Rarely is it said that the 82nd episode of a series is the perfect time to start watching. How can a fresh viewer not be a complete stranger in the established fictional community. It helps when you’re not the only newcomer to the show. This is exactly happens on Midsomer Murders: Set 21. Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby has moved on from Midsomer county. His nephew Chief Inspector John Barnaby (Life of Riley‘s Neil Dudgeon) has taken the job without a clue about the place. Barnaby learning the ropes allows newbie viewers to discover the way things work in the quaint countryside. He learns fast that despite the charming nature of the county, there’s a lot of messed up residents prone to homicide. His first four investigations prove this is not a cushy assignment meant for cops looking to wind down.
“Death In the Slow Lane” marks the arrival of CI Tom Barnaby. The locales joke how could he have landed the position. Before he can settled into the country life, he’s dealing with a homicide at an antique car show held at a girls boarding school. Turns out a local celebrity has been barely run over by one of the cars. The starting crank fatally stabbed him. Was it an accident or a very slow driver? Barnaby’s main help is Sgt. Benjamin Jones (Jason Hughes) for sorting out the suspects including the woman running the boarding school, a few of the car collectors with a history and a rather adult star pupil. “Dark Secrets” is extremely dark. It opens with a brother and sister drowning when their car skids into the river. Their parents become recluses in their estate. Years late a social services drops by to get the elderly parents in the system. Their son-in-law wants the government worker off the property. He gets a more forceful removal at a nearby artists colony. He complains to Barnaby, but they don’t take it too seriously. Things do get dramatic when the social services guy turns up dead. Who would want to kill such a low level government agent? Barnaby’s snooping turns up a startling connection between the recluses and the artists.
“Echoes of the Dead” is a gruesome delight. A serial killer is going around snuffing locals and positioning their bodies in wedding related poses. It’s a cross between Se7en and Say Yes to the Dress. Barnabas and Jones need to find the killer before the next bride is discovered. “The Oblong Murders” dips into the county’s local cult. The Oblong Foundation has nothing to do with the short lived Will Ferrell animated series that gets rerun on Adult Swim. They’re just a new age back to nature kind of group. Since Barnaby can’t get too much access to the group, he suckers Jones into going undercover instead of taking his holiday. This almost works out well for Jones since there’s a lot of free love on the compound. However there’s also a bit of free death and other illicit activities that make him be a cop.
Midsomer’s Murders episodes are 93 minutes each so you’re getting a full length mystery movie with each case. The action isn’t rushed to squeeze between commercial breaks. The arrival of John Barnaby does alter the tone of the previous episodes. He’s a bit distant since he’s still learning the lay of the land. Det. Jones has a different disposition around John than in previous episodes. This makes human sense since people do get a bit reserved when working with new partners. It takes time to adjust to a new situation which is part of why Set 21 is perfect for anyone curious about the show. The new inspector in town helps you settle into the quiet and twisted country living.
These four episodes have yet to run on television in America. Midsomer Murders used to have a slot on A&E, but no longer fits the channel’s 24 Hours of Storage Wars format. It’s a shame BBCAmerica hasn’t found time between reruns of Battlestar Galactica and Star Trek: The Next Generation. To enjoy find English homicides, you’ll have to order up the discs.
The video is 1.78:1 anamorphic. The 1080p image brings out the pastoral glory of life in Midsomer county. It’s a beautiful place with the old estates as long as you don’t trip over any bodies. The audio is 2.0 DTS-HD MA. Things sound good without the nature sounds overwhelming the police talk. The episodes are subtitled in case you have an issue with English accents.
There are no bonus features.
Midsomer Murders: Set 21 brings a fresh face to an old country scene. CI John Barnaby allows new fans to explore the long running series. He’s in for a treat since this quiet place is full of horrific homicides. The feature length films are perfect for those that bemoan the death of good murder mysteries at the movie theater.
Acorn Media presents Midsomer Murders: Set 21. Starring: Neil Dudgeon, Jason Hughes and Fiona Dolman. Boxset Contents: 4 films on 2 Blu-rays. Released: January 8, 2013. Available at Amazon.com
