of the episode, I love it all! Almost perfect. 

S13E4, The Silent Land

The Silent Land, S13E4, is very enjoyable! This one has all the things, including Cully! We've got a mysterious cemetery at night, talks of ghosts and curses, accompanied by traditional "folk" music and ominous shadows. Eerie intrigue ensues as Joyce plays an integral part of the plot: did she or didn't she...kill a man?! And speaking of plots, we've got a foggy, historical, and scandalous graveyard for that. The poor Mrs. Barnaby can get no relief, but can blame her own curiosity when it comes to once again witnessing a brutal murder. We see actor Danny Webb (also seen in S10E1 "Dance with the Dead" ), and he similarly plays a creepy creep to its creepiest level. Speaking of creeps, there's another one here as well, and he's a very distasteful lad who tells a very distasteful joke. And then there's a smooching in bed scene which may not warrant warning, but does merit a mention of my disapproval. But alas, we've got loads of Barnaby family time, rain and thunder, and yes, an actual apparition! Don't miss this one, and save it especially for Halloween and/or dark and stormy times. That's 4 down, and 4 to go...

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