Dark Secrets (30 Mar. 2011)

Barnaby's wife Sarah arrives to take up her job as a head mistress at Causton School. Officious social worker Gerry Dawkins has an awkward encounter with an artists' colony run by horse ... See full summary »

Director:

Simon Langton

Writers:

Michael Aitkens (screenplay), Caroline Graham (characters)

Stars:

Neil Dudgeon, Jason Hughes, Barry Jackson

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Neil Dudgeon	...	DCI John Barnaby
Jason Hughes	...	DS Ben Jones
Barry Jackson	...	Dr. Bullard
Fiona Dolman	...	Sarah Barnaby
Edward Fox	...	William Bingham
Phyllida Law	...	Mary Bingham
Neil Pearson	...	Eddie Stanton
Beth Goddard	...	Selina Stanton
Lucy Briggs-Owen	...	Verity Stanton
Haydn Gwynne	...	Maggie Viviani
Julian Ovenden	...	Ben Viviani
Nick Brimble	...	Adam Grace
Jeff Rawle	...	Gerry Dawkins
Simon Dutton	...	Laurence Fletcher
Abigail McKern	...	Josie Parker

Storyline

Barnaby's wife Sarah arrives to take up her job as a head mistress at Causton School. Officious social worker Gerry Dawkins has an awkward encounter with an artists' colony run by horse whisperer Maggie Viviani after a fruitless visit to elderly recluses William and Mary Bingham. Two days later his corpse is fished from a river. Through the offices of their bitchy daughter, stable owner Selina Stanton and her roguish husband Eddie, a prospective Euro M.P. Barnaby visits Mr. and Mrs. Bingham, who are hospitable but vague. Mary however furtively asks him to return to see her but is killed soon after. Thirty-five years earlier the Binghams' son and daughter, Robin and Jennifer, died when their car plunged into a river. Robin's body was recovered but Jennifer was never found and has forged a new identity for herself, reuniting her with Selena. Once more Jones comes to Barnaby's rescue when he confronts a killer whose family, unsurprisingly for Midsomer, has dark secrets.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 March 2011 (UK)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bentley Productions, Independent Television (ITV)

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

16:9 HD

Did You Know?

Quotes

[first lines]
Robin Bingham: Dad, please!
William Bingham: Get out!
[yells]
William Bingham: Get! Out!

User Reviews

Keeping it in the family

New lead Neil Dudgeon is quickly settling into the role of DCI John Barnaby even if his character is taking a little longer to settle in Midsomer. After spending the previous episode talking to the dog while at home he is now joined by his wife who has become head mistress of the local school; much to the chagrin of her deputy. The guest stars this week seemed like a 'Drop the Dead Donkey' reunion with Haydn Gwynne, Neil Pearson and Jeff Rawle appearing; although the last of these didn't last long, He played an officious social worker who managed to upset one couple by enquiring about the woman's parents then get thrown in a pond after irritating a local artists' community. As Barnaby and Jones investigate his murder both groups come under suspicion and it becomes clear that there are quite a few secrets being kept; the most important relating to a fatal accident in 1975.

This was another good episode for Neil Dudgeon who was able supported by a quality cast; this being Midsomer there was a fair amount of silliness and the motive for the murders could be guessed a while before it was revealed. As is usual the episode featured one unusual death; a victim was killed when crushed by a huge pile of old copies of the Daily Telegraph… I'm sure that will help the episode get a good review in that paper!