Wild Harvest

This was a good solid episode. I like the fact that there were plenty of suspects. There are lots of plausible motives, that a lot that completely made Sense though.

Something the killer said about 2/3, 3/4 the way through for whatever reason made me guess who they were, even the motive. This was not an easy one to figure out though. Like I said a relatively good episode.

As is typical of Midsomer mysteries, the acting was good, the sets were good pretty. In all a solid outing.

Again, I recommend this episode to any mystery buff who is looking for a good one to try to solve, with a caveat that it's a difficult one to guess.

Wild Harvest is a good mystery, with a decent story, and some interesting characters, Chefs are always big characters, and Sharon Small plays the feisty Ruth Cameron well.

The killings are pretty grim, the first one is incredibly macabre, the poisoning is also pretty nasty, it does seem though that more people are concerned by the theft of the truffles, then any of the deaths.

I like the mystery, and the plots, but do find the solution a little bit of a stretch, although the final twist is good.

A good mystery for Barnaby and Nelson. 7/10

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 on the most part. Season 14 was a disappointment outside of "The Oblong Murders" and "A Sacred Trust", with "Echoes of the Dead" and "The Night of the Stag" being show low-points. Season 15 was inconsistent, being a case of starting promisingly and then took a three-episodes-in-a-row strange turn with "Written in the Stars" before finishing on a good note.

Season 16 got off to a very good start with "The Christmas Haunting", introducing us to Barnaby's new partner Nelson. "Let Us Prey", while not a terrible episode at all, was a disappointment and very problematic. Luckily Season 16 returns to form in its best episode yet "Wild Harvest".

Production values cannot be faulted as usual mostly, apart from some rather amateurish camera work at the start. It's mostly 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.

With such a grim case, with one of the most brutal first murders of the entire show (the visuals and description are enough to make one squirm), "Wild Harvest" had the danger of being too heavy and serious as well as too dark, actually it was very nicely balanced with the amusing and quite charming subplot with Sykes, who is still adorable, gifted in comic timing and a definite scene stealer (actually much prefer him over Cully).

The story benefits from the intriguing setting of the culinary world, put to great use, and is neither simplistic, convoluted or padded. Nor is it too heavy or overly silly, like some John Barnaby-era episodes have been. Some of the themes are rather typical of 'Midsomer Murders' and have been done better elsewhere, but are not too predictable or obvious, just that it has been done with more spark or atmosphere. The identity of the murderer was a real surprise, even if the motive was more guessable.

Characters are closer to the colourful and eccentric characters than the bland and pantomimic ones, especially when compared to the cartoonish murderers of "Death in the Slow Lane" and "The Night of the Stag". Personality-less Kate is the sole exception. There are many suspects, without being too many, and very little felt inconsequential, excepting the slightly confused twist regarding the fate of Sharon Small's character which would have fared better as what it seemed to be.

Neil Dudgeon is much more comfortable than he was in the previous two seasons, though he continued to have uneven moments since "Wild Harvest". Gwilym Lee is settling in very nicely, he is likable and isn't a dumbed down idiot like Jones became and the chemistry between him and Barnaby sees a much better treatment of him from Barnaby. The supporting cast are all strong, with Sharon Small standing out, and it was great that Sarah is written with more development and charm and that her chemistry with Barnaby is here more loving and playful than the condescending and non-existent one it tends to be.

All in all, very good episode and one of the better ones of Season 16. 8/10 Bethany Cox

A wealthy landowner man named Martin Strickland is found tied to a tree and mauled to death by a wild boar. Yuck. There were shots heard in the night, but no one thought anything of it due to poachers. The person who finds him is one Lizzy Thornfield.

Strickland's second wife, Camilla, tells Barnaby that Martin was arguing with tenants of his old family home. It is now a restaurant, and the draw there is Ruth Cameron, a chef like Paula Deen. She's married to Johnny.

Also, Camila says, truffles had been stolen from his land that were worth 10,000 pounds.

Martin last called Angela Linklater, who runs the Stag & Huntsman. She is Johnny's ex-wife (he's now married to the chef) and is the lover of Martin. Camilla tolerated the affair, but then she finds out that Martin left most of his estate to his daughter Amy, who is the commis-chef at Wyvern House.

The autopsy reveals that Martin was covered in truffle oil and eaten by the boar. Yuk again. No one, no women anyway, seem to care that Martin is dead.

Then another murder takes place but the person who is murdered wasn't the real target. Which means the murderer will try again.

Good story with the usual long-ago secret part of the plot, as well as jealousy, blackmail, and murder.

On the home front, we have the dog Sykes refusing to eat out of his new bowl, worrying Barnaby and his pregnant wife.

Good episode.

The cross-relationships in this episode were so convoluted, that I got about an hour into it and started over, keeping notes the second time to keep track of who was who. Despite that, I really enjoyed this episode. The setting of the restaurant was a nice change, and I thought the acting was great. Although I really liked John Nettles' Barnaby, I have to say I like this new one just a little better. The same goes for Jones/Nelson. It seems like they are giving this new DS a little more to do than just be the bumbling contrast to the DCI.

The only thing I didn't like about this episode was the (again) rather flimsy motive for murder.