Midsomer Murders

I have been staying with my grandparents the last few weeks. One of the things we enjoy doing together is watching murder mysteries. The new one we've been watching is Midsomer Murders. My grandmother loves them. I think they're okay. Entertaining but if she didn't like them I probably wouldn't keep up with them. They are entertaining, but not gripping.

There are several great things about this series that are great. The writing is very, very good. Watertight. The foreshadowing is done in such a seamless fashion that you don't realize what you are witnessing until it is all revealed in the end.
 
The setting is beautiful, lots of manor houses, hills, woods and fields in a seemingly harmless, peaceful, English country-side village.

The plots are fun, if not similar.  DCI Tom Barnaby and his wife Joyce will go visit an English village, the church, or the school. While there someone will be killed. He and his partner, Sergeant Gavin Troy will try to solve the original murder, while they are there more people will be killed. Sergeant Troy will interview people but do little else besides follow Barnaby around. Joyce will be interested in something Barnaby doesn't want-- a certain kind of fruit jam, bell ringing-- and she will drive him crazy with it. Cully, their daughter, is a struggling actress. Her plays occasionally mirror the murders. At the very end of the show Barnaby will tell Troy which village citizen they are after. They will rush that person's home. Barnaby will give a monologue on how he found out the perpetrator was guilty. The murderer confesses. The end.


Here is my critique against it. The conflict from the show comes almost completely from the murders. There will be a bit about Barnaby's wife making food he doesn't want-- but there is never conflict between him and his family or him and his partner. This works because it is a Who Done It plot-- but it is why none of the characters solving the crime are as developed as the people actually committing it and being victimized. There is actually very little drama in this drama. By the title we know that someone will be killed, but from watching them we know that Barnaby will always solve the crime. With no risk to himself, his family or his partner.

In fairness I have only seen a few seasons. There are several and the characters change. But this is what I have seen.