S18E3, Breaking the Chain

S18E3, Breaking the Chain begins with our quaint English countryside and switches swiftly into the rough and tumble world of... bicycle racing. Not my favorite subject, but let's see where this leads. But you know, brightly colored bicycle shorts are not really the lovely sight that makes this show so viewable usually. Luckily for us, the violence starts early on and now there's something here to ponder. There's a jarring grotesque bit about 20 minutes in (beware the box opening!). Charlie and Kam get in on the competition and Baby Betty's parents are in a race to get her to say Da-da vs. Ma-ma--who will win--oh, must we care? Ok, yes, we are not so cold-blooded as to not care! And well, by the one hour mark, baby babble is the only noteworthy mystery. Seasoned viewers will realize the truth path of interest comes in the last half hour. So we get a nice kick out of the twist(s) as we near the finish line!

Watch it on my blog (link in bio) #midsomermurders #murder #mystery @officialmidsomer #british #acorntv #itv #neildudgeon #fionadolman @fiona_dolman #benjones #detective #detectivebarnaby  #blog #writer #crime #justice #midsomermurders @mrgwilymlee @manjinder23 #charlienelson #drkamkarimore  

S18E2, The Incident at Cooper Hill

 

S18E2, The Incident at Cooper Hill begins with an extra-terrestrial vibe immediately. Now, we don't believe in aliens, of course, but there is definitely something mysterious happening around here. A couple of detectives asking a couple hundred questions might seem redundant, but the guest cast's acting skills and a few intriguing sub-plots keep our old eyes and hard-of-hearing ears glued to the screen. In other news, it's John's birthday and he wants it to be low key. Will he get his wish or wish for more? Charlie boy is still sullen and negative--he does not like the new girl Dr. Kam because she is smart and good at everything else. It really gets on his nerves,  but she is just happily living her best life full of random facts and detailed explanations (which obviously means these two should get married, right?). Ha! The murder motive scene is a bit lackluster, so you may or may not want to phone home about this episode, but the truth is out there--just watch!

S18E1, Habeas Corpus

Here in S18E1, (Habeas Corpus) we have a missing dead body and a missing Kate Wilding. Dr. Wilding has gone off to Briton and is shacking up (temporarily?) with our old pal Ben Jones! She's replaced by the "efficient" Dr. Kam Karimore. Of course Charlie is slow to warm up to her--this guy is so negative. Maybe that's why his lovely date from last season's finale is as disappeared as the main mystery man. We've got a lot of chit chat on comfy couches, but it's all easy on the eyes. Several unique camera angles keep it fresh, which is needed since there is only Midsomer and no Murder! You'll never guess who dunnit -- cause nothing was there to be done! Sykes is the star of the episode so cheers to our favorite canine! 

#midsomermurders #murder #mystery @officialmidsomer #british #acorntv #itv #neildudgeon #fionadolman @fiona_dolman #benjones #detective #detectivebarnaby #blog #writer #crime #justice #midsomermurders @mrgwilymlee @manjinder23 #charlienelson #drkamkarimore

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!

 

S17E3, The Ballad of Midsomer County

 

S17E3, The Ballad of Midsomer County: The beautiful folk ballad of Midsomer County juxtaposed with the mundane Wheels on the Bus for Betty symbolizes Midsomer so well, ha! And that's why we love it: its broad spectrum of emotional... atmosphere... like... eggs and eels, you might say. Now, lets see here, I'm sure there were a few murders in this episode, but, I was more interested in the lovely exteriors and interiors once again. And some more character development is had by our regular cast: John is bored of baby life, Charlie is just a bore, and the gals put up with it all--run the show basically, ha! John makes a big mistake, but hey, at least he tried. And Charlie is no wild one, but at least he can take care of a baby quite fetchingly! And what a beautiful baby is our Betty. Her smiles in the last bit truly knocked out any memory of misguided ramshackle murder from my head. 

S17E2, Murder by Magic

 S17E2, Murder by Magic

So yeah you go watch a magician's act and you know how the guy does his tricks, but the magic is just mesmerizing and you suspend your disbelief about how ridiculous it is...yes, that's how I felt watching this episode of Midsomer Murders! The usual lovely distractions: beautiful church. nice man of God, bad man of God. creepy people acting Pagan in robes with torches and bloody sacrifices, oh, and the ever beautiful scenery! We don't know who done it--we don't care who done it--we're just here for the magic!

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 @mrgwilymlee #tamzinmalleson #katewilding #charlienelson 

S17E1, The Dagger Club

S17E1, The Dagger Club

It's a beautiful day to take a bicycle ride through the quaint village--but whatever you do, and wherever in Midsomer--do not open any mysterious packages. Or keep valuable manuscripts in your possession.. Or just live. What else is new? Oh, the new addition to the cast: Baby Betty is so adorable and sweet! But the crying, the dirty nappies, the sleep deprivation--not lovely.

Old Kate and old Charlie are still here in this first episode of Season 17. And the ever talented and bright Una Stubbs, may she rest in peace, lights up the episode. The scenery is just fantastic and it gets quite atmospheric towards the end with its dreary cool graveyard and foggy woods and suspenseful string music. Otherwise, there's no new tale to tell. This one's just eye candy!