Midsomer Murders (TV Series) A Climate of Death (2023) User Reviews

Yes it's a bit silly, but worth it

[federicasegreto-08116 · 9/10 · 11 April 2024]

For once, all the overacting was done on purpose. And under the lighthearted, colorful surface there is a solid plot, and good acting.

This was a very satisfying mystery. There were secrets to be uncovered, red herrings to avoid, and nobody was who they said they were. It felt at times like there might be too many balls in the air, but by the end of the episoede everything and everyone was accounted for, all ends were tied in a bow and everything made perfect sense. I love that.

The acting was truly great. It takes good actors to take silly and funny and not turn it into clownish and ridiculous. Corey Johnson really sells the colourfully American Mr Rooster, while Eve Austin is masterful in showing us the cracks in her character's influencer façade. Melissa Johns and Nathaniel Parker shine particularly in the final reveal, but they are great throughout, as is everybody else.

The only bit of weirness was... the chilli pepper shenanigans with Winter and Barnaby? Not sure they were really necessary, and made me cringe a little bit. In my humble opinion, ending the episode by giving a conclusion to Sarah's health spree might have been more appropriate, but I have a weak spot for Winter and his long-suffering looks and eye-rolls, so as long as he's there I'll take almost anything.

Silly episode, lacking real drama

[MsMisto · 4/10 · 27 December 2023]

And I don't mean this in a positive way. This episode is just ridiculous. The characters are flat and one-dimensional. The plot is just dumb. The ending a huge yawn. There is no real suspense. The inspectors walk around talking to this person and that one until Barnaby figures it out. There's not a shred of real drama.

This entire season has been a huge disappointment. I have loved this show for years and was so excited for the new series to begin. But none of the episodes have any real drama, not the way they used to have. The plots used to be complex and highly intricate. The characters had substance and I never yawned at the end because there was excitement and suspense, mood and ambience. All of that is missing. Bring back writers and directors who understand what this show is supposed to be.

Ridiculous and unwatchable, not worth the utter cringe

[mhult-57457 · 1/10 · 26 January 2024]

I have seen every singe episode of Midsomer Murders and enjoyed all of them up until now.

This one, however, is completely ridiculous and frankly unwatchable. Don't waste your time. Even if you only watch five minutes, it is too much to waste on this crap.

It is not silly in a way that has any fun in it.

I am all about reducing our climate footprint to save humanity, but the whole eco fascism thing in this village is completely incomprehensible. Why would anyone put up with curfew at 7 pm with no lights allowed in their own houses, let alone people who are fundamentally skeptical about about it? Or having to buy everything in rations from the eco fascist himself, being prohibited from going to the supermarket themselves? And accepting their toilet rolls being rationed as punishment for something? And the clownish American who is buying the village is just too much. Nothing in this episode is believable or enjoyable in the slightest way.

It is far beyond cringe. How could anyone involved in the production let this pass? Were they all on hallucinatory drugs from the start, all the way until it was impossible to withdraw the episode from distribution?

shark jump? tick...

[deronadams · 2/10 · 27 December 2023]

Upon reflection, it seems that MM jumped the proverbial shark with the departure of John Nettles.

Ever since his replacement arrived, the "new" Barnaby, the show has taken an ever-spiralling descent into blandness.

The current sidekick, Winter, has been reduced to nothing more than an empty-headed embarrassment, forever looking sheepish under Barnaby's incessant chiding.

And Barnaby is shown to be a dead-beat boss, forever skipping out on paying a bar/coffee tab as long as Winter is around.

Any humour that was found in this show has been painted bright orange, with bright flashing lights and directional arrows, to ensure that even the dullest viewer will understand - oh! Laugh NOW!

Yipes.

But, there's always dependable Fleur, the pathologist, who shock! Has done EVERYTHING under the sun and is SO clever, i am surprised that she even needs the detectives around to solve the case anymore. The writers have not discovered that smugness is not a virtue, and yet, Fleur reeks of it. Yuck.

The worst part of any episode has Barnaby's now-brainless wife tut-tutting him over the slightest insignificant thing - what does her character contribute to the stories nowadays?

Sigh.

The show is no longer entertaining, on any level - it has not even the saving grace of being unintentionally funny.

Dracula finally died after having a stake driven through his heart - it's time for the network to do the same to MM - it's over, folks, over.

Offensive

[calypsoscat · 3/10 · 5 February 2024]

I actually still like Midsomer - I agree that the writing has slipped quite a bit, but the main characters are likeable and the series still offers some fluffy escapism and you won't find better scenery anywhere. But...the last episode is absolutely offensive to Americans. I'm sick of seeing British versions of "deep South" (what does that even mean anyway) characters with the worst accents I've ever heard. It surprises me that the offending actor is actually American - either he'd do anything for a job or he needs to quit acting and stop talking.

Hey, GB - a lot of Americans watch your imports now - stop treating us like we're ignorant rednecks.

Rather bad

[harrykivi · 3/10 · 25 December 2023]

Haven't been a huge fan of the 24th season so far, this episode, "The Climate of Death" is not very good either. Actually find it rather bad and one of the worse "Midsomer Murders" episodes in a while. Even worse than "Dressed to Kill".

Let's start with the good.

. The production values of the episode are great. The direction's okay, the music fits the scenery. Out of the unimpressive cast Julie Graham and Nathaniel Parker come off fine.

. The murders are inventive and did like the theme. Climate change is definitely an important subject.

But I just did not enjoy the execution of the topic.

. After a promising setup the story feels uninteresting, padded, couple of moments standing out as too silly. The dialogue is really bad at times and the characters lack colour. Rooster Harlin has got to be one of the most stereotypical American I've seen. The cast isn't very good either. Eve Austin, Takayuki Suzuki and Corey Johnson are quite one note. The solution wasn't very compelling.

Overall, did not like it.

3/10 HK.

Midsomer Cringe

[ealeffew · 2/10 · 18 April 2024]

I've watched every episode of MM and earlier seasons numerous times. This is definitely the weakest season. And this episode is the worst. It's no fault of the main cast. They all acted the parts they were given very well. Throughout the season, Sarah is used sparsely and Betty awkwardly. The plots are weak and not clever anymore. This episode's bizarre eco-facist takeover of a town was just stupid. How can a pub owner control a town to the point of forcing people's lights off at 7 and rationing their toilet paper when they've been naughty and used electricity? The spying and harassing and opening people's packages should have gotten them charged. People lose their businesses because of it. One woman has to basically make an OF to survive. People can't make or receive their own deliveries. But it's all touted as the perfect solution. The only sympathetic character (who isn't for the eco-fasicm) is killed. And then there's the absolutely clownish caricature of an American. It was embarrassing. Not for Americans, but for the Brit that wrote that nonsense. Beyond cringe from start to finish. So sad.

The Death Knell

[cresheim · 1/10 · 29 April 2024]

Who thought this was a good idea, let alone something worthy of being filmed and aired?

The story is beyond ridiculous, the actor performing as the Texan turns in a disaster of aa performance that every American should take as a personal insult.

Midsomer Murders used to be a clever show, Maybe the killings were preposterous on occasion, but the show was fun, well-plotted and well-acted.

There was a panoramic sense of English village life, with the quirky characters you meet in such places as well as a genuine sense of community.

However, ever since Brian True May has returned as executive producer the show has been on a downward spiral.

I would like to say Midsomer Murders cannot get worse than this episode but then it probably cam.

It is time to either pack this show in or perform a major overhaul starting with new leadership.

Time to end this show!

[marinajcnyc · 1/10 · 20 May 2024]

I agree with the other reviewer who said that ever since Brian True-May left, this show has been on a downward spiral... because it really has. Every episode has political correctness run amok and/or a painfully boring plot/storyline. Basically every episode involves the characters just standing around talking! Do you remember the running around Sgt. Troy used to do? Or even the original Inspector Barnaby?! The show has lost ALL suspense like the original ones, which were great! Neil Dudgeon looks so old and tired (if you want to see him back when he was in his prime and in a FANTASTIC mystery, go watch the Inspector Morse episode entitled, "The Way Through The Woods" from 1995-- back when they were still capable of making great TV). This "Fleur" character is a miserable old hag too-- just unbearable. The younger Sgt. "Winter" has the same wooden face every episode (in fact, he looks bored with this show too!). I really wish the series had ended with John Nettles and Brian True-May, because it is almost painful to watch these newer episodes... on top of being boring, they don't even look or feel like Midsomer Murders anymore. Don't believe me? Go watch "Written in Blood" or "Judgement Day" or "Strangler's Wood" and then watch ANY NEWER episode at random... does this even look like the same show? I think not!

Mediocre, even for season 24

[demodokos · 4/10 · 12 May 2024]

Not an inspiring series entry, and full of holes. For one thing, the key motto around which the solution to the mystery hangs, is, in a word, nonsense. Gratia et Dignitas Vir Bonus Facit" does **NOT** translate as "Grace and Dignity makes a good man". In fact, it's not even syntactically correct Latin. It should read "Gratia et Dignitas virum bonum faciunt" Perhaps one could forgive the singular"facit" accepting the idea of grace and dignity as a collective single, maybe, but there's no object in this sentence. Even a first year Latin student in high school should catch that. This is indicative in a small way of the overall lack of care that has gone into this series of late.