Midsomer Murders (TV Series) Dark Secrets (2011) User Reviews

I miss John Nettles

[blanche-2 · 7/10 · 7 September 2015]

Neil Dudgeon was better in this episode as Barnaby's cousin and replacement, but I still miss John Nettles and Barnaby's wife and daughter. Luckily, we still have Jones (Jason Hughes) who is hilarious and keeps things moving.

You can call just about any episode Dark Secrets, but in this one, they weren't kidding. In the opening scene, done in black and white to indicate it's in the past, we see a couple banished from a home and driving off. The car winds up in the water, and the people are believed drowned.

In the present, a social services officer is unsuccessful in seeing William and Mary Bingham, an elderly couple, and after having another problem, he complains to Barnaby. Two days later, he is found dead.

It doesn't take Barnaby and Jones long to figure out, via village gossip, that this murder is somehow tied to the Binghams' ousting of their son and daughter in the past, and they set off investigating. It's not easy to find the paperwork, but when he does, Barnaby finds out there was only one autopsy - the woman's body was never found.

Guilt enters the picture, and as a result, there will be one more murder.

I thought this was a very good episode. Midsomer Murders over the years have had their denouements based on past secrets, often of a sexual nature. This one didn't deviate from the pattern, but it was still good.

I'm sure Neil Dudgeon will grow on me, but the show will never be the same. You can't watch someone for fourteen years and just accept another lead. I can't, anyway.

The format of show works, regardless of the cast.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 8/10 · 3 October 2019]

Only the second episode for John Barnaby, but I think the face that they managed to change the lead actor, and that eight years later it's still going, shows that the format of the show works regardless of cast. I was a fan of Dudgeon in the role from the start, and his wife and dog make great additions.

Dark Secrets begins in dramatic fashion, the opening car scene was great, as was the almost comic turn provided by Jeff Rawle as the efficient social services worker.

I didn't care hugely for this when it first went out, but watching it now I thoroughly enjoyed it. It features a wonderful cast, Edward Fox is terrific, as were two wonderful returnees, Phylida Law and Haydn Gwynne.

The eccentric couple habiting on a house full of newspapers and pizza boxes are bonkers, but intriguing.

It's not a fast paced episode, it takes a bit of time to get going, but it's very enjoyable, and ends well. 8/10

Keeping it in the family

[Tweekums · 8/10 · 30 March 2011]

New lead Neil Dudgeon is quickly settling into the role of DCI John Barnaby even if his character is taking a little longer to settle in Midsomer. After spending the previous episode talking to the dog while at home he is now joined by his wife who has become head mistress of the local school; much to the chagrin of her deputy. The guest stars this week seemed like a 'Drop the Dead Donkey' reunion with Haydn Gwynne, Neil Pearson and Jeff Rawle appearing; although the last of these didn't last long, He played an officious social worker who managed to upset one couple by enquiring about the woman's parents then get thrown in a pond after irritating a local artists' community. As Barnaby and Jones investigate his murder both groups come under suspicion and it becomes clear that there are quite a few secrets being kept; the most important relating to a fatal accident in 1975.

This was another good episode for Neil Dudgeon who was able supported by a quality cast; this being Midsomer there was a fair amount of silliness and the motive for the murders could be guessed a while before it was revealed. As is usual the episode featured one unusual death; a victim was killed when crushed by a huge pile of old copies of the Daily Telegraph… I'm sure that will help the episode get a good review in that paper!

Favourite - Guests Stars sell this episode

[vintagegeek · 10/10 · 20 December 2019]

An incredible episode with lots of twists and turns. One of my favorites. I enjoy watching it once a year. There's lots of fun and peculiarities to keep it moving. Having Edward Fox and Phillida Law in the same episode is a real score. They top the list of great guest stars for this episode.

The new Barnaby is an improvement

[marybbloom · 8/10 · 5 October 2020]

I was not sure how I would like the new episodes with the new Barbaby and I was pleasantly surprised. His character is more subtile and humorous and his wife is definitely much more interesting and likeable than the passive phlegmatic Joyce also the relationship between them is warm and loving. Good work hope it goes on this way 😊

An enjoyable episode

[wjspears · 8/10 · 20 January 2022]

This was a much better episode than the first, which introduced DCI John Barnaby to us and Midsomer County. The addition of John Barnaby's wife, Sarah (Fiona Dolman) is a huge plus. Their banter, her liveliness, and her career as Causton school administrator is almost sure to be an asset to future episodes.

While I agree that the dumbing down of DS Ben Jones is noticeable and a little odd, what none of the reviewers seem to notice is that the same can be said of Dr. George Bullard, the police medical examiner.

This season John Barnaby has had to tell Bullard how to do his job more thoroughly at least once in both episodes. And each time, John Barnaby is shown to be correct. Dr. Bullard was never portrayed as being dull witted or stubborn--or whatever his problem is--when Tom Barnaby was DCI. In both Jones and Bullard's case, I hope the writers choose to bring the characters back to their original intelligence and rapport.

As far as the case this week, I found the characters enjoyable to watch--some were ditzy, some were conniving, and some were interesting. While the big secret was not one I guessed beforehand, the killer did seem obvious once the second murder occurred.

John Barnaby

[lawson14 · 17 February 2019]

I didn't really expect that John Barnaby to be an exact copy of Tom Barnaby, but I am put off by his somewhat adversarial relationship with Jones. I would think that John Barnaby would want to respect him rather than fling a string of critical remarks at him. But Jones seems to take it all in stride as he maintains his good humor. And he redeems himself somewhat as he disables a bomb.

On another note, isn't it interesting that although John Barnaby's house is way different on the outside, the inside looks almost exactly (ha, ha) like Tom Barnaby's house.

Neil Dudgeon's Talent Erupts to the Fore

[malabarspiceghk · 9/10 · 22 June 2023]

One thing is certain, Neil Dudgeon is a damn good actor. His histrionic talent is pleasantly amusing and rather noticeable. The first episode was rather drab and lacked the class that over the years this series has managed to establish. Though Tom is much loved, John Barnaby on the other hand is admissible. I have started liking him and he seems to be a great replacement for Tom. Ben lends aptly and both form a lovely team. The humour is more pronounced with Ben participating in the repartee. Overall a welcome change.

Edward Fox has proved once again what a great actor he is. He forms the crux of the episode on which the story revolves. Highly recommended.

Some problems

[CCKEITHA · 7/10 · 24 February 2019]

Very good performance by Edw Fox and it is one of last good episodes before the show became so "politically correct" but here is a huge problem. Barnaby tells the two young people that it would be fine if they were married but the boy is the product of the union of a brother and a sister AND they are really 1st cousins. Wouldn't want to see their children.

through the window, girl

[Gaslog · 6/10 · 19 July 2022]

In the opening segment, the young couple is dismissed from the house, the gentleman waving them off as if he never wants to see them again. The car goes careening down the road at a fast clip, gets out of control and ends in in a lake. The couple tries to escape by pushing up at the roof! Since the girl's window was OPEN , why didn't they escape through it ?? Just wondering. Otherwise I enjoyed the episode.

Excellent story. Script seems done here before.

[vitoscotti · 7/10 · 3 May 2021]

Well laid out, interesting story. Highlight is the supporng cast. John Barnaby able replacement. But, can be a little dry. Fiona Dolman is a wonderful addition as wife Sarah. The story feels like it takes a lot from other episodes and meshes them together. The story feels like a well done retread. Very predictable ending.

An improvement but a long way from a return to form

[TheLittleSongbird · 5/10 · 26 February 2017]

When in its prime (a vast majority of Seasons 1-9), 'Midsomer Murders' was a great show and one that is watched and re-watched frequently. Seasons 10-13 became more uneven, with three of the show's worst episodes coming from Seasons 11 and 13, but there were a few solid episodes and "Blood Wedding" and especially "Master Class" were gems.

After John Nettles retired and Neil Dudgeon and the new character of John Barnaby took over, 'Midsomer Murders' just hasn't been the same, most of the reasons being detailed later in this review. Not all the John Barnaby-era episodes are awful, but too many were average at best and some were lame. "Dark Secrets" is an improvement over the okay at best "Death in the Slow Lane". But classic 'Midsomer Murders' or a return to form? No.

There are plenty of good things here. The production values as usual are wonderful, the idyllic look of it contrasting very well with the story's grimness, and quaint and atmospheric photography. The music fits perfectly, with some lush jauntiness and sometimes an ominous quality, and the theme tune one of the most memorable and instantly recognisable of the genre.

Jason Hughes does his best to give an amusing charm and Fiona Dolman is pleasant enough in her debut. In support, an enjoyably hammy Edward Fox (if at times overdoing it) and wonderful Phyllida Law stand out. Sykes once again steals every scene he appears in, that's one adorable and funny dog. There is also one of the show's most imaginative murder methods in some time involving a pile of newspapers.

Neil Dudgeon looks more comfortable and a little less pompous and demeaning, but still plays the role a little too heavily and humourlessly. His chemistry with Jones, who is still a bit dumbed down but nowhere near as much a dolt as in the previous episode, is still bland but fares a little better with Dolman. The supporting characters are either bland or over-the-top, instead of being colourful and eccentric most of them are just nasty. Jeff Rawle isn't in the episode long enough to make much of an impression.

The script also feels too heavy and charmless, while the story is preposterous (yes even for latter years 'Midsomer Murders') while not only taking things too seriously and dragging out familiar themes too long but also for such dark themes doesn't feel dark enough. The ending, motives and murderer (all suspectable very early on) are all too obvious too soon.

In conclusion, better than "Death in the Slow Lane" but a return to form it isn't. 5/10 Bethany Cox

Utterly Ridiculous Fun

[deansscreen · 2 December 2020]

Once again, we're faced with a hilarious murder--this is a TV show, after all--that defies all logic and reason. A demented recluse murders his wife by tipping over a tower of newspapers onto the woman. Don't ask about the tower; just assume it's possible that the couple could save, apparently, thousands of papers and construct towers of them all over their mansion. The rest of show is relatively straightforward by comparison. The son of two siblings (yes) turns out to be entirely normal, even handsome and intelligent. A crackpot artist divines diseases in horses. And the new Barnaby stitches everything together by getting Jones to examine the names of craters on the moon. I have stopped asking for verisimilitude in this series. It's best to sit back, watch the carnival, and ask how scriptwriters come up with entertainment like this. If my irony is too heavy-handed, I'm saying that I enjoyed this episode. It's light-hearted murder at its best.

Impressive cast, story lala

[dazza-80955 · 6/10 · 14 September 2022]

Quite an enjoyable episode and nice to Sarah added to the scene. However Causton Comp looked totally different during Troy's time. Although I have always liked and admired Edward Fox, thus role was silly and didn't fit him at all. Haydn Gwynn is wonderful but her portrayal of a Horse whisperer and artist just sadly didn't work for me. Neil Pearson always seems to play a flamboyant over confident ladies man.

JB is slowly getting to know Causton but his continual put down of Ben is already becoming boring. I think Tom would've done more to help John get on better termswith Ben and George Bullard. I hope it changes soon. Sarah clearing and emptying all the moving boxes, putting everything in its place including hanging pictures on the wall in the afternoon after her first day of work was remarkably quick. The murderer was easy enough to work out although I don't believe they would have kills Phillyda Laws character. What's truly annoying and sad is how many times have MM Stories involved' keep it in the family' incest. Yuk!! We don't need it and it's truly disgusting. No more please.

A Drop the Dead Donkey reunion

[boxyfella · 7/10 · 11 November 2021]

The identity of the killer was telegraphed way too early. There was only one person who could have heard the killer's wife on the telephone to Barnaby. Having said that, it was a big improvement on Death in the Slow Lane, with a return to traditional Midsomer themes. Although I still don't like Barnaby's antagonistic attitude to Jones, who once more saves his boss's bacon at the climax.

Needs better writing - too static. The ending dragged on and on and....

[lornagwater · 6/10 · 30 December 2018]

For an atheist, DCI John Barnaby got in a fair amount of preaching at the end of this episode. Too much preaching, in fact. Yawn.

Not great, but ok.

[harrykivi · 5/10 · 12 December 2022]

"Dark Secrets" is definitely better than the previous episode of the 14th season. It's still not a very good "Midsomer Murders" entry, but it manages to be average at best.

Let's start with the good aspects.

. The production values of the episode are great as usual. The direction's decent and the music fits the scenery very well. The acting's pretty good for the most part. Fiona Dolman is enjoyable in her debut, but out of the solid guest stars Haydn Gwynne and Phyllida Law fare the best. Edward Fox is not bad either, he is just a bit too much at times.

. The mystery has some interesting parts. The murders are clever (especially the one regarding newspapers) and the suitably wry humor helps to make the story a lot more fun.

But.....

. The mystery gets silly at times and the story does drag with the narrative being not as dark or interesting as promised. Ben Jones and Dr Bullard are, agreed, again written as unprofessionals, who do not know much about policework. The characters are mostly lifeless and the solution (William's the killer) is quite predictable at the end of the day.

Overall, an okay episode.

5/10 HK.

New guy has little charm but show's bulletproof

[phlbrq56 · 31 October 2013]

I'm watching new guy episodes on Acorn TV after watching all previous on Netflix. It's still a British Eden menaced by people you'd never suspect of murder and that still works. The new guy seems miscast and quite unlikable. Brits might have a more comfortable take on this actor but being totally unfamiliar with him I shake my head in bewilderment. I'll keep watching but he makes me wince. I miss John Nettles along with his character's family. It just surprises me that a show that casts such great guest stars and feature actors could go with this new guy. I'm watching another episode now and you can see him mug,not listen, but wait to get out his next line.

A legitimate concern

[cavalryman · 7/10 · 8 June 2023]

Having watched every MSM episodes years ago, I am halfway through reviewing them again. Today I hold the same overall opinion I did way back then: this is a most distinguished series, notable for its high production values, quality and often masterful performances by one actor after another, interesting and frequently quirky plots, although the motives of the murderers are often wildly implausible. What I have noticed the second time around-- apparently not during the first--is the plethora of plots, including this episode's, that revolve around illegitimate births, sometimes arising from sex between siblings or between parents and their offspring. Yes, I'm a prudish crank, but sexual situations as a whole don't bother me. And I ask myself: do the producers and writers really have to stoop to this to maintain the quality of the series?

If you're partner was shtooping your step mum you would want to know

[msjflzwoop · 6/10 · 18 September 2020]

They keep this secret and so save the happiness of the young man, but does the young woman not count at all?

If it was a young woman shtooping her partners step dad behind his back, I'm sure they wouldn't find it acceptable to keep him naive and oblivious!!!

Horrendous recycling of a horrendous story

[Apd227 · 1/10 · 16 August 2022]

Coming late to this series. Watched the first one and they did this brother sister crap then too. It's absolutely revolting. How many incestuous stories do they need to sell?

A little too close for comfort

[getinbusiness · 14 January 2015]

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

I think the new DCI Barnaby has settled in marvelously and Jones is brilliant as ever, funny. I love the addition of Sykes the dog!

Regarding this episode, it was decent, but there seems to be a bit of an obsession with incent among the midsommer writers, its not the first time it has popped up, is it a way of depicting what really goes on among these recluse dysfunctional toffs or just pure fantasy?

With these people, from the outside, it always seems rosey, wealth, success property etc however deep beneath it all, there are always dark secrets...

Aside from that, I always enjoy the scenery and the interactions between barnaby and jones, an enjoyable two hours spent

TMI

[ummajon2003 · 4/10 · 12 June 2021]

With a compelling opening scene, the mystery starts strong. Sarah arrives and well, here she is, inviting everyone over for a visit. Several unlikable characters are immediately introduced, though Jeff Rawle does an entertaining job as the harmless and unfairly bullied Dawkins. And clearly Mr. Bingham is in old man make up and using a fake old man voice--Oh, wait, he wasn't? Fooled me! Anyway, Jones is so awfully irritable these days, no wonder he hasn't found the "right one." Anyhow, the topic of (SPOILER) incest harkens back to the very first creepy use of the topic in S1E1, which is just...creepy.