Released by Acorn
Media on January 1, 2013. SRP $49.99 (DVD) $59.99 (Blu Ray)
Series 14 of this wonderful murder
mystery starts out with a change for everyone. At the end of the final episode
of the previous series, Fit for Murder,
DCI Tom Barnaby says he wants to retire and he does. We enter into Series 14
with a new face of DCI John Barnaby. He is actually the cousin of Tom. When I
say he is a new face that is not entirely true either. John Barnaby first shows
up in the Series 13 episode The Sword of
Guillaume and Tom Barnaby’s last episode Fit for Murder.
I haven’t watched any Midsomer Murders since my review on the
Midsomer Murders: Mayhem & Mystery Files. I fell in love with this series
right away. I think this series has a quirky perfection to how it is presented.
As I mentioned previously, a huge part of what I love about this series is the
music. It accents situations at the right time. Jim Parker’s music combines
perfectly with the English village visuals which is also a massive part of the
appeal of this series for me. These episodes do not take place in big cities.
They take place in rural country areas. One is set in a school, one in a very
small village, one around a manor house with horse training facilities, and finally
a new age cult that is using a manor house. The series always seems to be set
in summer which makes it so colorful and beautiful. I think what appeals to me
most about this series is the contrast between the beauty of what we see and
the horrific actions of the people who live there. This series is irresistible.
Here is a breakdown of the episodes of this set:
Death
in the Slow Lane Original UK airdate: 3/23/11
This is a great start to the John
Barnaby era. Like I mentioned above, there is a little tension between Barnaby
and Jones but they have to investigate a murder at a school that is holding a
classic car show. A young man is impaled by a car crank while some of the
students in the school are up to no good. Once again, this episode has
beautiful British country that surrounds the school. Students using their
phones make a big part in how the episode unfolds. Students take pictures of
everything but do they take too many pictures? We see John Barnaby in his new house. His wife
works in education and she will be joining him soon. He soon has a lot of
neighbors stopping by and welcoming him. John is not exactly a personable sort
of guy. He may be polite but he really doesn’t want to visit people or have
people visit him. Jones stops by at one point only to see Barnaby talking to
himself. Of course he wasn’t, he was talking to his Jack Russell dog Sykes.
Sykes might be my favorite new character on Midsomer Murders. Guest stars in this episode include David Warner,
Samantha Bond and Susan Engel. Everything I have seen Susan Engel in (Doctor Who: Stones of Blood, Armchair
Thriller: Quiet as a Nun) she’s
been a baddy. Is she one here?
I love the setting of this big
country manor that houses a reclusive couple named the Binghams. Their daughter
Selina takes care of them while her husband Eddie runs the business. A social
worker who tried to find out more about the reclusive couple is murdered.
Barnaby and Jones need to investigate and figure out what is going on. What
they uncover goes back over 30 years and truly do bring up dark secrets. There are
some nasty concepts that happen in this episode which re-enforces why greed and
corruption are bad things. In case you needed reminding. In this episode we meet Barnaby’s wife Sarah.
She is a friendly nice person who is heading up a school. She is friendly while
John is a little more distant. There is a great scene that when Jones meets
Sarah, she remarks to him, “Please stop by whenever you want.” When Jones and
Barnaby head to the car, Barnaby just nonchalantly says to Jones, “She didn’t
mean it you know; you stopping by.” I love that line; it just makes Barnaby’s
character more endearing.
This is my favorite episode of the
four in this set. This is another great episode that has a lot of different
dimensions to it. Sometimes it is easy to see who the killer is but this was
really well done. This episode features a serial killer. One who leaves notes
written in lipstick. The murders become more gruesome as one person is even
dismembered. This takes place in a small village where the people who live
there have their own secrets including a peeping tom. It is an unsettling
episode and plays really well from the backdrop of this quaint English village.
This episode had me super tired for work one day as I started watching it way
too late the night before and was up way past my bedtime. I just couldn’t stop
watching it. There is also a storyline where Jones knows one of the people who
is being questioned. He owns a pub but used to work as a police officer. His
name is Matt Rowntree. Those two don’t get along at all. Guest cast in this
episode include Ron Cook, Daisy Haggard, and Pam Ferris.
This episode is probably my least
favorite of this set. The story centers around a new-age cult that refuses to
give any information about one of their member who has disappeared and no
longer contacts her parents or for that manner anyone else. Barnaby sends Jones
in undercover to see what is going on. The cult appears to be an affirmation
sort of group. Trying to find your inner self while promoting free love. It is
kind of an odd and unfocused sort of group. The group is headquartered in the
house of one of the members who parents had died in a propane explosion
accident on a boat. The episode feels out of place with the others and I found
the characters not as interesting as in other episodes. I may go back and re-watch
it to see if I will like it better the next time I watch it but I just didn’t
connect with any of the characters. There is a nice storyline with Sykes as
John and Sarah are trying to get him into this group of other dogs handled by
Millie Bullard. Millie is played by Barbara Flynn who I always find enjoyable
in such series as Open All Hours and
Cracker. She does a great job as a
narrator in the documentary Windsor
Castle: A Royal Year. A great documentary to check out. So there is still something redeeming and fun
about the episode.
There are none. I am not sure what
could be included as an extra so a lack of any does not bother me.
Quality:
This set came out as a DVD and Blu
Ray set. I was sent the DVD and not the Blu Ray but I thought the set looked
great. I watched this both on my HD set run through my Blu Ray player and some episodes
I just watched on my SD TV through a DVD player. What impressed me was how
crisp the picture looked going through my HD set. The colors were vivid and the
picture was highly detailed. Probably because it was shot in HD to begin with
helped out the downconvert to DVD. If the DVD looks this good, the Blu Ray must
be quite nice. Of course the episodes are 16:9.
Each episode is in its own DVD
slimline case and all 4 are housed in a larger box. The whole set is pretty
compact and is a nice space saver. The covers match with the previous 20 sets
of Barnaby (this time John) and his partner (this time Jones). I am one of
those people who love continuity with long running releases so this appeals to
strange people like me who must have all covers and packaging match. The menus
are very simple and straight forward playing the distinctive theme music.
Even though it is a murder mystery
series, it is very comfortable. To people who like edgier crime-like series,
this is not it. Of course there is a place for them but I love Midsomer Murders because it has
character. It’s beautiful with likable people and intriguing mysteries. If you
have not seen the series before, you don’t need to start at the beginning as it
is very easy to follow. Looking at the information Acorn sent to me about this
release, apparently Series 14 has not been broadcast anywhere in the US as of
writing this review. That would be reason enough for me to pick it up.
Disc breakdown:
Disc 1: Death in the Slow
Lane
Disc 2: Dark Secrets
Disc 3: Echoes of the Dead
Disc 4: The Oblong Murders
Upcoming DVD/Blu Ray Reviews: Doctor
Who: Shada/More Than Thirty Years in the TARDIS, since I have just seen them
possibly reviewing the two animated episodes of Doctor Who: The Reign of
Terror, and Red Dwarf Series X
Blu Ray. Later this month, I will be reviewing Agatha Christie Poirot and
Marple Fan Favorites Collection where I am shocked about Murder on the Orient Express!
This week: I look at some of the amazing series that made Gerry
Anderson synonymous with Supermarionation. I pay tribute to Gerry Anderson and
explain how Thunderbirds made such
an impact on me in my adult life.
Have a great week!
Do you have feedback, article requests or want to talk about a program but do not want to leave a public comment? Feel free to drop me an e-mail at FTA13867@gmail.com
Do you have feedback, article requests or want to talk about a program but do not want to leave a public comment? Feel free to drop me an e-mail at FTA13867@gmail.com
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2 comments:
Good, thorough review, Greg! I've been enjoying the Neil Dudgeon MIDSOMER MURDERS but to me, Dudgeon's John hasn't quite lived up to his promising debut story. He's certainly pleasant and shrew enough, but he lacks that slight edged of barely concealed contempt that John Nettles brought to his Barnaby.
While it was a perhaps a bit cliched, I enjoyed seeing Jones go undercover in "The Oblong Murders," and thought his little "might have been" almost-romance with the pretty rich cult member a nice touch (as Jones is usually shown to be a loser in the girlfriend department).
Agreed about Sykes, but am less sold on Barnaby's wife. I suppose it's hard to keep coming up with fresh murder mystery plots this far along in the series, but the show to me seems a bit tired. That said, I liked the newest episodes pretty well (especially "Death and the Divas").
Hi Jeff,
Thanks for taking the time to write. I would agree that Jones going undercover in The Oblong Murders was the best part of the episode. I just felt pieces of it were sloppy such as Jones trying to really take care that he was hiding his phone but when speaking with Barnaby on it, he makes no attempts to hide himself and its in broad daylight!
I also agree, from what I have seen, that the new Barnaby and his wife don't have the same chemistry as the last Barnaby. Granted, we saw 13 series of the prebious Barnaby's together. It is almost like a real marriage!
Thank you again for writing and please do so again!
Take care,
Greg
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