Of the ninth season, the best episode to me is "The House in the Woods", which had so much of what makes 'Midsomer Murders' so good and representative of the show on top form. "Vixen's Run" was also a lot of fun, and "Dead Letters" and "Down Among the Dead Men" were pretty good too.
"Four Funerals and a Weddings" is also a decent episode, though not as good as the previous episodes before it which were easier to follow and took themselves more seriously. Don't get me wrong, "Four Funerals and a Wedding" is entertaining and well-made stuff, but sometimes goes overboard with the silliness (likes the clues that lead to the truth and at times the over-egged nature of the battle of the sexes concept) and suffers a little from parts that veer on the over-complicated and a few too many characters with some faring better than others.
However, the production values as always are top notch, with to die for scenery, the idyllic look of it contrasting very well with the story's grimness, and quaint and atmospheric photography. The music fits perfectly, with some lush jauntiness and sometimes an ominous quality, and the theme tune one of the most memorable and instantly recognisable of the genre.
Meanwhile, the script is smart and thought-provoking with some nice quirky humour (especially in the dialogue between Barnaby and Jones, which made me laugh out loud more than once), a grimness and with characters that are mostly colourful and eccentric. The story is mostly very absorbing and well paced with conflict that is interesting and entertaining.
The acting is fine, with John Nettles a joy and Jason Hughes bringing appeal and nice wry humour to Jones. The two work extremely well together. The rest of the supporting cast fare very well.
In summary, not great but still decent. 7/10 Bethany Cox