A cat burglar named "The Creeper" is breaking into the estates of Causton, and an alcoholic writer threatening a "tell-all" book about his friends turns up dead.A cat burglar named "The Creeper" is breaking into the estates of Causton, and an alcoholic writer threatening a "tell-all" book about his friends turns up dead.A cat burglar named "The Creeper" is breaking into the estates of Causton, and an alcoholic writer threatening a "tell-all" book about his friends turns up dead.
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- TriviaOnly the third time in this series that female nudity has been shown: a long-distance view through a window of a pair of breasts near the start of the episode.
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Isobel Chettham: You never give up, do you?
DCI Tom Barnaby: No, it's irritating, isn't it, my lady.
Featured review
'Midsomer Murders' meets "The Creeper"
As has been said by me a number of times, 'Midsomer Murders' is one of my most watched and most re-watched shows. It is nowhere near as good now and the Tom Barnaby-era wasn't alien to average or less episodes, but when it was on form or at its best boy was it good.
Season 12 mostly was a very mixed bag, with none of the episodes being disasters but the best ones ("Small Mercies" and "The Black Book") being only decent. No 'Midsomer Murders' low-points but no classics either. "The Creeper" was an example of an episode that struck me as instantly forgettable on first viewing other than Barnaby being out of character that the Creeper character. On repeat viewing, it is an episode that still doesn't strike me as particularly memorable at the end of the day and is one of the weaker episodes of the season (though not of the show, there's worse before and since).
"The Creeper" has strengths. The production values as always are just great, the idyllic look of it contrasting very well with the story's grimness, and quaint and atmospheric photography, as well as a genuinely creepy look in places. 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.
John Nettles and Jason Hughes are both superb, individually and together (their chemistry, and the chemistry with Daniel Casey and John Hopkins before Hughes, being a huge part of their episodes' charm and what keeps it afloat). Can't fault the supporting cast either, was very impressed with Amanda Ryan, Jenny Agutter and Rik Mayall. Parts of the script are thought-provoking and humorous and the Creeper plot-line had real potential and got the episode off to a genuinely creepy start.
However, "The Creeper" primarily suffers from a story that too often doesn't engage enough due to some draggy and at times extraneous padding, a general lack of atmosphere after a promising start and parts not making sense or being as plausible as they ought, less padding and more explanation would have made things better. After seeing many inventive murders throughout the show, one of the most imaginative ones being in the previous episode "Small Mercies"!, the murders here felt very ordinary (the second one too unnecessary plot-device-like). As did a rather limp and far-fetched final solution (where the reveal of the responsible was surprising but they could not have dreamt up a more old-hat motive if they tried, really felt like "they killed for that?").
Much more could have been done with the creeper story-line, that had potential and started off creepily but was side-lined too early and the revelation of the perpetrator and their motive were predictable. The characters generally are too vanilla, outside of the chemistry between Barnaby and Jones and with Barnaby's family, likewise with most of the script. Barnaby being out of character and unlawful was a turn off with no real justification.
In conclusion, okay but forgettable. 5/10 Bethany Cox
Season 12 mostly was a very mixed bag, with none of the episodes being disasters but the best ones ("Small Mercies" and "The Black Book") being only decent. No 'Midsomer Murders' low-points but no classics either. "The Creeper" was an example of an episode that struck me as instantly forgettable on first viewing other than Barnaby being out of character that the Creeper character. On repeat viewing, it is an episode that still doesn't strike me as particularly memorable at the end of the day and is one of the weaker episodes of the season (though not of the show, there's worse before and since).
"The Creeper" has strengths. The production values as always are just great, the idyllic look of it contrasting very well with the story's grimness, and quaint and atmospheric photography, as well as a genuinely creepy look in places. 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.
John Nettles and Jason Hughes are both superb, individually and together (their chemistry, and the chemistry with Daniel Casey and John Hopkins before Hughes, being a huge part of their episodes' charm and what keeps it afloat). Can't fault the supporting cast either, was very impressed with Amanda Ryan, Jenny Agutter and Rik Mayall. Parts of the script are thought-provoking and humorous and the Creeper plot-line had real potential and got the episode off to a genuinely creepy start.
However, "The Creeper" primarily suffers from a story that too often doesn't engage enough due to some draggy and at times extraneous padding, a general lack of atmosphere after a promising start and parts not making sense or being as plausible as they ought, less padding and more explanation would have made things better. After seeing many inventive murders throughout the show, one of the most imaginative ones being in the previous episode "Small Mercies"!, the murders here felt very ordinary (the second one too unnecessary plot-device-like). As did a rather limp and far-fetched final solution (where the reveal of the responsible was surprising but they could not have dreamt up a more old-hat motive if they tried, really felt like "they killed for that?").
Much more could have been done with the creeper story-line, that had potential and started off creepily but was side-lined too early and the revelation of the perpetrator and their motive were predictable. The characters generally are too vanilla, outside of the chemistry between Barnaby and Jones and with Barnaby's family, likewise with most of the script. Barnaby being out of character and unlawful was a turn off with no real justification.
In conclusion, okay but forgettable. 5/10 Bethany Cox
helpful•322
- TheLittleSongbird
- Feb 19, 2017
Details
- Runtime1 hour 33 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.78 : 1
- 4:3
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