Midsomer Murders (TV Series) With Baited Breath (2019) User Reviews

Enjoyable, but not a remarkable final to this season!

[harrykivi · 6/10 · 31 December 2019]

When "Midsomer murders" was at it's best, the audience got 7-8 episode long seasons to watch. Nowadays we only get 4-6 episode long series, which is quite disappointing, because there is a chance of watching the whole season in a day or two like I did. The 21-th season went in a hole with "The Sting of death"- a horrible episode in my opinion, but got back on track "With Baited breath", which isn't a great episode, though far from bad.

Let's go through the good stuff first, shall we?

. The production values of this episode are usually wonderful. The direction by Jennie Darnell is beautiful. The camera lets viewers to enjoy Solomon Gorge' breath taking nature.

. The story here is mostly compelling with charming humor, red herrings, twists and a fun lake monster subplot that was awesome to see.

. Acting is also very good with Vincent Franklin as a former hard-working cop being the standout.

. Murders are also one of the cleverest of the season. Lex Bedford dies in a particularly satisfying way. :)

. The ending comes together pretty well, even though the previous reviewer has rightfully marked it as not that suprising.

Before we look at the cons, I feel important to say:" With Baited breath" is a SlOW episode at first- during the first 35 minutes nothing really "happens", but be patient, because as soon as the murder kicks in, the episode gets better and better.

Now the cons.

. There are certain plot points in this episode (an old murder, the killers identity and motives) that feel overused and have been already done in other murder mysteries.

.Winter is again too sidelined and partnered with an ambitious young female officer, which felt sweet at first, but goes nowhere.

. There are way too many characters to focus on here! Some of them are not even needed at all. Damian Lint in particular.

. Eric Skye's murder and the whole lake monster side plot (which is agreed to be the most mysterious part of the story) are gone over way too quickly and the latter is even left hanging at the end, which was a disappointment.

Overall, a fun, but flawed episode.

6/10 HK

The Sea Monster's innocent..........

[girvsjoint · 8/10 · 14 September 2020]

Quite an enjoyable episode of this long running series, but the so called sea or river monster? Never really amounted to anything, as usual the culprit was a two legged monster committing the murders. The new pathologist is very good, but I must admit my favourite was Tamzin Malleson who played Kate Wilding a few seasons back, simply because she was so gorgeous to look at, and if that's being sexist then I don't care! Apart from that I think Neil Dudgeon does an excellent job in the lead role considering he had such large shoes to fill, and if this turns out to be the final episode, it's a decent one to go out on, but I for one hope there's more to come!

Stand by your Rods.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 8/10 · 28 March 2021]

Imagine trying to organise one competition in Midsomer, a single competition is bound to attract a murder or two, run two concurrently, and it spells real trouble, a fishing contest, and a mud run.

It feels like a real treat having her another new episode of Midsomer Murders on, and it was a good one.

You expect it to be somewhat frivolous, as there are a few slightly zany moments early on, but it develops into quite a serious episode, a real case of retribution. Perhaps not the greatest mystery of all, but a cracking story.

They seemed to tease the possibility of Barnaby's retirement, how wonderful it was just there to tease the fans. I thought Winter was great here, he had a meatier part in this one.

Jade Marie impresses Barnaby, and impresses the viewers, a really likeable character, hopefully we'll see more of her.

Bronagh Waugh and Nicola Stephenson were both particularly good.

Very enjoyable, 8/10.

Intrigue to Monster proportions

[lbowdls · 9/10 · 13 September 2020]

There are usually 2 things that make me like Midsomer episodes the least one is when a murder takes ages to happen and the other is when I guess the murderer instantly or very early on. But despite both of these things being present I absolutely loved this episode. Because that first Half hour was taken up with such intrigue of just wondering so many things what and who are trying to hide what? What has a fishing comp have to do with it or the monster of the lake etc? And the first person to be murdered at least, is not one I thought would be the victim, actually 2 more murder victims after that. It's a lot of what do they have in common scenario. Lots of unfair reviews stated this was similar to previous episodes well in the fact that there is overlap in trying to work out what is happening - yeah derr! But the best all season and for even longer than that. And sure the explanation takes 3 quarters of a time to come to realisation out of left field, buts that's why despite assuming who did it I was dying to know why. Now the big spoiler is coming up so if you haven't read the other spoilers and don't want to here stop reading..

Heads up - if a guest cop ever says to the main cop in any murder mystery words to the affect of 'that's unlikely surely' when concerning checking out something that might lead to a major clue; you l can guarantee 99% of the time that that cop or usually ex cop did it.

A fishy mystery

[Tweekums · 8/10 · 30 March 2021]

This season finale sees anglers descend on the village of Solomon Gorge in the hope of catching a monster fish known as 'Ahab'... and netting the £20,000 prize for doing so. Conflict is inevitable when the organiser of the 'Psycho Mud Run' reroutes his race through the lake on the day of the fishing competition. While DS Winter joins the mud run, alongside a colleague, Barnaby chats to old friend, retired policeman Artie Blythe. Things get off to a bad start when several competitors are injured due to deliberate sabotage of the course. This being Midsomer it isn't long before we get our first murder. As always there are plenty of suspects with varied motives.

I found this to be a fairly typical episode of 'Midsomer Murders'... so as a fan rather enjoyed it. There are a good number of murders, creatively fitting the episodes fishy theme. Perhaps surprisingly the scene where competitors are injured in the Mud Run is more disturbing than the killings as it is more grisly and less farfetched. While there are plenty of suspects I doubt many viewers will fail to identify the killer early on; the exact motive is less obvious though. As usual the cast, regulars and guests alike, does a fine job and the settings are impressively scenic. Overall a fun episode which fans of the series should enjoy.

Lurking under the surface

[TheLittleSongbird · 6/10 · 24 March 2020]

Although 'Midsomer Murders' was a personal favourite for quite some time, it has been very uneven for a while now. When the show was good, it was brilliant at its best with there being many classics in the early seasons. When it was not good, it was incredibly disappointing with "Blood on the Saddle" and "Night of the Stag" especially being disgraces. While the show is still variable, it has shown more life since Fleur Perkins, the best pathologist since Bullard easily, was introduced.

"With Baited Breath" is not 'Midsomer Murders' on top form, that has yet to happen with the John Barnaby era (some have come close though). As far as Seasons 20 and 21 go, the significance being that that's how long Fleur has been on the show so it's like a new chapter, it is right in the middle if ranking the episodes in quality. Which is not too bad a position to be in. After a very disappointing, though did like it a little better than another reviewer while agreeing with what they said about it, previous episode in "Sting of Death", it is great to say that "With Baited Breath" is quite some improvement. It could have been better though.

There are a lot of pros. "With Baited Breath" is very well made, almost all 'Midsomer Murders' are. Cannot rave about the scenery enough and the photography is both beautiful and atmospheric in all the right places. Another continually great aspect has been the music, an aspect that doesn't disappoint here. It has haunting moments and faithful in style to the music for the Tom Barnaby-era episodes. Enough of the script intrigues and takes itself seriously without being morose, none of the unintentional camp and excessive silliness can be seen here.

Enough fun and charming moments can be seen in the story, though this aspect is very flawed on the whole here, and it is agreed that the lake monster subplot was good fun and intriguing to begin with and one of the show's better and more original ideas in a while. Really loved the murders, which were very creative and not goofy or too ordinary. Continue to absolutely love Fleur and the acting, after being underwhelming in "Sting of Death" is a return to the usual solid acting.

It could have been better though, the episode that is. As fun the lake monster subplot was, part of me really wished that more time was taken with it and that more was done with it, somehow it felt incomplete by the end. The story doesn't have enough twists or surprises and after a sluggish first half an hour it then becomes too crowded. Further suffering from too many characters that vary wildly in necessity.

Despite being much more satisfying than that for the previous episode, most endings for most episodes would be though, the ending is very obvious and over-familiar, as well as rushed. The murderer's identity was not that much of a shock and the motive is so old hat. Winter is incredibly bland and he easily could have been written out of the episode and nobody would have noticed. His subplot is stuck in thick mud early on and never gets out of it, and one knows something is wrong when his partner is more memorable and that you don't care much for her either.

Summing up, worthwhile enough but won't leave many breathless. 6/10

Gone fishing

[safenoe · 8/10 · 1 August 2021]

Here two recreational activities interset to explosive effect. Fishing and tough mudder mud runs, and the murder toll is high, present and even past. Some people may whine about the ethnic diversity of Midsomer Murders and that it's not "realistic" of English rural life. But really, is it realistic English rural life has the highest murder rate in the whole of the UK? Of course not, yet we accept it when we watch Midsomer Murders.

Not much of a mystery.

[JaneBingley · 6/10 · 31 December 2019]

This episode takes place around a lake, and the surrounding wood. There is a giant fishy monster in the lake, and someone is killing off the ones who tries to catch it. Winter is sidelined and paired with an extremely annoying female.

While Barnaby has an old friend, retired policeman Artie by his side during the investigation.

There is no mystery as to who the killer is. The solution has been done to death by every crime series out there, and even once before in Midsomer. If you are over eight years old, and has watched any crime show before, you know who the killer is as soon as the person enters the scene. This is not a spoiler, because there is nothing to spoil.

The murders are many and good, but the real mystery is what is lurking beneath the surface of the lake.

Excellent, despite surmountable flaws.

[vitoscotti · 10/10 · 4 July 2023]

Disproportionately overly heavy on inclusion actors. Though they were all terrific actors. The buddy cop out for revenge seems to have been done multiple times by other British detective mysteries in the past. The story was intense throughout despite a dead part near middle. Stellar acting performance from Vincent Franklin as creepy Artie Blythe. Midway it's too obvious he's the killer but the story was so well crafted viewing was still enjoyable. Thankfully Annette Badland as pathologist Fleur Perkins was back to a minor role. She doesn't have the acting scope as seen when she has more screen time. Standout acting by the one and done cast. I especially liked gorgeous Krupa Pattani as Simone Skye who lit up the screen. All around strong episode overcame logic breaches as they came along. That's it for free streaming. Next season starts pay streaming only. I'm enjoying MM so I'll get the pay service until I've viewed all the episodes. I've really become a huge Neil Dudgeon fan as John Barnaby.

Sole less end to this series

[xmasdaybaby1966 · 6/10 · 11 January 2021]

We have just binged 126 stories in the past 7 months. Every plot made to date (3 more are due in 2021). We feel like we have made a great accomplishment but this is not the story to end our journey on. Poor writing, little humour, cardboard acting. So different to the early Tom Barnaby years but we still await the new episodes with vaulted breath.

With baited breath

[coltras35 · 7/10 · 28 December 2022]

Anglers flock to the village of Solomon Gorge desperate to catch a giant fish that is said to lurk in the lake. Their peace is ruined however when hundreds of sporting enthusiasts descend on the area for the Psycho Mud Run. Following the bitterness, fishing hooks and barbs are discovered hidden within the race obstacles before someone is found fatally electrocuted. Barnaby is left working out whether his death was another part of a sabotage gone wrong. An enjoyable episode with a good twist ending, and some imaginative murders. Theres good cast of suspects like usual. The location is good and the backdrop of the fishing community is well-realised.

What's going wrong here?

[ron-400-650503 · 3/10 · 23 March 2021]

Midsomer was always a 'must see' police drama with a strong cast and good intriguing storylines. Slowly, it's turning into a farce, an unwanted comedy of the worse and most misguided kind. Why is British TV hell bent on employing idiots who want to change everything, no doubt in the name of 'revamping'? The show works (used to), it doesn't need revamping. If producers want a police comedy/farce then bring back 'The thin blue line' or create something new - don't ruin an established show

Can't catch this fish

[sherondalewis-20531 · 7/10 · 2 June 2022]

I absolutely agree with a lot of the other viewers on here about this particular episode. I know this is a telling of a (imho) better episode called Death's Shadow with the great Richard Briers as a good natured Rev with an awful wife who finds via a confession from a dying parishioner, that he and some other boys were responsible (accidently) for killing his (unknown to the man) illegitimate son and the revenge he took out of all of them (sans 1).

This was like that. But, exchange the Rev for a former DCI, 10yr old son for a teen daughter, hut and run and drowned for hanging, and basically, there you go. Just a readjustment of that episode. Liked the former one better (due to Troy and Tom and the fact that said Rev was going to preceed over the renewal of vows for the 25th of Tom and Joyce). Also, the characters in that and the great Richard Briers who played being evil soo well and the finale..whew! Here, well...look, I liked the actor who played the former DCI/murderer. His compassion and his sadness over the death of his daughter was amazing. I liked the cool revenge part of how the mother of said victim got to do her part in getting those responsible pay (locking one of the murderers up in the room) for the police to come by. But, besides those 2 I have mentioned, you know what I love the most? The scene where John is using his psychology major to talknthe murderer out from committing another crime, and he keeps his DS and PC from jumping in and what happens...the murderer STILL throws him and the person responsible for his daughter's death (and to add insult to injury, forged her writing to make the mom believe she was alive and traveling), into the water to drown!! I actually applauded!! Why? Because you can't reason with a murderer! Call me cold but, if the guy had a gun, shot and killed her or knocked her unconscious and THEN thrown her into the water, I would have applauded LOUDER!! Even though she lived, I still enjoyed that. Also, Fluer. Anytime she is in the ep, I appreciate her more and more. She reminds me of George (I miss him and the late actor who played him, Barry Jackson).

Cons to this. Well, didn't like how the PC was acting like a "team" with Winters, giving EVERYONE the vibe she really wanted to get into his pressed suits but, nope. Red harring there. That sucked bullocks. The way John was trying to use reverse psychology to stop the murderer. Stop talking and just get on with it!

Also, I wanted to learn more about that fish and said local area (because after soo many years, NOW there is a place barely known)? I mean, there is Causton, Badger's Drift, Midsomer Magna, Midsomer Parva, even Goodman's Land made an appearance and a mentioned (Dark Autumn and Small Mercies with Olivia Coleman). I wanted to know more but...nope.

So, I gave this a 7. Not great but hey, better than some.

Viewing in America

[sailboater-62475 · 6/10 · 5 November 2021]

Many British shows such as Midsomer murders has a real following in America. Even in Kentucky. Except I prefer western saddles to English saddles badland is at her best an Dolman is always a thrill to watch. The only thing are the DS never seem to be married.

Goldilocks

[ummajon2003 · 4/10 · 10 June 2021]

Opening scene was charming with the cute background music. And it got interesting quick, but then...it got a bit boring as we were introduced to the characters. I nearly fell asleep until the course runners were sabatoged. It then got dull again immediately. Finally a murder half an hour in, but then the story just slowly swam along. With half an hour left, the story actually get's interesting with the discovery of the jeep and fraudulent letters. The Goldilocks, lost daughter, bit was compelling and should have been the main theme throughout, instead of the fishing, fitness, and lake monster elements. The lake and trees were pretty, the ex-detective was clearly the bad guy from the start, but still very well acted. The Jade character was cute and funny there at the end. She would make a nice addition to the regular cast. Some 4th wall bit about John retiring, but lets see...

With Baited Breath...people wait for 'Line of Duty'.

[studioAT · 3/10 · 31 March 2021]

ITV's loss of faith in this show is demonstrated by the fact they've dumped it in a Sunday night slot, knowing full well that an hour in people will turn off and watch 'Line of Duty'.

Unfortunately the quality of this episode didn't exactly tempt many to stay.

Woke drivel

[mivvi-80460 · 3/10 · 31 March 2021]

I was the biggest fan of of Midsomer It's so sad to see what they have done with this, it no longer works it's very tired and a lot of these shows are casting second rate actors to make up the numbers it's killing a lot of these type of TV programs.

Another silly Midsomer title that doesn't make sense...

[volare12 · 4/10 · 16 January 2021]

......with or without the pun (Yes, "baited" = fishing reference - we get it; but what does breath, bated or otherwise, have to do with anything going on here?) This episode actually does have some original and potentially interesting elements, but not enough is done with them. More mileage could have been gotten out of both the obstacle course and, especially, the lake monster, the latter being the most intriguing and atmospheric aspect of the story. It could and should have been incorporated to much better effect, rather than just treated like an afterthought, which is unfortunately the case. The writing in general is pretty lackluster: the characters are unmemorable, the plot feels like a rehash, and as others have said, anyone at all familiar with TV crime-procedural tropes will correctly identify the killer as soon as the person appears onscreen. The murders themselves are somewhat imaginatively staged, but the big denouement scene is oddly conceived and directed: there is nothing preventing the police from jumping in (literally) to rescue a hostage, but instead they just stand there talking and doing nothing to help until the person is just about to be killed. Very strange.

One plus is that the scenery around the lake is lovely and the locale is a refreshing change from the village and/or manor house settings we typically see on MM. Also effective as a plot point is the discovery of evidence of an earlier crime, which winds up figuring into the current case and injects a nice emotional element. However on the flip side, the writers have been inexplicably dulling down Winter enormously in the last several episodes, which is frustrating since he is my favorite of the Barnaby sidekicks and IMO Nick Hendrix has been doing a very good job in the role. For this outing they do it again, giving him an overeager and annoying female colleague who seems to make him tongue-tied, and a lame "will they get together?" subplot which ultimately goes nowhere.

And most disappointingly, by the end of the story we haven't learned anything more about the lake creature than we knew at the start (and that wasn't much). Overall I'd say "With Baited Breath" is a slight improvement over the previous episode, but it's still pretty sub-par.

Call it a day.

[colinrogers1 · 4/10 · 13 April 2021]

I'm tired of reviews that cast doubt on the ability of actors because of ethnicity. It's not "politically correct" or "woke" It's a reflection of modern Britain and its diverse demographic. So tough cheese to all these pathetic freaks who think they can get away with their extreme comments on the guise of a TV review.

Anyway... My love for MM has drifted to indifference . Neil Dudgeon is a good enough actor but not a lead. His Popeye face screws and hangdog expression when he's thinking, are just dreadfully tiring. Nettles would zing things along. The stories have dipped to the standard you'd expect of a daytime drama like Shakespeare and Hathaway. The actors can only do so much but there are so many sub plots that it becomes confusing and long winded like a soap opera. The old stories were able to arc on great plots with fewer actors and would stay focused. Not all stories were so contrived.

The fact we never see the inside of an interview room is pretty unique but helps paint the story in pastel not bold, so belongs in the daytime/ teatime schedule. Or much easier, call it a day!

What happened to this show?

[gerrithooyer · 5/10 · 19 April 2021]

I used to love the banter between John and Sarah. Now it seems their relationship has gone stale. I used to love how DCI Barnaby (John as well as Tom) took the mickey out of his DS. Now John seems more like a pompous bully ordering his henchman around whilst humiliating him. And what's with this PC Smartypants? How is that behaviour of sassing back at a superior officer tolerated? The acting seems more and more amateuristic. Seriously. There have got to be some better actors in the UK. And don't get me started about the murders. Did bludgeoning and stabbing go out of fashion. Why these intricate murder methods?

Weak acting, weak plot, weak characters... Why am I still watching?

This once wonderful series has morphed into PC drivel.

[lmillington · 1/10 · 29 March 2021]

OMG what has happened to my favorite TV program. I sat through the excruciating pain of watching this episode yesterday evening and hated it right from the off. This once amazing program has plumbed the depths of politically correct casting quotas with a constant stream of actors chosen for their ethnic background rather than ability or requirement. Every single scene suffered from it. Can't the PC brigade let us have ONE SINGLE program without ramming diversity down our throats.

Same story different cast

[david_lindhardt · 2/10 · 7 January 2020]

I actually liked this episode. Had a lot of cast with intertwining stories making it more difficult to guess the murderer, however when it came down to it the whole story of an unknown father who lost a child, and who learned of the killing because one of the killers confided in him has been done on this show before. An old episode where a young boy was found hanged in the woods, and then years later one of the children whom had been there when the boy accidentally had hanged himself confided in the local priest, not knowing the priest to be the young boys actual father. After 21 seasons no one can blame the writers for reusing some plotpoints but this was an all out ripoff and below this shows standars.