Carver Valley's comic festival is in full swing when the village is shocked by the murder of a former supermodel.Carver Valley's comic festival is in full swing when the village is shocked by the murder of a former supermodel.Carver Valley's comic festival is in full swing when the village is shocked by the murder of a former supermodel.
Joshua Williams
- Jerome Buchanan
- (as Josh Williams)
Grant Crookes
- Dealer
- (uncredited)
Daniel Eghan
- Dr. Good
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaNicholas Farrell plays Isaac Starling in this episode. He previously played the role of John Merrill in episode 2.2, Strangler's Wood (1999).
- GoofsLord Conrad Argo's headstone lists his death as 2016, but the police report Winter pulls up on the computer for his murder and the attack on Francesca states "Police called to SOC (Argo Est.) at 21:32 on 21/06/21" which would mean the episode were taking place in 2023.
- Quotes
Fleur Perkins: [seeing Winter in his bird costume] All right. I give up. Why did you cross the road?
Featured review
Death by comic book
'Midsomer Murders' was a personal favourite during its prime period, so Seasons 1-9 (with the odd misfire here and there). Liked the dark mysteries, the charm, the light-heartedness, beautiful scenery and some great acting, not just from John Nettles but also from numerous great guest stars. Since Nettles left and Neil Dudgeon took over, the show for me wasn't the same and too many of the episodes were average at best.
"Drawing Dead" however is among the better episodes of the John Barnaby era and one of the better later ones. Far from a 'Midsomer Murders' classic, those days have been long gone for a while now, or one of the best episodes, but it is lightyears away from being one of the worst and does not disgrace the show in any way in the way "Echoes of the Dead" and especially "Night of the Stag" did. Really like the appetising title and the premise was interesting and thankfully the episode is nowhere near as absurd as feared.
Will start with the things that didn't quite work, which in comparison to other episodes was very few. At times "Drawing Dead" was a touch too silly, like how many times the murderer came close to getting caught, and had a few dull stretches. Not all the supporting characters are developed enough, Juno here is the most interesting character.
Like a fair share of John Barnaby era episodes, the final solution could have been better. It is quite a bit better than others, as whereas they were real let-downs this was one that left me mixed. Didn't guess the murderer with the episode being a large number of suspects and the motives were buyable, it also didn't feel as last minute as other episodes. The ending though did feel rushed and like it was crammed in with little time to go, leaving not enough time to tie everything up. For instance as has already been said, the significance of the murderer's disguise is never explained.
However, the production values cannot be faulted as usual. It's beautifully and atmospherically shot with suitably picturesque scenery. The music fits perfectly, with some lush jauntiness and sometimes an ominous quality, and the haunting theme tune is one of the most memorable and instantly recognisable of the genre. The atmosphere was a mix of picturesque and unnerving, which is appropriate and suits the tone of the show very well.
For me, the writing while patchy was an improvement on the writing for most John Barnaby era episodes, with a nice mix of thought provoking and amusing like 'Midsomer Murders' at its best was. The story mostly did engage, with a diverting and suitably keeping-one-guessing mystery, with lots of twists and turns and enough suspects to not make things too obvious. Loved the horror vibe that was present and it made for some genuine unease, like the beginning. Likewise with the comic book setting and touches, made good use of. The chemistry between the actors is more natural and warmer than before, while the acting is generally good. Didn't have as big a problem with John as have done in previous episodes and he works well with Winter. Jemma Redgrave fares best of the guest cast, while Annette Badland continues to be a joy, by far the best pathologist of the show since Bullard (having never warmed to either Kate and especially Kam). Love her deadpan and lively personality and sense of humour.
Overall, good episode and one of the better recent ones. 7/10
"Drawing Dead" however is among the better episodes of the John Barnaby era and one of the better later ones. Far from a 'Midsomer Murders' classic, those days have been long gone for a while now, or one of the best episodes, but it is lightyears away from being one of the worst and does not disgrace the show in any way in the way "Echoes of the Dead" and especially "Night of the Stag" did. Really like the appetising title and the premise was interesting and thankfully the episode is nowhere near as absurd as feared.
Will start with the things that didn't quite work, which in comparison to other episodes was very few. At times "Drawing Dead" was a touch too silly, like how many times the murderer came close to getting caught, and had a few dull stretches. Not all the supporting characters are developed enough, Juno here is the most interesting character.
Like a fair share of John Barnaby era episodes, the final solution could have been better. It is quite a bit better than others, as whereas they were real let-downs this was one that left me mixed. Didn't guess the murderer with the episode being a large number of suspects and the motives were buyable, it also didn't feel as last minute as other episodes. The ending though did feel rushed and like it was crammed in with little time to go, leaving not enough time to tie everything up. For instance as has already been said, the significance of the murderer's disguise is never explained.
However, the production values cannot be faulted as usual. It's beautifully and atmospherically shot with suitably picturesque scenery. The music fits perfectly, with some lush jauntiness and sometimes an ominous quality, and the haunting theme tune is one of the most memorable and instantly recognisable of the genre. The atmosphere was a mix of picturesque and unnerving, which is appropriate and suits the tone of the show very well.
For me, the writing while patchy was an improvement on the writing for most John Barnaby era episodes, with a nice mix of thought provoking and amusing like 'Midsomer Murders' at its best was. The story mostly did engage, with a diverting and suitably keeping-one-guessing mystery, with lots of twists and turns and enough suspects to not make things too obvious. Loved the horror vibe that was present and it made for some genuine unease, like the beginning. Likewise with the comic book setting and touches, made good use of. The chemistry between the actors is more natural and warmer than before, while the acting is generally good. Didn't have as big a problem with John as have done in previous episodes and he works well with Winter. Jemma Redgrave fares best of the guest cast, while Annette Badland continues to be a joy, by far the best pathologist of the show since Bullard (having never warmed to either Kate and especially Kam). Love her deadpan and lively personality and sense of humour.
Overall, good episode and one of the better recent ones. 7/10
helpful•166
- TheLittleSongbird
- May 24, 2019
Details
- Runtime1 hour 28 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 16:9 HD
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