Reviews

I'm not sure why the overall rating is a 6. I thought this was a terrific episode. Yes, the method of murder was a bit far fetched. But when I watch these kinds of shows, I do a certain amount of suspension of belief.

Boy band drama. One member of the band has the chance for a solo career and there is plenty of resentment to go around. Fergus and Harry are drawn in to investigate by Harry's granddaughter, who is a huge fan of the band.

As a continuation of last season, Fergus' mother is suing for custody of her daughter who she wants to bring back with her to the US where she's living. I have a suspicion that there is something underlying the sudden rise in her maternal instincts, and her daughter's welfare isn't at the forefront. Just a hunch. It will be interesting to watch this play out over the course of this season.

This was really the best episode of the season. I've been disappointed with this season for the most part, so it was really nice to end with such a well-written and well-crafted episode.

The writers have always done well with the war-related episodes over the years. Even years after the actual events it's clear that emotions are still raw and many of the characters have never really recovered from the horrors of the war that they experienced. This episode was no exception. Things are not always black and white, people are not always all good or all bad. There's a lot of nuance in this episode, something that was really lacking in most of the other episodes this season.

Loved the last scene (although I guessed it was coming).

What a wonderful way to end this great series. I really hope that there will be a series 4. I agree with another reviewer about Judith and her husband being so incredibly annoying. I know they're supposed to be comic relief and I actually think the series would be dull without them. They add color and a bit of fun. Gloria is the one I can't stand. Not a good actress and that goofy grin is just too annoying for words. On the other hand she doesn't really get good material so... I love Jean and Dom. They're wonderful actors and their characters have excellent scripts with which to work. The addition of Patrick this year was fabulous. He's terrific.

The mystery was fine and interesting. You have to suspend disbelief at how easily coincidences fall into Jean's lap but that's fine. It's a 45 minute show after all!

I haven't enjoyed the new cast much and really miss the previous incarnations of this show. The series regulars had more pizzazz and sparkle. That being said, I really enjoy this episode. It had a lot of heart and raw emotions even though there wasn't much in the way of action. The story moved slowly but it worked well for this particular story.

The acting was quite good, regulars and guest stars. The dancing was lots of fun to watch. The last scene was really very sweet and yeah sappy but I'm a big fan of sappy. Makes for a nice contrast from the darker sides of the stir.

A good solid episode.

It took me a while to realize that this series is set prior to the Sister Boniface series (1950s vs. 1960s). That explains why she has only a masters degree in Father Brown (so she tells the inspector) but a PhD in forensic science in her own series. And apparently this series predates her working with the police as evidenced by the dialogue.

I really miss all the previous characters: Mrs. McCarthy, Bunty, Lady Felicia. They were all larger than life with huge, fun, vibrant personalities. These new characters of Brenda and Mrs. Divine are so bland and boring. They don't have the same pizzazz. I really wanted to like them and at least give them a chance but they're just such a snooze fest. It's not necessarily their acting (but who knows... maybe it is). Their characters are just so boring!

Please inject some life into the show again!! Bring on characters who jump off the screen and bring the excitement again!

And I don't mean this in a positive way. This episode is just ridiculous. The characters are flat and one-dimensional. The plot is just dumb. The ending a huge yawn. There is no real suspense. The inspectors walk around talking to this person and that one until Barnaby figures it out. There's not a shred of real drama.

This entire season has been a huge disappointment. I have loved this show for years and was so excited for the new series to begin. But none of the episodes have any real drama, not the way they used to have. The plots used to be complex and highly intricate. The characters had substance and I never yawned at the end because there was excitement and suspense, mood and ambience. All of that is missing. Bring back writers and directors who understand what this show is supposed to be.

I'm thrilled to see this show returning for another series. It was a fun departure as it took place in a hotel outside their usual location. Also was glad not to see the "Someone wants to kill Jean" storyline continue over from the last two seasons. That needed to be retired.

The relationship between Jean and Dom is great as it is, and I hope it doesn't turn into romance. I really like their chemistry and they're both really good actors.

The secondary characters can be a bit annoying (especially Gloria whose face seems to frozen in a constant goofy smile even when she's upset, but there were no unrealisticlly ungreasy overalls in this episode thankfully). They're more like caricatures.

A good start to the new series and I'm excited to see more.

The heat of Arizona is so oppressive but the views in this episode are beautiful. Love the wide open spaces shots. The other day it occurred to me that everyone always wears long sleeves in this show (and probably many other shows, just never thought about it before.) I was getting hot looking at Jessica in her long sleeves remembering my last visit to Tucson and how very hot it was despite only being March!

Anyhow, I figured out who did it early on but there was a twist I hadn't foreseen so that was a fun surprise.

Love Dale Robertson character with Jessica, good chemistry, but in my mind it will always be Jessica and Seth despite there not being quite as much heat between them.

A really good episode with no plot holes that I could see. (Something small at the ending was too pat but worked to fill in a gap.)

I couldn't make it past the first half of this drivel. It was so beyond boring and had absolutely nothing to do with the Christie novel. But even in and of itself it was sheer boredom. The character of Emily Trefusis was annoying beyond belief. Even Miss Marple was annoying, flittering about like a nitwit, a stereotypical dithering old fool. Miss Marple was nothing of the kind. Even in the other episodes in which McEwan starred she was nothing like this. Not a single character went behind being one-dimensional.

This was a completely wasted opportunity to actually film the book as written. Or at least some semblance of it. I'm usually flexible with these adaptations but not this time. I've never actually turned off the tv on a Christie until now.

Don't waste your time with it.

On a rare day to myself I decided to watch both versions: Hickson and McEwan. While McEwan is good, Hickson is the definitive Miss Marple. While most of this comes down to just being what I envisioned long before these films were made, part of it is also due to the scripts and overall productions. While I agree with others about the Hickson version being overly long, (remember though it had to fill a certain time slot I'm sure), the McEwan version is too short to allow her to present the character with the same depth. The McEwan script has a rushed feel to it. The Hickson version presents a nice slow peek into village life from its opening sequence to people staring out their windows to see what juicy tidbits are happening outside. My biggest beef with the Hickson version is the dreadful ending. No flashbacks, just a rushed explanation. Like they ran out of production time! I mean, there were other flashback sequences yet they couldn't be bothered with the most important one!? And they're all sitting there laughing despite the fact that Miss Marple has just explained the plot behind the death of two young people! So callous.

As for the others, it's a good thing for Trudie Styler that she's married to Sting because I can't imagine her actually earning a living by acting. She is absolutely dreadful. No force of personality whatsoever. The actress in the McEwan version was much more charismatic. This character is supposed to be a take charge kind of person. Styler speaks in an annoying whisper most of the time and I could barely hear her.

Slack, Melchett, Clithering all great. No need really for the additional detective. Lake was it?

Addie as a flirt was not what I recall from the book. I suppose it was just meant to reinforce her sudden awakening after declaring her widowhood over.

Blake and Dinah were ok, not nearly as feisty and fun as they were in the McEwan version. This Dolly Bantry was so much better than the campy, ridiculously over the top Joanna Lumley of the newer version.

I give this version a B+ and the McEwan version a C.

It's 2023 so it's fun to read the reviews stretching back nearly 20 years!

I actually liked this episode despite quickly figuring out who the perpetrator was. When you don't offer many suspects, it makes the solution rather easy. The ending was great and I did not see that coming. Despite my earlier comment about liking series 1 more than series 2 (which is still how I feel), I'd like to see a third series. I like most of the main characters except for the garage mechanic. She is not a good actress, is constantly mugging with that silly grin, and I've yet to see a spot of grease on her, which is ridiculous. I'd like to see a bit more frivolity. What happened to the couple that owned the bar? They added to the fun group dynamic that was missing this season. Also please change the music especially the opening song.

I liked the first season much better than this one so far (the Christmas episode was the best one). It seems to have lost its way. There's no sense of real drama or tension. The plot of this one was absolutely ridiculous as was the finale. It's like all the characters have gone flat as has the writing. There was a wonderful overall arc in season 1 but none in season 2. There was a great sense of camaraderie last season but none this season. And the garage owner with the clean overalls? Not a spot of grease or oil in sight? Seriously? The incongruous music continues to annoy me, from the opening theme song to the background music during the show. It's grating.

I understand that they had to switch locations due to covid. But the new location is a huge disappointment. I've never been to Melbourne but was amazed by it. Every building, bridge, park, etc. Was so unique and breathtaking. I've never seen anything so interesting. It was like it was a character in the show and thus added an element of excitement that's totally missing this season. Apologies to. Kiwis. Honestly no offense meant. I'm sure Auckland is a lovely place. It's just that it looks like many places I've visited whereas Melbourne does not. It's like they miscast a beloved character and the chemistry is all off. I realized that Melbourne WAS my favorite character!! Speaking of characters, the new Kieran has very little personality. And the new restaurant she hangs out in is boring in comparison to the one in Melbourne. I could have hung out in that one daily and been very happy.

This episode was downright ridiculous in that there's no way I buy the solution.

This is a wonderful new show and I certainly hope there's a season 2. The main characters are all interesting, and the story lines are complex and enjoyable. The only character I am not too wild about though about is Asti, the soon-to-be ex-wife. She kind of leads him on by constantly dropping by.

I do have one small nitpick: The Lucy Phelps detective character (Jess) wears the ugliest shirts that I have ever seen, which she buttons all the way up to the top. In one episode she wore four or five of them, one uglier than the next. Give the woman a decent wardrobe!

Four great episodes! Looking forward to many more.

This was the best episode yet (even though I guessed who the killer was early on). Lots of tension and red herrings. I love the characters, and I don't even mind that the plot relies on a lot of coincidences.

I wish they would fix the makeup. Everyone, particularly the leads, is always shiny and it look like they're sweating. (There was a nod to menopause in an earlier episode but that doesn't explain why Antoine is always aglow!)

They sure do all spend a lot of time in restaurants drinking wine and coffee yet eating nothing. Is this the norm in France?

The scenery is all so beautiful. Makes me want to take a trip there.

So much better episode than the last one I reviewed. The writing is more fun with lots of humor. The suspects are all awful people so there's no one to root for but I can live with that. The pacing is much improved. I enjoyed watching.

I want to like this series more than I actually do. I like the two leads and I even like their characters. The writing is just not that interesting or unique. Other British mystery series have plots and dialog that are much more interesting. All the secondary characters are cartoonish and one-dimensional.

I was put off by this episode; it was just too unnerving. We know the killer from the start so there are really no surprises.

I was delighted to turn on the tv today and discover that series 2 premiered today! It's a wonderful show. The opening two-parter did not disappoint. It was so much fun to watch. The acting is great, the costumes, settings, camera work, directing all marvelous. It didn't matter that I guessed the murderer because the backstory was so unguessable. I just wish there were more than six episodes/three stories.

I loved this season finale so much. My heart broke for the one character whose heart got broken but that person's character development was wonderful. I am very much looking forward to series 3.