Midsomer Murders: Dark Autumn (2001)
Season 4, Episode 5
4/10
Not that great, but always worth a watch
17 September 2009
Warning: Spoilers
I knew it! The bartender did it. I watched half the episode yesterday before work and I was just coming to the conclusion that all the obvious murderers had already been murdered themselves, so who was left? Either the bartender or the lady he boarded with (whom I thought was his mother... maybe she was his stepmother?).

I was heartened by the spark of romance within the police force. Between Gavin and Jane. Says me, as long as everyone in town is always 'at it', maybe it's inspector Troy's day. At the end, when Barnaby sees the gift Troy gave her but she refused (a book of Lord Byron's poems) I thought Barnaby would make a play to take the book himself and give it to his wife and get a little spark too. He set the stage earlier by playing dance hall music at home and Joyce says, "Are you going romantic?" and he says, "Why not?!!"

There were a couple of little parallels to Columbo. In an art heist episode, Columbo calls in a lady policemen in high heels to simulate an escape down stone stairs so the security guard who came just after the burglary could verify the sound he heard out back was indeed the sound of high heels going down stone stairs. She looked rather like Jane, in a smart looking policeman's cap. Secondly, Barnaby's stunning win at that bowling game throwing the wooden batons reminds me of Columbo executing perfect pool shots and excellent golf strokes, and playing the tuba expertly --- a guy you least expect to excel in these things.

I was sorry to see the accountant lady murdered. There wasn't a vicious bone in her body, so it was undeserved. I was awfully glad Jane was spared. I thought the bartender did a good moment of acting during his confession, with that quivering lip and all.

In one of the earlier DVDs was a special feature "The Making of Midsummer Murders". In it the director said when there aren't enough murdered bodies, people start complaining. So it became de rigueur to make sure there's enough mayhem. They decorate those corpses so nicely, don't you think, with all that blood splatter and eyes a-popping.

Who needs Halloween when I get my dose every week. With that scythe as the murder tool, it puts one in mind of the Grim Reaper, eh?
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