RIP VI: Midsomer Murders

Today, thanks to Carl, I discovered a new detective drama: Midsomer Murders. I should probably preface this by saying that I'm not much of a film critic (or book critic, for that matter). I just know what I like and what I don't like.

I watched the first two episodes and am really enjoying them. In the first episode, "The Killings at Badger's Drift," an elderly woman is found dead in her cottage after seeing something disturbing in a local wood. DCI Tom Barnaby immediately suspects murder. Interspersed with the murder mystery are vignettes from Barnaby's home life with his wife and daughter, who's a budding actress.

The mystery is typical detective drama fare: Barnaby questions all the locals, most of them lie to him, and red herrings abound until a few offhand comments and events that don't make sense finally lead him to the murderer.

The acting tends to be a little cheesy, although a young Emily Mortimer is delightful as the May end of a May/December romance. One of the murder scenes, which included a lingering shot of a huge knife hovering over the victim, actually made me laugh out loud. But the setting is lovely, the characters interesting, and the mystery intriguing.

In the second episode, "Written in Blood," Barnaby and Sgt. Troy must find the killer of a local man after he's hosted a meeting of a local writers' group. I enjoyed this episode slightly more than the first. Anna Massey is wonderful as a creepy, vengeful woman, and Una Stubbs is funny and sad as Selina Jennings, the heavy-drinking wife of famous author Max Jennings. In one scene, Max and Selina are talking in the kitchen one morning while Selina mixes a bloody Mary. Max asks, "Isn't it a bit early for that?" Selina replies, "No! I'm awake!"

In another scene between Barnaby and his wife Joyce, the gruff Barnaby exhibits his softer side. Barnaby find his daughter's cat, which he and Joyce are looking after, in his bed and has a minor argument with Joyce about whether it can sleep with them.

(Barnaby pulls back the bedcovers to reveal the cat)
Barnaby: Joyce...
Joyce: He's lonely!
Barnaby: I don't care if he's manically depressed, he's not sleeping there.
Joyce: Just for tonight?
Barnaby: Not tonight! Not ever!
(Cut to Barnaby sleeping peacefully in bed while his wife reads on one side and the cat snuggles up one the other)

There was one unintentionally hilarious moment in the episode too, when the camera closes in on a character who is supposed to be dead ... and she blinks. But despite from the occasional goofiness, I'm looking forward to watching the rest of this series.