A man sits up against a tree. No one notices him right away, but he is dead, poisoned with cyanide. After he dies, his estranged wife appears and identifies him, but her knowledge of him is sketchy and quite incomplete. He ran off shortly after their marriage, which seemed to be a pattern with him. We soon learn that there are forces at work that surface as more information is gleaned. Blake does a neat job trying to do some code breaking.
3 Reviews
The mystery of the John Doe
TheLittleSongbird16 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.
Season 2 is still very good. So is "A Foreign Field", if not as much as the previous two Season 2 episodes. Unlike those two films, it does get a little too complicated in spots. By now, having said that, 'The Doctor Blake Mysteries' felt like it had found its feet and had established things well by this point. Relationships and characters continue to deepen, the mysteries are even twistier and the pace has more lustre.
Like the rest of the series, "A Foreign Field" 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.
Writing continues to be 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 mostly riveting, suspensefully written and you care about having it solved. The denouement is neat and unexpected, if not the easiest to wrap your head around at first. The characters are well written and more than just stereotypes, Lucien Blake still has it in how fascinating a character he is.
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. The relationships between the characters are well worth investing in.
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.
Season 2 is still very good. So is "A Foreign Field", if not as much as the previous two Season 2 episodes. Unlike those two films, it does get a little too complicated in spots. By now, having said that, 'The Doctor Blake Mysteries' felt like it had found its feet and had established things well by this point. Relationships and characters continue to deepen, the mysteries are even twistier and the pace has more lustre.
Like the rest of the series, "A Foreign Field" 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.
Writing continues to be 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 mostly riveting, suspensefully written and you care about having it solved. The denouement is neat and unexpected, if not the easiest to wrap your head around at first. The characters are well written and more than just stereotypes, Lucien Blake still has it in how fascinating a character he is.
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. The relationships between the characters are well worth investing in.
In summary, very good. 8/10 Bethany Cox
Complicated Piece About Traitors and Loyalty
l_rawjalaurence30 November 2014
Watching the series of the DOCTOR BLAKE MYSTERIES unfolds, one really gets the sense that the Victorian town of Ballarat is similar to Cavett Cove in MURDER SHE WROTE - there are so many murders in the town that one wonders why more significant steps haven't been taken to reduce the crime-rate. Such measures, of course, would put our eponymous hero (Craig McLachlan) out of business, but then verisimilitude isn't perhaps too high on the agenda while watching a series like this.
This episode revolves round the death of a mysterious foreigner who is found leaning against a tree. The subsequent plot involves his wife (Natasha Herbert), a librarian at the local Historical Society (Belinda McClory), and a surly foreman working in an orange-grove (Mick O'Malley). Unlike previous episodes, the resolution is perhaps not too clearly worked out - one still doesn't quite know how the victim met his bloody end.
What makes this series so eminently watchable is its desire for historical authenticity - in a country still not quite accustomed to immigrants, the white Australians believe that the best way to communicate with non-English speakers is to shout at them in loud and clear voices. The presence of such people in a tight-knit town community inevitably causes suspicion; their purpose in coming there must be suspicious, especially during the Cold War era. Dr. Blake remains blissfully free of such prejudices, enabling him to solve the case with his usual blend of clear-headedness and native cunning.
This episode revolves round the death of a mysterious foreigner who is found leaning against a tree. The subsequent plot involves his wife (Natasha Herbert), a librarian at the local Historical Society (Belinda McClory), and a surly foreman working in an orange-grove (Mick O'Malley). Unlike previous episodes, the resolution is perhaps not too clearly worked out - one still doesn't quite know how the victim met his bloody end.
What makes this series so eminently watchable is its desire for historical authenticity - in a country still not quite accustomed to immigrants, the white Australians believe that the best way to communicate with non-English speakers is to shout at them in loud and clear voices. The presence of such people in a tight-knit town community inevitably causes suspicion; their purpose in coming there must be suspicious, especially during the Cold War era. Dr. Blake remains blissfully free of such prejudices, enabling him to solve the case with his usual blend of clear-headedness and native cunning.
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