celr

This episode is not only bad in itself but it's worse because it's a part of what was once a wonderful mystery series. It is, in fact, a desecration. I never liked Dudgeon as a replacement for John Nettles. Dudgeon is wooden and humorless. In an older Midsomer he played a surly, shifty gardener. He was perfect for that role. But even he could have made a believable detective if the writing was up to par. Unfortunately it's not, it's banal. The dialog is bland, the motives of the characters are bizarre and unbelievable and the plot is predictable and melodramatic. Midsomer is a darker, more depressing place now.

'Midsomer Murders' worked because of its subtle humor. Odd motives, strange methods of homicide and barely hidden passions among respectable, self-absorbed villagers were just part of the fun because the entire series was based on its dark humor, a beautifully crafted send-up. Without the humor the motives of the killer and other characters seem just convoluted and creepy. The solution looks to be pulled out of a hat since there's insufficient preparation for it in preceding scenes. The final rescue is prolongued, preposterous, and overwrought. And there's a sappy love story tacked on which is too contrived to be heart warming.

Brian True-May is gone, taken down by nasty elements of the PC thought police. His absence is sincerely felt. How much that effects the quality of recent episodes I don't know, but it can't help. This episode is practically unwatchable. Don't bother.