As the episode begins Harry Wyham is killed but is solving his death the most important problem; or is it what will Barnaby's wife do with Sykes so that she will get her trip to France. I would be happy if DCI John Barnaby would leave the wife and just keep Sykes.
But Barnaby is on the case and finds out Harry Wyham wasn't the most popular person in the town. He wanted to change the character of the town for one by bringing in hotels, restaurants, and a first class equestrian center. Enough reason for any Midsomer villager to want him dead. Harry's parents—Serena and Jasper—mourn him as do his sister Beth and his daughter Amy; but no so his ex-wife Jessica Myerscough who lives in the village but had no access to her daughter, nor her mother Clara Myerscough who was going to be evicted. Rowena Deeley seems shocked but her publican husband, owner of The Black Dog, Niall Deeley seems pleased; Butch Nevins was about to lose the lease to appear on the village green along with the entire funfair (carnival) so he had little love for Harry or his plans. And Sean Nevins is seeing Beth Wyham and wants her to alibi him just in case.
And the clues start coming in: Harry's coat is covered with fake blood; and he was killed not by a horse but by a dose of ketamine: a horse tranquilizer that was mixed with alcohol; and the Myerscoughs have a supply of ketamine; the pub--The Black Dog--has the alcohol where Harry had a drink. And the gun that was used to startle the horse that trampled Harry was found under Sean Nevins' trailer; and it was his paint on that was on the jacket because Sean and Harry had a fight earlier the night of the murder. And Geri Barkham and Butch Nevins are hiding something, but what.
Then in the middle of the night, someone has stolen five horses from Jasper Wyham. And conveniently someone broke into the Myerscough's veterinary clinic and took all the controlled substances, including ketamine. And DS Charlie Nelson has discovered a possible link between the movements of the Nevins' funfare about Midsomer county and thefts of valuable livestock. And Jasper plans to go through with the eviction of the Myerscoughs. But Rowena Deeley was in negation to sell the pub without her husband's knowledge as the pub was losing money. Finally, Clara Myerscough is trying to work Serena Wyham's guilt to allow Jessica Myerscough to get custody of her daughter.
And Barnaby's wife is still trying to separate Sykes from John so she can get to France.
And we get another murder, this time it's Clara Myerscough; I wasn't sad to see her go. Next the missing horses are found except for Rowena Deeley's horse. And the empty beer bottles found at the scene came from the Deeley's pub. The horse box that that was used to transport the horses is owned by the Nevins; and Trina Nevins refuses to lie for her absent husband who now claims he was with Geri Barkham. And the fingerprints on the bottles belong to Rod Barkham who was complicit with the theft because Harry Wyham was going to fire him; but he won't give up his accomplices. Too bad for him because fingerprints indicate Dale Nevins was involved. But before Dale Nevins can be arrested, he is found dead in the Wall of Death.
Then Jessica Myerscough is trying to enlist Rowena Deeley in abducting her daughter. But that effort fails and the police rescue the girl. And then this episode fails to disclose important facts until the end: Serena had had a fling with Butch and while Jasper still married Serena, they claimed the child she was carrying was a stillbirth: but it wasn't, it was put up for adoption. And that fact is what all this turns on:revenge by the adult child who has been a resident of the village and knew who his parents were all along.
The episode was OK but not the equivalent of Vixen's Run or Four Funerals and a Wedding; and no one like pathologist Doctor George Bullard is going to say about John Barnaby as he did about Tom Barnaby, "Clever chap that boss of yours."
Oh, and Sykes wins and Torquay is better than France.
But Barnaby is on the case and finds out Harry Wyham wasn't the most popular person in the town. He wanted to change the character of the town for one by bringing in hotels, restaurants, and a first class equestrian center. Enough reason for any Midsomer villager to want him dead. Harry's parents—Serena and Jasper—mourn him as do his sister Beth and his daughter Amy; but no so his ex-wife Jessica Myerscough who lives in the village but had no access to her daughter, nor her mother Clara Myerscough who was going to be evicted. Rowena Deeley seems shocked but her publican husband, owner of The Black Dog, Niall Deeley seems pleased; Butch Nevins was about to lose the lease to appear on the village green along with the entire funfair (carnival) so he had little love for Harry or his plans. And Sean Nevins is seeing Beth Wyham and wants her to alibi him just in case.
And the clues start coming in: Harry's coat is covered with fake blood; and he was killed not by a horse but by a dose of ketamine: a horse tranquilizer that was mixed with alcohol; and the Myerscoughs have a supply of ketamine; the pub--The Black Dog--has the alcohol where Harry had a drink. And the gun that was used to startle the horse that trampled Harry was found under Sean Nevins' trailer; and it was his paint on that was on the jacket because Sean and Harry had a fight earlier the night of the murder. And Geri Barkham and Butch Nevins are hiding something, but what.
Then in the middle of the night, someone has stolen five horses from Jasper Wyham. And conveniently someone broke into the Myerscough's veterinary clinic and took all the controlled substances, including ketamine. And DS Charlie Nelson has discovered a possible link between the movements of the Nevins' funfare about Midsomer county and thefts of valuable livestock. And Jasper plans to go through with the eviction of the Myerscoughs. But Rowena Deeley was in negation to sell the pub without her husband's knowledge as the pub was losing money. Finally, Clara Myerscough is trying to work Serena Wyham's guilt to allow Jessica Myerscough to get custody of her daughter.
And Barnaby's wife is still trying to separate Sykes from John so she can get to France.
And we get another murder, this time it's Clara Myerscough; I wasn't sad to see her go. Next the missing horses are found except for Rowena Deeley's horse. And the empty beer bottles found at the scene came from the Deeley's pub. The horse box that that was used to transport the horses is owned by the Nevins; and Trina Nevins refuses to lie for her absent husband who now claims he was with Geri Barkham. And the fingerprints on the bottles belong to Rod Barkham who was complicit with the theft because Harry Wyham was going to fire him; but he won't give up his accomplices. Too bad for him because fingerprints indicate Dale Nevins was involved. But before Dale Nevins can be arrested, he is found dead in the Wall of Death.
Then Jessica Myerscough is trying to enlist Rowena Deeley in abducting her daughter. But that effort fails and the police rescue the girl. And then this episode fails to disclose important facts until the end: Serena had had a fling with Butch and while Jasper still married Serena, they claimed the child she was carrying was a stillbirth: but it wasn't, it was put up for adoption. And that fact is what all this turns on:revenge by the adult child who has been a resident of the village and knew who his parents were all along.
The episode was OK but not the equivalent of Vixen's Run or Four Funerals and a Wedding; and no one like pathologist Doctor George Bullard is going to say about John Barnaby as he did about Tom Barnaby, "Clever chap that boss of yours."
Oh, and Sykes wins and Torquay is better than France.