I'm glad I watched this, but I'll not watch it again. We start with a lovely Mayday festival and end with attempted rape and conspiracy to murder. Along the way we have plot holes, murder, and a total waste of time. We have a Major cult leader and a Minor one. The minor one literally doesn't effect the plot. We've gone past red herring into the infrared spectrum. I don't understand why the main bad guy isn't charged with attempted rape, since that was literally witnessed by Barnaby and Jones. There's conspiracy to rape, as well. I can handle the darkness of the episode (thought I'd prefer the attempted rape not be so graphic),, but I feel insulted by the whole plot and the infrared herring. Acting is very good and disgusting, aside from the set-chewing by the minor cult leader. Oh, and Beltane isn't always May 4th.
Reviews
7 Reviews
My favorite episode
12 May 2024
This is my favorite episode! Margaret is a competent, level-headed, equal colleague. Charles becomes human. This episode could never be done in the Frank Burns/Hot Lips era.
My favorite part is Charles speaking to Donna as a fellow human being, with intelligence and humor. No accusations, no condescendion, just him trying to find out what he's gotten himself into. Just lovely! And the joke about the Charles River is very good.
The other plot could have been a whole episode by itself. It is well-written and well-acted and just what I expect of a later season M*A*S*H plotline. Highly recommended.
My favorite part is Charles speaking to Donna as a fellow human being, with intelligence and humor. No accusations, no condescendion, just him trying to find out what he's gotten himself into. Just lovely! And the joke about the Charles River is very good.
The other plot could have been a whole episode by itself. It is well-written and well-acted and just what I expect of a later season M*A*S*H plotline. Highly recommended.
A Favorite
2 May 2024
This one is a gem! Well-written, balanced between funny and sad (emphasis on fun). Well-acted. All the main characters are themselves as we have come to know them. There are some surprises and some things not so surprising (Charles). I remember watching this first*fun and enjoying it immensely and it still delights me.
It has some flaws in continuity, but they are small and easily overlooked. I get giggly thinking about Charles' first summer home after the war!
And now I have to fill up the character count, which is ridiculous. I don't want to give awat spoilers, but I still haven't used up my count.
It has some flaws in continuity, but they are small and easily overlooked. I get giggly thinking about Charles' first summer home after the war!
And now I have to fill up the character count, which is ridiculous. I don't want to give awat spoilers, but I still haven't used up my count.
Fun and Satisfying Episode
7 April 2024
Great episode! The mystery is complex and straightforward at the same time. I enjoyed the look into UK courtroom procedures.
The little old lady is a standout. Not quite Miss Marple, who would have remembered the fishmonger's boy and known the truth immediately, but very well-written and played. Also a standout is Lance, the defendent's soon-to-to-be ex. Made my skin crawl. And the little girl Ed was very good.
As usual, the scenery is lovely, if a bit sparse this time. Excellent production values.
There are some funny moments (the dripping secretary). And Jones is now a DS! He and Barnaby work well together.
The little old lady is a standout. Not quite Miss Marple, who would have remembered the fishmonger's boy and known the truth immediately, but very well-written and played. Also a standout is Lance, the defendent's soon-to-to-be ex. Made my skin crawl. And the little girl Ed was very good.
As usual, the scenery is lovely, if a bit sparse this time. Excellent production values.
There are some funny moments (the dripping secretary). And Jones is now a DS! He and Barnaby work well together.
Another Good One
2 April 2024
This one stretches both Margaret and Charles. Margaret starts the episode practically decapitation nurses and verbally stabbing doctors. She ends humbly thanking a non-con for helping her.
Charles tries to reason with a fellow Ivy Leaguer and discovers his elitism doesn't always work. He becomes really frightened, which I think drags him (kicking and praying) into more maturity. David Ogden Stiers was so good. He made the most of all these moments through out his time on the series.
Good comic turns for both Klinger and Radar with assistance from Fluffy. 9/10 for me.
Extra words to make the character count.
Charles tries to reason with a fellow Ivy Leaguer and discovers his elitism doesn't always work. He becomes really frightened, which I think drags him (kicking and praying) into more maturity. David Ogden Stiers was so good. He made the most of all these moments through out his time on the series.
Good comic turns for both Klinger and Radar with assistance from Fluffy. 9/10 for me.
Extra words to make the character count.
The Rooster Crowed
20 March 2024
My favorite episodes tend to be the ones where Charles is forced to grow up. This is one of those. David Ogden Stiers played Charles so brilliantly that I suspect the writers were forced to makes Charles human. After suffering through Frank Burns and Hot Lips, it's a pleasure to have Charles and Margaret. Both characters are fully fleshed out adults by the end of the season.
As a mystery fan, the subplot of the steamy, clearly chaotic, book is hilarious. It sounds like pure trash, but anything that relieves the boredom and brings the company together is to be prized.
A good solid 8/10 for me.
As a mystery fan, the subplot of the steamy, clearly chaotic, book is hilarious. It sounds like pure trash, but anything that relieves the boredom and brings the company together is to be prized.
A good solid 8/10 for me.
Proper Creepy!
26 February 2024
This Midsomer Muders is great fun and creepy.
The theme is mental health. This is a dark subject and everything looks fairly dark and autumn El. The acting is superb, especially Prumella Scales. Like Barnaby, I liked her. The curator is also well played.
The comedy is well done. I liked Nico, though I doubt the "actors follows policeman" is quite that casual. I also enjoyed the dog. And the fish.
I subtracted a point because I fingered the culprit immediately. A most untrustworthy character. Plus, I smelled the final scene coming fairly early on.
That said, I really got a kick out of this one and would recommend it.
The theme is mental health. This is a dark subject and everything looks fairly dark and autumn El. The acting is superb, especially Prumella Scales. Like Barnaby, I liked her. The curator is also well played.
The comedy is well done. I liked Nico, though I doubt the "actors follows policeman" is quite that casual. I also enjoyed the dog. And the fish.
I subtracted a point because I fingered the culprit immediately. A most untrustworthy character. Plus, I smelled the final scene coming fairly early on.
That said, I really got a kick out of this one and would recommend it.
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