A young guy of questionable decision making ability, finds himself arrested for murder. A prospector has been flashing a small quantity of gold, and draws attention to himself in a pub. This costs him his life. The question is whether the dumb guy takes the fall because he had hoped to find enough gold to do something for his fiancée. But there are some other issues that surface as Blake investigates and some very personal to him. There is quite a scene when Blake gets drunk and tells off some government officials, embarrassing his friends and families. This is just a bit confusing at times but a pretty good episode.
2 Reviews
Striking gold
TheLittleSongbird3 April 2018
'The Doctor Blake Mysteries' may not quite be among my favourite shows of all time, but it's a riveting series that keeps getting better and one of the better detective drama shows in recent years. It is always fascinating to see a mystery series from outside England and America, and 'The Doctor Blake Mysteries' is one of the better examples.
Unfortunately, 'The Doctor Blake Mysteries' tends to be buried within daytime television scheduling, both on the BBC when first getting into it three or so years ago and on not as much watched channel (i.e. Alibi). It also tends to be aired at a time where most people will be at school or work, for me it was during sporadic periods when not needing to go into music college. The series deserves much better than that when it has consistently been one of the better shows to be aired in the early afternoon.
"All That Glitters" is not quite one of the best Season 1 episodes, with a few parts needing more clarity and could have been explored more (agree about it occasionally being confusing). Season 2 onwards were a little tighter in pace perhaps with Season 1 at times having a finding-its-feet feel, while the stories became slightly richer. With "If the Shoe Fits", and with the previous two episodes, the show showed signs of settling if not quite fully.
As ever, "All That Glitters", like the rest of the series, is exceptionally well made. The post-war period is beautifully evoked in the sumptuous but also atmospheric settings and scenery and charming costumes and period detail. It is beautifully shot and atmospherically lit, the dark grey-ish tinge being very appropriate and adding much to the overall feel of the episode. It is scored sensitively and the haunting theme tune gets embedded in the brain, while the direction is suitably restrained.
For so early on, the writing is very good with the tone established very well. There is great thought-provoking dialogue that always makes the mystery elements interesting but the atmosphere doesn't ever feel too grim. The story is generally riveting, if at times slow, suspensefully written and you care about having it solved. The solution is not obvious nor is it too complicated. The characters are well written and more than just stereotypes, already Lucien Blake is a fascinating protagonist.
Craig McLachlan is superb in the role as well, quite possibly his best role and certainly the best acting he's ever done. He seemed an unlikely choice at first, but the character suits him perfectly. All the acting is very good actually, and seldom if ever any less. Love the character relationships too.
In summary, very good. 8/10 Bethany Cox
Unfortunately, 'The Doctor Blake Mysteries' tends to be buried within daytime television scheduling, both on the BBC when first getting into it three or so years ago and on not as much watched channel (i.e. Alibi). It also tends to be aired at a time where most people will be at school or work, for me it was during sporadic periods when not needing to go into music college. The series deserves much better than that when it has consistently been one of the better shows to be aired in the early afternoon.
"All That Glitters" is not quite one of the best Season 1 episodes, with a few parts needing more clarity and could have been explored more (agree about it occasionally being confusing). Season 2 onwards were a little tighter in pace perhaps with Season 1 at times having a finding-its-feet feel, while the stories became slightly richer. With "If the Shoe Fits", and with the previous two episodes, the show showed signs of settling if not quite fully.
As ever, "All That Glitters", like the rest of the series, is exceptionally well made. The post-war period is beautifully evoked in the sumptuous but also atmospheric settings and scenery and charming costumes and period detail. It is beautifully shot and atmospherically lit, the dark grey-ish tinge being very appropriate and adding much to the overall feel of the episode. It is scored sensitively and the haunting theme tune gets embedded in the brain, while the direction is suitably restrained.
For so early on, the writing is very good with the tone established very well. There is great thought-provoking dialogue that always makes the mystery elements interesting but the atmosphere doesn't ever feel too grim. The story is generally riveting, if at times slow, suspensefully written and you care about having it solved. The solution is not obvious nor is it too complicated. The characters are well written and more than just stereotypes, already Lucien Blake is a fascinating protagonist.
Craig McLachlan is superb in the role as well, quite possibly his best role and certainly the best acting he's ever done. He seemed an unlikely choice at first, but the character suits him perfectly. All the acting is very good actually, and seldom if ever any less. Love the character relationships too.
In summary, very good. 8/10 Bethany Cox
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
