A butterfly collector is found pinned to a wall like one of his specimens.A butterfly collector is found pinned to a wall like one of his specimens.A butterfly collector is found pinned to a wall like one of his specimens.
Photos
Niamh McGrady
- Penny Kingdom
- (as Niamh Mcgrady)
Gioacchino Jim Cuffaro
- Student
- (uncredited)
Ashley Darkwood
- Newspaper Delivery Agent
- (uncredited)
Susan Fordham
- Circulus Worker
- (uncredited)
Stephen Hawke
- Police Officer
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis episode contains many "Easter egg" references to previous episodes, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Midsomer Murders episode.
- GoofsThe 'Circulus Entrance Exam' has the spelling error 'Instuctions' above (1) on the paper instead of 'Instructions'.
- Quotes
[to herself, as she is examining the scene of the first murder]
Fleur Perkins: Who in their right mind chooses to be surrounded by death?
Featured review
Death Of The Tiny Policemen?
That's what I thought the title of this episode meant, when I first saw it in print - after all, "copper" is slang for "policeman". I was intrigued by the possibility of a visit to a Midsomer village that would have a diminutive constabulary. I can't say I'd ever heard of the "Small Copper" butterfly species before, and so I was somewhat disappointed to learn that the title referred not to humans but to insects. Frankly, my imagined plot line would not have been much more absurd than the actual explanation behind this story's murders.
The story itself is kind of amorphous - it comprises several elements that never really mesh together well, making the episode feel unfocused and all over the place. There are the missing Coppers of course, and we get a bit of "Collectors vs. Conservationists" debate. Also on hand is an exclusive and elite high IQ society, which is currently auditioning new membership candidates via a difficult exam. And for good measure, a mystery involving international espionage is also thrown in, bringing back a character from a previous case whose family history is somehow connected. All interesting plot strands in their own right, but bizarrely, the murders wind up not really having to do with any of them.
As other reviewers have already pointed out, the solution of the case comes out of left field - the murderer turns out to be someone whom we barely even see for most of the episode. The ways in which the character chooses to dispatch the victims would require a lot of time and effort to set up, particularly for the second and (attempted) third murders. When was the person able to do all this? And even more perplexing, WHY do it? The motives, when revealed, are extremely dubious and frankly, lame.
Some of the acting is enjoyable though - Ellie Haddington, Ray Fearon and Peter Egan turn in good performances, Mark Benton makes an amusing oddball, and Ella Kenion has a very funny scene in which her character displays an inordinate amount of glee at a time when it seems not quite appropriate. Fiona Dolman also gets some nice moments as Sarah, whose work is effectively integrated into the plot. On the other hand, a performance in the big denouement confession scene is so OTT as to be truly cringeworthy. Let's just say I wouldn't want it on *my* acting reel.
Overall grade for this one: C+
The story itself is kind of amorphous - it comprises several elements that never really mesh together well, making the episode feel unfocused and all over the place. There are the missing Coppers of course, and we get a bit of "Collectors vs. Conservationists" debate. Also on hand is an exclusive and elite high IQ society, which is currently auditioning new membership candidates via a difficult exam. And for good measure, a mystery involving international espionage is also thrown in, bringing back a character from a previous case whose family history is somehow connected. All interesting plot strands in their own right, but bizarrely, the murders wind up not really having to do with any of them.
As other reviewers have already pointed out, the solution of the case comes out of left field - the murderer turns out to be someone whom we barely even see for most of the episode. The ways in which the character chooses to dispatch the victims would require a lot of time and effort to set up, particularly for the second and (attempted) third murders. When was the person able to do all this? And even more perplexing, WHY do it? The motives, when revealed, are extremely dubious and frankly, lame.
Some of the acting is enjoyable though - Ellie Haddington, Ray Fearon and Peter Egan turn in good performances, Mark Benton makes an amusing oddball, and Ella Kenion has a very funny scene in which her character displays an inordinate amount of glee at a time when it seems not quite appropriate. Fiona Dolman also gets some nice moments as Sarah, whose work is effectively integrated into the plot. On the other hand, a performance in the big denouement confession scene is so OTT as to be truly cringeworthy. Let's just say I wouldn't want it on *my* acting reel.
Overall grade for this one: C+
helpful•84
- volare12
- Nov 24, 2021
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Filming locations
- Littlewick Green, Berkshire, England, UK(Little Crosby, Eddie Rowbotham's house)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 29 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 16:9 HD
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