After watching the several seasons of MIDSOMMER MURDERS I’ve
come to one conclusion. This is not a county that I would want to live in. The
murder per capita rate must be higher than that of Chicago by now. And these
are all premeditated murders not your average run of the mill drive bys.
The series has reached 20 seasons now and it continues to
offer entertainment when it comes to police procedural detective stories. With
six episodes on hand for you to watch and attempt to solve before DCI John
Barnaby (Neil Dudgeon) and DS Jamie Winter (Nick Hendrix) can do so fans of the
show should be ready to go with their thinking caps on and clue sniffing
capabilities on hand.
The season kicks off with the usual Midsomer style murder at
a local brewery about to go public. Unfortunately the same day they are set to
do so someone is found boiled to death in one of their giant kettles. The
locals tie this into a curse on the spot the brewery stands, an ex-monastery where
a monk was boiled alive. Is it a curse come to claim a victim or is something
else cooking here? This episode introduced a new corner in the form of Dr.
Fleur Perkins (Annette Badland).
Things don’t seem to get much better for the county in the
next episode which finds a butterfly collector pinned to the wall of his study
much like the butterflies he collects. Following episodes include a comic
festival where a former supermodel is killed, a chance for Barnaby to relive
his glory rugby days, a murderer who singles out brides and a circus that comes
to town where clown sightings seem to rise. All keep the two main detectives
busy and matching wits with the criminals they always seem to catch. At least
this town provides job security for the pair.
Unlike American series of this type each episode is more
feature length film that single 45 minute episode. They all run around 90
minutes and provide plenty of evidence to ponder while attempting to solve the
murder before the police do while watching. It’s intelligent storytelling and
it is wonderful to watch.
The acting here is top notch too. The dry wit and style of
Dudgeon fits well next to the youth and slightly more physical Hendrix. They
pair complement each other and that makes them a formidable pair when you’re a
criminal in the area. One would think the people of Midsomer would realize that
killing someone there will no doubt lead to incarceration but yet they still do
so.
Acorn has released this series and done their usual bang up
job. The quality of their product shows and their treatment of having a hit
series to distribute shows they care about the end product. Extras are not the
focal point of the series, the show itself is. If you’re a fan you’ll want to
pick this one up for your collection. If you’re not, you might want to start
looking into the series. Even coming in late with this set is a good thing and
picking up what’s going on and who is who can be done with ease. My suggestion
is you jump on the bandwagon and find out what you’re missing today.
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