The Village That Rose from the Dead
- Episode aired Dec 18, 2016
- TV-14
- 1h 29m
When a man is found murdered during the reopening of a ghost village, Barnaby must unravel a sinister web of lies from both past and present in order to catch the killer.When a man is found murdered during the reopening of a ghost village, Barnaby must unravel a sinister web of lies from both past and present in order to catch the killer.When a man is found murdered during the reopening of a ghost village, Barnaby must unravel a sinister web of lies from both past and present in order to catch the killer.
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Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaFirst episode without Sykes the dog.
- GoofsAt the beginning of the episode, a murder is committed with a tank driving forward towards the victim. Once the victim is found, only the legs and lower torso are crushed by the tank tracks and the victim is on the ground -behind- the vehicle.
- Quotes
Sylvia Lennard: [handing leaflet to Julian, who is just entering the scene] Would you drop one of those off at the emporium on your way home?
Julian Lennard: Are you trying to persuade Milo? I'm not sure a leaflet will do it.
Sylvia Lennard: Since when have you been a quitter, Julian?
Julian Lennard: I don't want you to be disappointed.
Sylvia Lennard: My whole *life* is a disappointment.
After John Nettles retired and Neil Dudgeon and the new character of John Barnaby took over, 'Midsomer Murders' just hasn't been the same on the most part. Season 14 was a disappointment outside of "The Oblong Murders" and "A Sacred Trust", with "Echoes of the Dead" and "The Night of the Stag" being show low-points. Season 15 was inconsistent, being a case of starting promisingly and then took a three-episodes-in-a-row strange turn with "Written in the Stars" before finishing on a good note. Season 16 was mostly good, especially "Wild Harvest", with the only disappointment being "Let Us Prey". Season 17 was a mixed bag, with the first two episodes being watchable but uneven and the other two, particularly "A Vintage Murder", faring better.
Season 18 was mostly unimpressive, with "Breaking the Chain" faring weakest and "Saints and Sinners" and "The Incident at Cooper Hill" not faring much better. The season did have two good episodes, the best being "A Dying Art" and "Harvest of Souls" being a close second.
"The Village that Rose from the Dead" kicks off Season 19, the latest season, and proves to be a very solid and promising season opener. It is easily one of the better John Barnaby-era episodes and the best of the era since Season 17's "A Vintage Murder", which is saying a lot.
Not without problems, though they are very few and nowhere near as big as in many John Barnaby-era episodes. Kam still doesn't do much for me and don't think she ever will, she lacks personality, is condescending and a snobbish know-it-all. The new detective Jamie Winter is not particularly interesting, though to be fair it is his first episode, and rather lacking in personality and chemistry with Neil Dudgeon.
Production values however 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.
Writing is thought-provoking and some of the quirky and gentle humour juxtaposes well with the dark murder theme and the twists and turns, the episode not feeling overly serious or heavy like some John Barnaby-era episodes as a result. The story is never simplistic, neither is it convoluted, with a surprising ending that manages to just about be plausible rather than convoluted or distastefully over-the-top. In fact, as said, it is very suspenseful and engrossing. The murders are clever and the ending is a surprise and hardly obvious or far-fetched either.
Acting mostly is good. Dudgeon looks comfortable and involved, while Caroline Blakiston, David Burke and Sally Phillips are particularly good of a uniformly good supporting cast.
Overall, a solid and promising episode. 8/10 Bethany Cox
- TheLittleSongbird
- May 28, 2017
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Details
- Runtime1 hour 29 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 16:9 HD