"The Green Man" was a wonderful start to Season 7 of 'Midsomer Murders', and followed by the very good "Bad Tidings" and decent, if somewhat cluttered and over-complicated "The Fisher King".
"Sins of Commission" (one of the most seemingly controversial of the Nettles era 'Midsomer Murders' episodes), or at least over three quarters of it does, continues this very high quality. It is a very good episode, but it is a real shame that the final 15 minutes lets it down pretty badly. This is not me repeating what's already been said, it was a feeling had when first viewing the episode well before joining IMDb and a sentiment still shared.
For me, it just felt contrived and the motive didn't ring true and felt really lazy compared to the usual motives. Can accept it for one of the murders, but using the same one for all was overkill and the last murder was far too brutal and calculated for that motive to be believable.
John Nettles as always however is superb, and John Hopkins is settling in very nicely in his third episode and looks very relaxed. Both work wonderfully together. The acting is very strong, loved Donald Sumpter but the star is Susan Engel, whose performance is elegant and sometimes moving. Emma Buckley makes the most of her loathsome character, if occasionally overdoing it to being a tad annoying.
As always, the production values are top notch, with to die for scenery, the idyllic look of it contrasting very well with the story's occasional grimness, and quaint and atmospheric photography. The music fits perfectly, and the theme tune one of the most memorable and instantly recognisable of the genre.
Meanwhile, the script is smart and thought-provoking. The story is a vast majority of the time compelling, with many twists, turns and red herrings, a real ominous feel and the odd colourful eccentricity, never feeling simplistic or convoluted. The characters are fun.
Overall, very good episode but the last 15 minutes sadly let things down. 8/10 Bethany Cox