S16E6, Schooled in Murder

S15E6, Schooled in Murder: Well this is a fun start! A lovely sunny countryside, a snooty set of snobs at a prep school, veiled threats, a mysterious young stranger, and murder by giant cheese wheel--whoa! Not to mention--It's the Barnaby's 15th Anniversary and sweet Sykes is suffering from a secret accident (John's fault?). We get to know all the potential suspects and motives at a steady pace. Then another cheese centered murder weapon slices into the plot amidst the breezy leaves of the trees and sprawling lawn of the rich, well who in the world is the killer? Oh, and DO NOT look at the 2nd victim: "maggots with a message" -- Oh the horror, it better be worth the inclusion. The next murder is ugly too, quick at least. Who knew that cheese making was such a brutal business? Is this the highest Midsomer body count, ever? And cups of tea too, by golly, a lot of those! An overall entertaining and nicely done final episode to season 15. And oh goodness me, this is the last episode of our dear Ben Jones (but for his next "final" episode in S19). Funny that his first case with John is centered at a school and here too. Unlike Troy, Tom, and George, he does not get an official good-bye scene, perhaps because Jason Hughes' departure wasn't certain. Good-bye, Ben! It will not be the same without you. Truly, the end of an original Midsomer era. Watch it on my blog (link in bio) #midsomermurders #murder #mystery @officialmidsomer #british #acorntv #itv #neildudgeon #fionadolman @fiona_dolman #benjones #detective #detectivebarnaby @_jasonhughes #blog #writer #crime #justice #midsomermurders

S15E5, The Sicilian Defence

S15E5, The Sicilian Defence: Captivating opening scene, the mystery starts immediately. Beautifully shot, includes lighthearted Barnaby fam bits, but could have gone without the ear piercing screaming from the girl at hospital, yikes. Lovely scenery and buildings, the cast of characters, none very endearing. A dead cat will disturb some. With half an hour left, the pace picks up after my waning interest. And boy, does it get all twisty and turny! And even through the enjoyable absurdity, it manages to be surprisingly touching thanks to DCI John Barnaby's psychology skills! I also noticed his variety of facial expressions conveying different thoughts which reminded me of dear old Tom! Watch the first 30, skip the next, then view the last, and you've got an entertaining hour here! In short, this is a MEMORABLE episode, which is apropos considering the theme of it. (The Sicilian Defence is a chess opening that begins with the following moves: 1. e4 c5). 

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S15E4(3), Written in the Stars

S15E4 Written in the Stars (It may be E3, actually): a sunny festival featuring astronomy, a shiny red sports car, a solar eclipse, a touch of mysticism, the thud of a weaopinized meteor, and a murder--the intro is all over the place. A beautiful ridge vie on a Bronze Age site, oh and well, it is cursed, of course. Later, we find out that John is a Scorpio, just like yours truly. The Scorpio "chases Orion, the hunter, the killer, across the night skies," hmm... sounds about right! I really don't care about the first murder until it seems that it might be related to a mysterious death from 15 years ago. The action is absent, lots of repetitive motive set-ups slowly stretch along like a sweaty yoga session. Will any of these dull, self-centered characters die already? And hey, I am of South Asian heritage, so I hope it's safe to criticize the choice of using the name Gagan for the lovely young lady's name? There are so many more pretty names that could've fit the bill! Ok, more yoga, more overprotective father, more people threatening each other, got it. OMG, will someone get murdered already?! Oh, yes okay, but why this guy?, hmm, don't care. Well, I can't wait for Kate Wilding's upcoming WILD birthday party--perhaps some action after all! And I'd love to meet Jones' Gran--he always talks about her. Anyway, what? The only likable character--murdered like that? That's unexpected--find the killer immediately! And no, no, no--Ben is "fantasizing" about Kate? Didn't want to know that. And as it turns out, didn't need to know much of anything for this episode. Did they even address the cold case from 15 years ago? A few nice bits, but overall, it did not work. Watch it on my blog if you're keen to know what I mean (link in bio) #midsomermurders #murder #mystery @officialmidsomer #british #acorntv #itv #neildudgeon #fionadolman @fiona_dolman #benjones #detective #detectivebarnaby @_jasonhughes #blog #writer #crime #justice #midsomermurders

S15E3, Death and the Divas

S15E3, "Death and the Divas" starts off with an intriguing blood sucking murder (or two), so you're hooked in from the get go. John and Sarah giddily attend a horror film festival with stars in their eyes, cute couple these two. Kate shows up as well--are we to discover she has a life outside her medical scrubs and possibly a personality outside of expert on decomposition? Ooh, it's raining at night, how atmospheric! American accents? Oh, dear me--hopefully they're the next victims! Ha! A pair of lovers in bed? Hopefully they're next! Pleasant scenery and eye-candy interiors keep me satisfied. A steady pace of motives fall around, until the 2nd murder itself drops--then a couple more motives add up, keeping me curious. The supporting guest cast acts very well (some familiar faces), but there are several scriptural raunchy bits--silly, though they match the old, vampy vibe of campy movies. Vampy campy! Still, an actual sex scene with sounds and all is jarring, but thankfully brief. Leads me to laughter, though, when Jones gets the wrong idea about Sarah being part. Although the ear piercing screaming is too much even in its suspenseful ending, it's another episode fit for a fun-filled Halloween night, or any day! 

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S15E2: Murder of Innocence

 

S15E2, Murder of Innocence

The opening scene has a modern, gritty edge, but still includes the pretty Midsomer building exteriors and scenery. It's suspenseful, it's a dark night, and murder happens immediately to hook you in. We get a flashback to 1994 and see Constable Ben Jones working an old case, interesting! A cool, crisp atmosphere; a cast of well-acted characters, and a funny "get-fit" sub-plot keeps the story balanced. A bunch of Brits shooting dead a bunch of birds might put some bits in a bunch. Oh, and then there's the bloody murders, but they're more on the tame side. Jones has another girlfriend, this time we see her face, but will we see it again? Probably not, Jones is still immature. Anyway, did we really need to see the officer taking a whiz in the woods? Nope, we really didn't. Well, let's forget that! An outlandish twist in the end picks up the pace to bring it all impossibly together in the end. Entertaining enough, thanks to the BF Ben Jones angle!

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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