This new special is not as terrible as other reviewers would have you believe. I believe it's more disappointing than intrinsically bad. Had this been the first time I ever watched Jonathan Creek, I imagine I might have enjoyed it.
However, with the series strong track record in mind, this Easter special feels laboured and not very fresh. The central mystery - a body vanishing from a locked room - is making its 3rd appearance in the show's history (at least), and on one occasion the solution was practically the same. Seasoned fans (Creekians? Creeksters?) therefore may find themselves puzzling most of it together well before the final reveal. The novice viewer, however, might well be in the dark to the end and get that great satisfaction that fans have come to love.
What bothered me more, though, were the side-plots. The whole business at the school felt bit messy and wasn't a good enough mystery to warrant so much screen time. And the bit tucked on at the end just felt excessive, adding absolutely nothing to the story. But my real beef is with the flimsy and implausible "spiritual" motive that makes an uncalled-for sideways entry at the end, and which is decidedly un- Creekian.
Still, I just haven't the heart to flunk this episode. I'm too fond of the series for that, and part of me will always be happy to see some more of it. I just hope that the new series, which is in the pipeline for 2014, won't push me over the edge into bitterness territory.
However, with the series strong track record in mind, this Easter special feels laboured and not very fresh. The central mystery - a body vanishing from a locked room - is making its 3rd appearance in the show's history (at least), and on one occasion the solution was practically the same. Seasoned fans (Creekians? Creeksters?) therefore may find themselves puzzling most of it together well before the final reveal. The novice viewer, however, might well be in the dark to the end and get that great satisfaction that fans have come to love.
What bothered me more, though, were the side-plots. The whole business at the school felt bit messy and wasn't a good enough mystery to warrant so much screen time. And the bit tucked on at the end just felt excessive, adding absolutely nothing to the story. But my real beef is with the flimsy and implausible "spiritual" motive that makes an uncalled-for sideways entry at the end, and which is decidedly un- Creekian.
Still, I just haven't the heart to flunk this episode. I'm too fond of the series for that, and part of me will always be happy to see some more of it. I just hope that the new series, which is in the pipeline for 2014, won't push me over the edge into bitterness territory.