User reviews

One of the show's high points has to be Sauce for The Goose, a great plot, fantastic characters, great locations, twists and turns, plus a hugely satisfying conclusion.

Sauce for the Goose comes from what I consider a particular high point in the show's history. It's a storyline that works on every level, the fact that there's only one murder means that the whole episode is focused on two aspects, who killed Dexter Lockwood, and who's trying to make Amelia Plummer go off the rails.

I don't think you'll find many episodes with a stronger set of characters then this one, you have the dysfunctional Plummers, served by the loyal Hardwicks, pursued in business by The Lockwoods. I utterly love the brother and sister pairing of Anselm and Caroline, wonderfully over the top, the pair are ridiculous but humorous.

The trump card has to be Ann Beach, fans of Fresh Fields will recognise 'it's only Sonia,' I think the fact that they named her character Sonia is a heads up to that, she's great in this adding a little sparkle of humour. Geraldine Alexander I think steals the show as wife Helen (as she so often does.) You can't watch this without appreciating just how good an actress Annette Crosbie is, the final scene she appears in is multi layered, she's brilliant.

So much in this one for loyal fans and casual viewers, the don't make 'um like this any more. 9/10

This is a classic plot for the series, involving feuding family members and a murder in an interesting location (a relish factory). As it happens, the US Biography Channel premiered this episode on the same day they re-ran the very first pilot episode of MM. Both episodes begin with an elderly lady on a 3-wheeled bicycle, cycling through town greeting various inhabitants. Was this deliberate? Looks like a tribute to me! Annette Crosbie, who has many film and TV credits behind her, puts in another fine performance as a slightly daft old woman whose past figures significantly in the development of the plot. Seeing the pilot with a series 8 episode back-to-back also revealed the development of wrinkles in the main characters. It happens to the best of us.

This is my favorite kind of mystery. It has a cast of characters, each carrying their own baggage, but beset with arrogance and smugness. It centers around a relish factory that has been known to people for years. Unfortunately, it has fallen on hard times and is not producing the income it once did. This brings about an effort by one of the Plummer sons and his wife to try to get the majority owner, a wimpy guy who just wants to watch birds (Ralph, pronounced the British way, like RAIF). One morning, a man is found in chamber used to process food. He has, for all practical purposes, been cooked. Who is he? Why was he there. As is usually the case, Barnaby and Scott are not award of some serious history here that they must discover to move on. The attractive wife of the birdwatcher catches Barnaby's eye. There are times when he seems to have roving one and his wife, who is bland but perfect for him, suspects he is captivated. The beauty of this episode is that there is little obvious, but the conclusion is quite nicely conceived. There is a nice performance by a British actress, Annette Crosby, as the matriarch, who borders on dementia, but is also the most aware of all. Good job.

Not quite the best of the eighth season, like "Hidden Depths" which felt like classic 'Midsomer Murders' or the near classic "Bantling Boy", but a long way from the worst like the somewhat dull "Dead in the Water" and in particular the pretty disgraceful "Second Sight" (to me a show low-point).

Like Season 6's "Painted in Blood", "Sauce for the Goose" is different in that the body count is low, although in comparison to that episode "Sauce for the Goose" is darker and not as tame in terms of atmosphere. To me, "Sauce for the Goose" is a very good episode that executes pretty much all its components solidly, Only the pacing could have been improved on, with some of the middle third having benefited more from tighter and less rambling pacing and that some of the slightly repetitious family arguing was slightly trimmed. When it comes to criticisms though, that's pretty much it.

As always the production values are top notch, with to die for scenery, the idyllic look of it contrasting very well with the story's grimness, and quaint and atmospheric photography. The relish factory is also a very unique setting for a murder mystery, well for 'Midsomer Murders' anyhow. 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.

Meanwhile, the script is smart and thought-provoking often with some lovely quirky humour, dynamic tension and bags of eccentric charm. The characters are suitably colourful, with Annette Crosbie's character being quite easy to warm to. Much of the story is compelling, and never simplistic or convoluted, nothing's obvious and everything is explained neatly with no signs of being confused.

John Nettles is superb, while matched ideally by John Hopkins and their spirited chemistry. Annette Crosbie's lovely performance stands out of the supporting turns.

Overall, "relish-boiling" stuff on the most part apart from dragging a tad in the middle. 8/10 Bethany Cox

For me, the era of Sergeant Scott is as good as that of Sergeant Troy. Scott, of course, is an ambiguous character, but I don't understand why many people don't like him. I think he was great in episodes like"The Fisher King", "The Straw Woman"or "Ghosts of Christmas Past." As for the episodes, I can't remember a single completely bad episode with Scott (such as "Midsomer Life" or "the Black Book"), except for" Orchis Fatalis", but it wasn't completely bad either. "Sause for the Goose" is a pretty solid episode, though not flawless.

Here, despite one of the most gruesome murders of the series, a very cozy family atmosphere, similar to the novels of Agatha Christie and the series "Poirot". The series moves slowly, slowly, but it does not create boredom, as in "Market for Murder", and looks nice, slow and atmospheric. The Plummer family are fantastic characters, especially Anselm and his sister Caroline. The music is great, especially in the final.

However, the episode was not without its drawbacks. In addition to the already mentioned brutal murder, the episode also leaves a heavy aftertaste.

As a result, the episode could be among the most interesting, but some elements do not allow it to become such. 8/10

Why are so many of the factory workers wearing white mesh fedoras over their hairnets? Is that a UK or EU thing?

Pretty good episode but a tad predictable.