The Great and the Good

The final episodes in each series have seemed to struggle since being extended to 7 or 8 episodes and this is no exception. Too many coincidences make for an inplausable ending which strangely is unravelled by Tom to Joyce rather the writer letting the culprit explain themselves or being adequately spoken to by Tom. If they didn't have time to unravel the reasoning in this episode then they have no chance when the next series comes along with shorter running times to accommodate the additional commercial breaks ITV had now been allowed. It does seem strange that this show is generally filmed through the autumn and winter. Daffodils being clearly on show assumes this was filmed in March or April. Most shows are made during the long summer months but, living near Stratford upon Avon at the time, perhaps John Nettles spent his summer months with The Bard.

This is the very first episode I ever saw of Midsomer Murders and it was just a year ago and it made me a convert and now I've seen every episode- I believe- of every season. So I totally disagree that this is a poor episode. As at the time I was searching for something interesting and different to watch and I read the synopsis and thought that sounded great. And I was right. For some reason I believed this series was a more crime police procedural like Taggat or a Touch of Frost and it was set in olden days. Neither of which were true( however some episodes which don't have an early murder tome do become a more boring type police procedural) luckily this isn't one of them as I realised what a great mystery show this is. Though subsequent viewing of this (and other episodes) haven't been as thrilling this is still a good one. Even good enough to be the first episode you ever see of Midsomer Murders!

This episode is one of the poorest Midsomer Murders. It has a weak plot with bland characters and the solution is rushed and the motive uninspired. As a huge fan of the show i was disappointed. I was not overly fussed who did it as no one in the plot really stands out. It could have been good, i liked the idea of someone believing themselves to be committing murders in their sleep, but it just isn't pulled off very well in the end. Also there are few clues given to actually help you solve the mystery yourself. There is no suspense and no real big name guest stars, other than Paul Kaye who is wasted and could have been put to much better use in a much better episode.

Watchable enough, but don't expect much and you wont be disappointed.

Sleepwalking, paranoia of house intruding, killings and the secret of a cottage are all linked together in this rather good MM entry with Barnaby and his assistant looking really perplexed when tackling a case of a schoolteacher sleepwalking and not long afterwards a dead body is found near her cottage. Could she be the murderer? Or is someone trying to frame her? I was on the edge of seat towards the end, thinking that she could be just guilty and making the sleepwalking interludes up. The denouement is satisfactory, but of course the pains the killer made to set things up was farfetched. However, that's perfectly fine as MM is gloriously farfetched series with eccentric characters. Just how I like it. This entry is refreshing and a little different than the usual spate of bizarre Murders and a line of suspects questioned.

I could have sworn the location is the same as the home of the Bennets from the TV show Prode and Prejudice with Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth in 1995. As well as an old tune was heard in this episode of Midsomer Murders, a tribute to the reveered shows of Pride and Prejudice, a theme song if you will. You could put that down as a fun trivia!