MidSomer Murders -
Set 13 (Acorn Media DVD)
Picture:
B- Sound: B- Extras: C Episodes: B
Inspired
by the novels of Caroline Graham, in the murderous country of MidSomer
Inspector Barnaby and Sergeant Troy is there to solve various cases when dead
bodies start showing up. Problem is,
like life, no one is truly innocent, each one of their suspects has a story, a
reason, question is therefore is.... is it enough to murder for? MidSomer
Murders has reached yet another season and it too is now available on DVD.
Set in the fictitious country of MidSomer, two English detectives are there to
serve justice to those who try to get away with murder. Unlike modern crime dramas like CSI or NYPD
Blue you won't find any cops kicking down doors, gun fights, or even high tech
forensic lab. Armed with only their
powers of observation, wits and deductive reasoning they piece together stories
and clues from the various people they encounter, sniffing out who did it. As they get closer to solving the cases, more
often they find more bodies and the missing 'clue' to what really happened.
If you like mysteries, detectives, the board game Clue, or just solving the
mystery this is a very enjoyable series. The two detectives are like modern day
Sherlock Holmes and Watson, Troy
gathers up the various clues and evidences, and Barnaby pieces together how it
all happened. The show always starts up with the murder, then
introduces you to all the characters, and as the story unfolds you try and figure
out who did it before the show ends. The
show had excellent setting, you could almost feel like the places existed
somewhere in some English village. It
was sort of refreshing that a mystery doesn't really need a gruesome bloody
body (or body parts), or even action scene, fight or gun scene to be
entertaining. Each episode was about 100
minutes long and special features include a biography of Caroline Graham and
cast filmographies.
This
time, the shows include:
Dance With the Dead:
When a young man is found dead asphyxiated in an old vintage car, suicide is
first suspected. But with his girlfriend
Laura goes missing Inspector Barnaby questions the townsfolk for who last saw
her. Turns out little Laura and the
townsfolk aren't as innocent as they seem, each one of them is hiding
a bit of something.
The Animal Within:
When Faith shows up to her rich Uncle Rex's home, Rex is found murder. Only thing is everyone thought she was dead
for the last 3 years. Soon after various
inheritors begins to show up with wills claiming to be rightful heirs but who
is the real heir? As they unravel the
past, certain truths come to light.
King's Crystal:
After the death of an owner of a glass company, the late owner's brother
married the widow and inherited the company. But with the collapse of the company the
money disappears and the accountant is found murdered, clues point to maybe the
late President's death was not so 'accidental'. As the late owner's son uncovers the truth,
the murder mystery mirrors the tragic tale of Shakespeare's Hamlet, now if only
Inspector Barnaby can prove it...
The Axeman Cometh:
When an old band gets back together for a revival to bring back the good old
days, side from all the sex, drugs and rock n' roll, things turn deadly when
someone starts killing the old members off, one by one. Is it some crazy stalker, past unsettled
accounts, or just someone who really doesn't like their music?
The
picture and sound quality (anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1/Dolby Digital 2.0
Stereo) is as good as the previous later seasons that were produced that
way. YOU can read about all of them at
this link:
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/new/viewer.cgi?search=midsomer
- Ricky Chiang
