I binged the 20 available seasons (series) on BritBox last year and distinctly remember Tom announcing his retirement at his birthday party, and then handing off the reigns to his cousin John. In fact, that rather abrupt climax has been mentioned and reviewed several times. This December (2019) I was in the mood for Midsomer Murders and mayhem again. It's December 29, and I just finished Fit for Murder, my third viewing.
So, what the heck happened to the big retirement announcement, where Tom hands off the reigns to cousin John?!?! However fans felt about the hand-off and John Nettles' last episode, it was a critical scene to set up season 14. What I just viewed was Tom blowing out his birthday cake candles (with cousin John in the background... blink and you miss him), Jones opening champagne and mentioning Tom passed his police medical, and the the camera pulling away from the house as all sing Happy Birthday. No announcement.
Is this a BritBox thing? Does anyone have any info or insight?
UPDATE: It's now 8/14/21, and I just watched this episode on Acorn. I'm thrilled to say that the ending is intact... yay! Still don't know what got into the BritBox "editors," though I use the term loosely.
So, what the heck happened to the big retirement announcement, where Tom hands off the reigns to cousin John?!?! However fans felt about the hand-off and John Nettles' last episode, it was a critical scene to set up season 14. What I just viewed was Tom blowing out his birthday cake candles (with cousin John in the background... blink and you miss him), Jones opening champagne and mentioning Tom passed his police medical, and the the camera pulling away from the house as all sing Happy Birthday. No announcement.
Is this a BritBox thing? Does anyone have any info or insight?
UPDATE: It's now 8/14/21, and I just watched this episode on Acorn. I'm thrilled to say that the ending is intact... yay! Still don't know what got into the BritBox "editors," though I use the term loosely.