Father Brown (TV Series) The Standing Stones (2015) User Reviews

Beware the stones of Blood

[Sleepin_Dragon · 6/10 · 26 September 2017]

I can see why this has come in for some stick, and why for many it's seen as one of the weaker entries in a very strong series.

Some positives, polio was a horrific affliction which affected many people during this time, including my own grandparents, I thought the way it was dealt with was very good, showing just how tough it was for those poor people. The usual production values, filming, costumes etc were all on point. Mark Williams and co never disappoint.

The downside for Mr was the story itself, which I found somewhat silly, the characters were rather badly drawn, even the likes of Mark Benton and Sandy McDade, both actors I have a huge fondness for failed to bring to life their respective characters.

The show is always on point, so a little blip can be forgiven 6/10

I'm still Standing

[safenoe · 6/10 · 25 August 2023]

Mark Benton (who later found huge fame in Shakespeare and Hathaway) guest stars as a police officer, and you know that he's going to be a focal point in the plotline and that he won't appear again (unless he reappears as a completely new character).

Here you have human sacrifice and all, all to eradicate polio which was the pandemic of the time. It's quite gruesome, and Father Brown willing to sacrifice his life was quite something. Interesting discussion about the spirituality of that.

Anyway, I'm enjoying catching up on the early years of Father Brown, and also Magnum, P. I., as part of daytime viewing.

How to get away with murder, really.

[pensman · 1/10 · 18 February 2017]

In general I enjoy the Father Brown series; but this episode is terrible. This is the 1950's not the 1650's. The local village is suffering from a polio epidemic; an epidemic I remember very well. When one of my friends was diagnosed, we all had to get gamma globulin shots as a prophylactic measure. I will never forget the size of the needles used.

In this episode the members of this English village obviously had never heard of any medical preventatives so they decide a blood sacrifice will do the trick. So the local witches / druids lure who they believe to be an innocent woman to their "stones" where she is murdered. When the epidemic hasn't been halted overnight, they arrange for a second sacrifice. Father Brown with some last minute help, stop the sacrifice. First, I am aghast at the stupidity; but worse, but for two of those involved, the other participants who are parents, whose names are known and one is even a nurse, they don't get arrested for their part in the murder.

I don't know English law but all these people are accessories before the fact, that is one who aids, abets, assists, incites, or encourages another person in the commission of the crime (such as one who prepares a weapon for an assault or provides the matches for arson). And they are accessories after the fact as they all help shelter, relieve, or assist a felon after a crime has already been committed. And yet they walk with both Father Brown and by-the-book Inspector Sullivan letting would be murderers alone.

We left at the end to assume the leader of the group and that one member who is a copper may face a judge but everyone just gets a bye your leave. Penelope Keith would have a hard time selling this place on her PBS series about charming English villages.

The Standing Stones

[Prismark10 · 5/10 · 14 November 2017]

The action moves to the nearby village of Standing, surprisingly Father Brown knows everyone there as well.

Standing is suffering with an outbreak of polio affecting its children. Some of the villagers are resorting to witchcraft and blood sacrifice as a local barmaid is found killed at the stone circle.

Her best friend Ginnie is arrested whose own son is in hospital with polio. A local eccentric mystic discovers a connection that a legend about sacrificing an innocent at the stones might be linked with making the polio go away.

This is an episode that is a give away when a well known guest star plays the village bobby. In fact it is an episode where really the whole village should had been arrested. I also think it plays an homage to the Tom Baker era Doctor Who story The Stones of Blood.

Really like father Brown but...

[jerseygirl49-674-599559 · 5/10 · 18 December 2021]

I really like this show but it is very tedious the stupid police chief just arrests whomever and father Brown solves everything. You would think the idiot inspector would appreciate father Brown. He ruins it for me he takes being an idiot to another level!

Sacrificing to idols, cult practices and beliefs

[ctyankee1 · 1 February 2015]

G.K. Chesterton the writer of Father Brown is supposedly writing about religious topics. It seems there is more immoral things in this series and I don't know if they were included in his stories.

This is the story of a woman killed near a rock where blood is shed and the person who is "sacrificed" is supposed to be pure. Their death is too grant wishes of the person or peoples doing it.

This episode is like something in the Bible when people disobeyed God, killed their children and sacrificed them to an idol for whatever reason.

The town is overtaken by polio and many people are dieing or sick. A group of people form a cult around the "Standing Stone" taking lives thinking this will stop the polio. The person they kill is supposed to be a innocent or pure person. The people that are doing the killing are drunks, and others that are not "pure".

This is like a heathen episode. Father Brown sees this happening and offers himself in place of the man that they are about to kill.

Father Brown gives some good preaching but not enough to enlighten people because supposedly he knows the Bible and the sacrifice Jesus made for us all.

Jesus shed his blood, died on the Cross so that people's sins are forgiven for those who believe in him. Brown makes all these episodes look as if confessing sins to him, a Catholic priest will save their soul. This is far from the truth. A person has to go to God not some person. A person listening to peoples sins cannot forgive sin. They could only hear it. He also makes it clear in episodes that a priest cannot divulge a confession. So to me this is like saying tell me all the bad things you did and don't worry about. I realize Brown wants to bring people to God but him just concentrating on confession is not what brings salvation to a soul. He does get people to go to the police on their own, most of the time.

I wish the series would also talk about earthly judgement for killing others. Writers in general make excuses for bad behavior and Father Brown stands by people because "they confess to God" (and him). "He abused me, he killed my mother etc". Excuses of society even today to justify the killing of another human being.

Including the character of Lady Felicia is also a insult to the series. She is like a rich prostitute who befriends any man and she thinks is handsome and Brown uses her to get into rich influence to meet others and get info to solve crimes.

Father Brown is funny at times. His mannerisms and gestures are probably why I continue to watch this series. I do like the humor in this series. Brown makes Inspector Sullivan mad because of his sleuthing and interference in crimes and what he finds out.

Read the Bible. Confession is not enough. Sacrificing to idols is a sin. God is still in charge and Father Brown cannot change that.

Not up to the usual standard, but interesting.

[epacrisimpressa · 4/10 · 31 January 2023]

The theme of an epidemic of polio is the most interesting aspect of this very odd episode. Perhaps the producers should have explored this further instead of the melodrama they actually chose to produce.

Sadly Pagans are portrayed here yet again as murdering lunatics, in contrast with the saintly Christians. As we well know, a great many Christians (although of course a minority) have done terrible things, including child abuse. Both sides are just fallible humans, after all. Strangely, Father Brown turns out to be remarkably forgiving of the Pagans in this episode. Most unlikely also is that the police would allow some of the perps to walk free and return calmly to their lives. As I said, an odd one.