S18E6, Harvest of Souls.

S18E6, Harvest of Souls. There's an eardrum- piercing screeching in the opening scene, and it doesn't come from any murder victim. Buy it's the kind of screaming that's made me want to die in fact, nothing worse than it. I mean-- "fun fair," more like "un-fair," am I right?! Well, I digress--just brace yourselves for the impact! Now then, let's settle into the calming oasis that is the Barnaby household--ooh la la, there is a French adventure ahead-- unless of course, duty calls. Oh, dear, God, here comes another horrendous sound! Motorbikes just zooming and booming -- where are my ear plugs? And though these excruciating noises are brief, the time it's taking to give a rat's arse about any of these characters is indeed crawling at snail's pace.

Fair-fair warning: the screaming runs throughout the episode, not even murder on the premises shuts it down. The kids yelling, the characters yelling--had to watch it mostly on mute, thanks be to closed captioning. Was a chore to get through, but the last 15 minutes eased my burdened by boredom soul. Sadly, for those of us who know what's coming next season, it was bittersweet to see sweet Sykes drive off into the sunset. And oh yes, aur revoir to our boy Charlie-- on to greener pastures perhaps.  

S18E5, Saints and Sinners

 S18E5, Saints and Sinners

In S18E5, Saints and Sinners, the first murder is particularly gruesome (even by Midsomer standards!) in its cruelty --I would have done well not having to realize the manner of that crime. Then there's the usual feuding groups, obnoxiously overachieving Dr. Karimore, and a run of red herrings building up the mystery. I think we're meant to wish Charlie would make a romantic move on Kam now that her boyfriend, Harry, is due to visit, but that's as confusing to us as it is to Detective John. And though we find Kam annoying -- are we really ready to see her meet her Maker? Will she or won't she? Watch to find out!

S18E4, A Dying Art

S18E4, A Dying Art: Murder happens early on: In the opening scene for us and before dawn for Detective Barnaby. It's the grand opening of a sculpture garden, and where there is a grand opening in Midsomer county--there is someone homicidal! And, of course, the main red herring has to be the trouble-making tree hugger buggers! But around every corner is a liar with a lie--so everyone has a motive. Lovely interiors and exteriors in this one, except maybe for a cheesy metal skull and except definitely for the a grossly gross character in his boxers, eww.. A couple more garish art pieces later, I'd figured it out! In other news, Detective Barnaby's feeling very nervous having to give a speech to a room full of children, and as those of us who've been around kids know: that's more frightening than bloody murder! 

****

Best lines from this episode, encapsulating why we keep watching MM: 

"Cliche is what I say."

"I rekon thats the point."

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

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!