The ninth season of "Midsomer Murders" started off with a fantastic episode "The House in the Woods", but the episodes after that have not been as good. "Down Among the Dead men" is yet another solid "Midsomer Murders"- miles away from the show' s best.
Let' s start with the good aspects, shall we?
. The production values of this episode are great. It's well-directed and the music gives a lot to the scenery. The acting's good for the most part. Out of the fine guest stars Dermot Crawley and the always wonderful Julia McKenzie fare the best.
. The story is interesting enough to keep watching. The dialogue between Jones and Barnaby is witty and clever, while the murder of Martin Barret very brutal. The characters are compelling and the subplots are fine.
But....
. The mystery really suffers from not having enough twists and turns. The murder mystery should have been more complex with a lot more going on.
. The ending to the mystery was a letdown as well. Not only is the identity of the killer (Peter Hatchard) quite obvious to begin with and the motive for the murder painfully average at best, how Barnaby got that answer felt like weak police work.
Overall, a fun , though not a great time in Midsomer.
7/10 HK.
Let' s start with the good aspects, shall we?
. The production values of this episode are great. It's well-directed and the music gives a lot to the scenery. The acting's good for the most part. Out of the fine guest stars Dermot Crawley and the always wonderful Julia McKenzie fare the best.
. The story is interesting enough to keep watching. The dialogue between Jones and Barnaby is witty and clever, while the murder of Martin Barret very brutal. The characters are compelling and the subplots are fine.
But....
. The mystery really suffers from not having enough twists and turns. The murder mystery should have been more complex with a lot more going on.
. The ending to the mystery was a letdown as well. Not only is the identity of the killer (Peter Hatchard) quite obvious to begin with and the motive for the murder painfully average at best, how Barnaby got that answer felt like weak police work.
Overall, a fun , though not a great time in Midsomer.
7/10 HK.