Schooled in Murder

At 15 seasons the average viewer could not easily write a script for an MM episode. So many standard tropes and carbon copies of earlier episodes.

First since the central couple, the Barnabys, are alcoholics, ensure each scene they have is shot with wine glasses in hand; no matter time of day !

Next have CI John Barnaby do his patented arm swinging swagger, with that smug demeanour, he would term, in depth analysis.

Have Jones belittled at almost every turn; despite his superior work ethic.

Have every potential suspect be allusive and rude and certainly NO happy marriages!

Killings mostly are at night, someone in a hoodie, during a rain event.

And always, ALWAYS..the obligatory anonymous phone call for someone to meet, at night, with the eventual killer, not yet identified.

And the dialogue must always be "Oh it's you ...what are you doing here?" Finally, for now, NO good, decent clergy!

See? Easy Peasy..

This is one of my favourite episodes in the whole series old and new. But be warned, it is a self parody of the series. Midsomer murders are nearly always theatrical, but to my thinking, this set of murders would likely not all have succeeded, e.g. the opening bludgeoning with a block of, albeit hard, cheese. The episode revolves around the making of gourmet cheese.

There is also a subplot about Sykes the dog, who for some reason, is being treated for dog bites, even though it looks suspiciously as if he were never bitten. The cinematography used to reveal the mystery is brilliant. I howled.

Maggie Steed as Sylvia Mountford is a treat. I would go to anything she does for the same reason I would go see anything Maggie Smith does. She reminds me of Peter Sellers as Grand Duchess Gloriana XII in the Mouse that Roared. She is so regally disdainful in her role. She would be a natural cast for an Oscar Wilde revival.

Jesse Fox as Jake Yapley (the hooded lurker) is probably the handsomest male ever to appear on the series, old or new. He is only on screen for a total of a few minutes. So savour. He has much the effect on me that Rudolph Valentino had in his day on his fans. A glance from his eyes is like a jolt from a defibrillator. Unfortunately, there is no photo of him at IMDb yet. (hint hint). However, I doubt any photo could do him justice. I hope Acorn reuses him in future episodes with a bigger role.

Child actress Eloise Webb as Poppy Ordish seems to have walked straight out of Mary Poppins. She could play Jane Banks in a Many Poppins sequel. She is the quintessential polite British schoolchild, utterly charming with her perfect diction.

Con O'Neill is over the top as the obsessed cheese maker who reminds me a bit of Harry Dean Stanton or perhaps Norman Bates.

As usual, I kept thinking I knew the culprit, only to have them bumped off in the next scene.

The height of my trip to England was visiting the Wookey Hole caves, which too are used for ageing fine cheeses. This helped cement my affection for the episode.

Even though, at the end, the culprit(s) (no spoilers here), mysteriously confess without any motive or pressure, I was left still puzzled exactly who committed each murder and why. Perhaps another viewing...

When in its prime (a vast majority of Seasons 1-9), 'Midsomer Murders' was a great show and one that is watched and re-watched frequently. Seasons 10-13 became more uneven, with three of the show's worst episodes coming from Seasons 11 and 13, but there were a few solid episodes and "Blood Wedding" and especially "Master Class" were gems.

After John Nettles retired and Neil Dudgeon and the new character of John Barnaby took over, 'Midsomer Murders' just hasn't been the same, if anybody's read my reviews for the Season 14 episodes the reasons are detailed in those. After a mostly disappointing Season 14, with three decent-and-more episodes out of eight ("The Oblong Murders" and "A Sacred Trust" faring best, while "The Night of the Stag" and "Echoes of the Dead" are especially bad), Season 15 started off promisingly, with "The Dark Rider" and "Murder of Innocence" being surprisingly good, before jumping the shark with "Written in the Stars". Unfortunately, "Death and the Divas" despite an inspired premise is little improvement and neither was "The Sicilian Defence".

"Schooled in Murder" however while not a 'Midsomer Murders' classic is one of Season 15's better episodes and the best since "Murder of Innocence. It is not without imperfections. Fiona Dolman and Tamsin Malleson do nothing with their characters, not helped that Sarah and Kate have always been not very well written, Kate being bland without much personality and Sarah being rather condescending and lacking warmth. Her chemistry with Dudgeon still doesn't convince, one doesn't even get the sense that they're in love let alone husband and wife.

The last murder does go way too far with the cheesiness, even for an episode with a cheese theme and with a deliberate over-the-top parody-like vibe. Con O'Neill overdoes it in his role.

However, as ever the production values in "Schooled in Murder" cannot be faulted as usual. It's beautifully and atmospherically shot with suitably picturesque scenery. The music fits perfectly, with some lush jauntiness and sometimes an ominous quality, and the haunting theme tune is one of the most memorable and instantly recognisable of the genre.

The writing is thoughtful and there is some welcome humour of the gentle and quirky kind, wisely not taking things too seriously despite the high body count and while things are over-the-top it nearly always is in an entertaining way and rarely in an uncomfortable one. The story is never simplistic, neither is it convoluted, with a surprising ending, an amusing subplot with scene stealing Sykes and two of the most inventive murders of the John Barnaby-era.

Neil Dudgeon and Jason Hughes acquit themselves well, and their chemistry is stronger and less demeaning than previously and their characters not written as smugly or idiotically. Of the supporting cast, Maggie Steed is particularly delightful.

Overall, good episode and one of the better ones of Season 15. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Yeah well. Not MSM's finest hour. There are too many red herrings, and other items that become irrelevant to the ultimate solving of the crime. The revelation of the killer, when it comes, is not compelling - it doesn't make much sense, and yet still manages to be somehow unsurprising. The guest cast are OK, especially Maggie Steed as the headmistress, but lifting this material is beyond them. A pity this was Jason Hughes' swansong as DS Jones, he deserved a better send-off.

Schooled in Murder is something of an oddity, it's a very enjoyable, fun episode, but it is a little over the top. The crimes are all linked to an exclusive all Girl's school, and each crime has a cheesy link. They just about manage to stop this being somewhat of a send up, but only just.

It's an interesting storyline, with some good characters, and more than a usual amount of humour. It is an intriguing watch, you are left guessing until the end, the outcome isn't the biggest surprise of all time, but it's well delivered.

Two stars, first of all Maggie Steed, her third episode to date, and she's wonderful in all of them, she has so much charisma, she's conical and nasty all in one, she's particularly watchable. The second is Sykes, who is just delightful, wonderful facial expressions.

Lucy Liemann adds real quality, she's a terrific actress, Beatrix is a very good character. Kate Ashfield was a little underused.

I would say it comes from a spell where the writers seemed to care more about the method of killing than the plot, they certainly achieve some outrageous methods, but it's an enjoyable watch.

Poor Martine.

Entertaining and good fun, 7/10.