The Musgrave Ritual

David Carson directs another atmospheric and cinematic adaptation of Conan Doyle's short stories.

Holmes and Watson attend a shooting weekend at the mansion of Sir Reginald Musgrave, an old university friend of Holmes.

Holmes behaviour is erratic because he has been on cocaine. He has been entertained by the learned butler Brunton (James Hazeldine.)

Brunton's recent reputation has been erratic. Since the death of his wife he has been a womaniser. Sir Reginald is forced to fire Brunton when he catches him looking at some private papers. He got a week's notice but the next day he disappears. Later on the maid Rachel, engaged to Brunton also goes missing.

All of a sudden the shooting weekend comes alive for Holmes. He examines the Musgrave Ritual the document that Brunton was caught examining.

Holmes surmises that this ritual could lead to a treasure hunt, exactly what Brunton was always after.

Brett is in full flourish in this episode, there are some nicely shot scenes such as Holmes on the hunt standing on the boat in the moat. Hazeldine is very good as the butler Brunton. The only bum note is probably Sir Reginald could recall the exact measurements of an old tree from childhood.

Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson are invited to the estate of a university acquaintance of Holmes, Sir Reginald Musgrave. Holmes isn't exactly enthusiastic about the holiday but things get interesting when the butler disappears. Due to the circumstances surrounding his departure Sir Reginald relates to Holmes the contents of a cryptic document that has been in his family's possession since the mid-17th century, the Musgrave Ritual.

An excellent episode, the best of the series thus far. Like many of the recent episodes, and in contrast to The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, it is not necessarily about a murder. In this case it is essentially a treasure hunt.

The cryptic document, Holmes' decoding of it and the treasure hunt it leads him on make for engaging and intriguing viewing. The disappearance of the butler adds a fair bit of intrigue too...and tragedy.

The Musgrave Ritual stands as one of the most unique episodes of Sherlock Holmes, it is totally different to all others. The approach, tone and story themselves are all different. Normally the crime is the focal point, here the crime is almost incidental. Holmes is involved in a treasure hunt, where he discovers a crime, and has to solve it. Even the second body seems almost a side story.

Terrific casting in this one, James Hazeldine had bags of charisma, which allowed Brunton to shine over Musgrave, not that Michael Culver is any less an actor, he's again just perfect casting.

Brett is terrific, as is Hardwicke, it once again touches on the addiction of Holmes.

Excellent. 9/10

This was the worst I've seen in the Brett series which has been excellent so far. This is an awful version of the Rathbone version and nothing like the Doyle story. Really bad.

Another brilliant story brought to screen by Jeremy Paul's good screen play. Jeremy Brett and Edward Hardwicke are one of the few pairs who have fantanstic on screen chemistry and being a huge fan of them both, my appreciation will be superlative degrees only. Here we have a dose puzzle and Mathematics which makes another interesting story among " who done it " type of stories. I personally feel " Return of Sherlock Holmes " being the best among other seasons.