Cocaine Blues

I tried to give this show a chance, but I just couldn't manage it. I could almost forgive her snooping around at the death of her dead relative, but then she (inexplicably) follows her roommate around as she does her work as a doctor, and then (inexplicably) starts snooping around the lives of the random people that are admitted to the hospital. Naturally, the random hospital patient whose private life she injected herself into is linked in some way to the death that she had previously nosed into. At that point, I basically checked out. It was just too sloppy and contrived. Apparently some people like it, or perhaps it improves a lot in subsequent episodes. I thought it was awful, and I generally like all of the genres that it falls into (woman-lead, period drama, mystery).

After several years away from home, Miss Phryne Fisher returns home to Melbourne. Miss Fisher is invited to a luncheon at the home John and Lydia Andrews. She arrives only to discover that Mr Andrews died in his bathroom early that morning. The police (and Miss Fisher) suspect it was murder and discover a sugar bowl laced with arsenic. Miss Fisher begins her investigation, much to the consternation of the police, and discovers a cocaine ring, a pregnant servant with a botched abortion, a suspicious Turkish bathhouse, and a man named Butcher George.

I've never read any of the Kerry Greenwood books and maybe that's a good thing. Going in, I had no preconceived notions of what to expect and what I imagined the characters to be. With that being said, overall, I enjoyed Cocaine Blues. Most of my enjoyment came from the characters - particularly Miss Fisher. I found Miss Fisher a different sort of sleuth than I'm accustomed to (you won't mistake her for Miss Marple). She's smart, witty, and fashionable with sensibilities that are way ahead of her time. Essie Davis, the actress behind Miss Fisher, is truly entertaining to watch. She plays her part with such ease. I'm looking forward to seeing her in the rest of the series. Costuming, locations, and sets are exquisite. The dialogue is snappy and clever. I particularly enjoyed the banter between Miss Fisher and Detective Jack Robinson. As for the episode itself, Cocaine Blues, it's not as good as I had hoped. The plot lets it down - the mystery just isn't there. It was way too easy to spot the killer. Hopefully, things will get better moving forward.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, I have not read the Kerry Greenwood books so can only review this as a television show. It's the 1920s and the Honorable Phryne Fisher has just returned to Melbourne after a long period of traveling. Soon after her arrival, a relative is found murdered. The police determine that it was ingesting arsenic that killed him. The thoroughly modern and confident Phryne decides to investigate, much to the chagrin of police Detective Jack Robinson. Soon drug smuggling and an illegal abortion operation come to light. The penalty for procuring an abortion is 10 to 15 years in prison (yikes) and as Detective Robinson says "the ones who die can't talk and the ones who don't, won't." The supporting characters of Dot, Cec, Bert and Robinson add great value to the show but Phryne takes some getting use to although it is refreshing to see such an independent and self confident (but not arrogant) woman of the 1920s. The ending is a bit far fetched but that's okay. The production values are excellent and although the plot is a bit wobbly, the first episode is good enough to warrant watching succeeding episodes.

Who would have thought that Melbourne was the setting for such goings on, murder, illegal abortions, all sorts. Fortunately the fabulous Phryne Fisher is on hand, daring to go places where even The Police won't venture.

I thoroughly enjoyed this first episode, I've had the DVDs here for ages, why on Earth have I not watched them sooner?

It's art deco brought to life, the settings and costumes are terrific, it's so visually appealing, but more than that it's just a great watch, an interesting story.

Essie Davis is marvellous as Phryne, Miriam Margolyes is a joy also.

I will be watching more. 8/10.

1920s. Phryne Fisher returns to Melbourne after living abroad. A party she has been invited to is cancelled at the last minute due to the host being murdered. The case piques Miss Fisher's interest but her investigations cause her to fall foul of the local police force, in particular Inspector Jack Robinson.

A decent start to the series. An interesting and intriguing enough murder mystery, some good sub-plots, good character engagement and a smattering of decent comedic moments.

However, not as good as I was expecting. I was expecting something darker and more tension-filled, something with the atmosphere of the Poirot series (the David Suchet one), especially considering the era it is set in. The light-heartedness of the show, while helping the momentum and character-engagement, makes it less riveting than it should be.