Midsomer Murders (TV Series) The Maid in Splendour (2004) User Reviews

murder and mayhem

[blanche-2 · 7/10 · 26 September 2014]

Barnaby and Scott are drawn into an investigation concerning a barman at a Midsomer Worthy pub, Maid in Splendor. The young man was Jamie Cruikshank. The bar has changed hands amid some controversy: it's now owned by Stephen Bannerman, a property developer, who wants to make the local hangout more high end. The pub previously belonged to his father, Michael, who didn't approve of Stephen' plans. He also didn't approve of Stephen's affair with Bella Monday, the daughter of his lifelong friend Audrey.

Then Stephen is killed, and Barnaby wonders if Cruickshank's death was a mistake.

Good episode, and a dark one, literally as well as figuratively as there are a lot of night scenes. As usual, the locations are beautiful. Scott is much different from Troy, Barnaby's old partner. Where Troy was more subtle about his desire for various members of the opposite sex, Scott is an open flirt who drives Barnaby crazy. I like the interaction between the two; it can get very spirited.

A fine episode, and a rather sad one.

Excellent

[Schweizer85 · 8/10 · 9 March 2021]

I really enjoy re-watching this episode. Excellent script with brilliantly written convincing characters. It's rare that characters in Midsomer Murders are allowed to develop like they are in this one.

I'm a big fan of the Scott episodes, whilst he's not got the charm or humour of Troy or Jones, he really does bring something to the table and the working relationship between him and Barnaby is great. It's very believable and in this episode a lot of the humour comes from Scott's distraction by a pretty young girl being in the frame, much to Barnaby's annoyance.

I also love the scenes in the pub between the charmless Stephen and the three regular drinkers, the character of Mr Benbo is a great addition to the plot.

Delightfully Convoluted

[Hitchcoc · 9/10 · 11 March 2016]

This is a very nice entry in the canon. A local pub, "The Maid in Splendour," is being turned over to a young woman, who is going to take it apart and turn it into an upscale restaurant. It has been frequented forever by local working men and a few bar flies. There is little happiness about its fate. One night a young man, going through the woods, approaches a cabin after hearing sounds coming from it. When he opens the door, he is blow away by a shotgun blast. Later, another man, one who is anathema to just about everyone, is killed in the same manner. We get to meet a whole cast of characters, each with his or her own set of problems. One of the people is the jovial former owner, who is aging and upset at what is happening to his old place. Most of the time, one can get a handle on who is the negative force, but there are enough red herrings and distractions (that fit properly, so they are not gratuitous) to keep us guessing to the bitter end. Nice work.

Nice rebound from 2 sub par episodes.

[vitoscotti · 8/10 · 11 October 2019]

Suspenseful from start to finish. Characters are very interesting. Scott is getting more livelier. Look for Cully's cute little car. Plenty of red herrings. The ending is a reach maybe. As Arthur Spooner said to himself about much younger Holly. "It'll never work. Or would it?" But what the hey. It was a fun watch. Vito S 10-11-19

Loved the way the Maid in splendour legend was related..

[marybbloom · 8/10 · 4 July 2020]

Good episode. The intense emotions of the characters, obsessions, greed and not too many victims this time :-) I would have chosen a different murderer though. Stephen's wife would be perfect. Nice that they spared Michael though and gave him an easy go out (heart attack) instead of going to prison.

Solid Midsomer Murders mystery.

[poolandrews · 6/10 · 18 August 2007]

Midsomer Murders: The Maid in Splendour is set in the Midsomer village of Midsomer Worthy where the local pub named The Maid in Splendour is the center of speculation as former landlord Michael Bannerman (William Gaunt) has retired & handed the reins over to his son Stephen (Alan Cox) & his wife Lorna (Rachel Power) who are planning to turn it into a posh restaurant. When one of the staff Jamie Cruickshank (Leon Ockenden) is found murdered in some local woods called Hunter's Wood near a rundown cottage DCI Tom Barnaby (John Nettles) & Sgt. Dan Scott (John Hopkins) have to uncover the truth & find a murderer, however the mystery deepens when Stephen is also murdered with no apparent motive for either...

Episode 5 from season 7 this Midsomer Murders mystery was directed by Richard Holthouse & I liked it but I didn't think it was a classic. The script by Andrew Payne has all the usual Midsomer Murders ingredients particularly the incident in the distant past which makes a motive for murder during the present that a lot of Midsomer Murders episodes rely on, this one only has a couple of murders in it & it's one of those rare occasions that I actually guessed the killers identity fairly early on & although I couldn't be sure I was proved right in the end. This one also has a bizarre plot detail where a man confesses his love for a young girl even though he's old enough to be her Grandfather & it's an odd, perverse & somewhat unsettling scene. The motive for murder here isn't that great, I know people can get possessive but would you kill someone in cold blood because of a girl who at that time didn't even know you existed? I'm not sure I would to be honest with you. As usual this Midsomer Murders is exposition heavy & at almost two hours with commercials you need to concentrate as otherwise the end may not make as much sense as it should. I liked it but then I'm a fan of the show so maybe I'm biased, it's good but not Midsomer Murders best.

This one looks as nice as ever with plenty of rural English locations for those of you who like that sort of thing, The George Hotel in Dorchester in Oxfordshire was used for The Maid in Splendour pub if that sort of fact interests you. Both murders are the same as people are shot with twelve-bore shotguns, there's a bit of blood but nothing too graphic. The production values are high & the acting is very good as usual.

The Maid in Splendour is a good solid Midsomer Murders mystery that I enjoyed although the eventual motives are a little weak & I guessed the killers identity a little too easily, good but not great.

Splendid Splendour? Not far off....

[Sleepin_Dragon · 7/10 · 26 May 2017]

I watched this tonight for the first time, an episode that had passed by unseen. The first thing I was struck by was just how very character driven this one was, the whole thing hinged on the complex relationships of the characters. The murders themselves, basic shootings, nothing contrived or over the top, almost a secondary focus. As I say I enjoyed the story, I particularly liked the interplay between Michael and Audrey, Michael Gaunt and Frances Tomelty are both excellent, as is Sophie Hunter.

Some very good elements to this one, it's nice to see Barnaby in grumpy for a change, clear he's annoyed at Scott throughout and on his case, he's also tougher during the closing interview.

The story builds really well....until the ending, which I thought let it down badly, it seemed utterly unrealistic, spoiling the episode a little. I couldn't believe in Michael's declaration of love, it didn't ring true.

Not vintage, but very good. 7/10

Bit slow, but the motive was all too believable

[depaysement · 6/10 · 21 March 2020]

The much-admired Michael Bannerman has retired and handed his pub, The Maid in Splendour, over to his son Stephen and daughter-in-law Lorna. One of the employees, Jamie Cruickshank, is shot dead in the nearby woods, and shortly afterward Stephen is shot, evidently by someone he knew. There doesn't seem to be an obvious motive for Jamie's murder, although Stephen was in the running for Least Popular Man in the village (Midsomer Worthy in this case - do these Midsomer villages have new inhabitants all the time, or do they all just have very short memories? You'd think they'd all be permanently traumatised by all the murders in their midst.)

I didn't think this was one of the stronger episodes. The motive - sexual obsession - is all too common, although it's usually the woman who's the object of the obsession who is murdered. So the end, with the aged murderer declaring his "love" for a girl young enough to be his granddaughter (and daughter of a woman he'd been having an affair with for years, which adds an even nastier, almost incestuous touch) and trying to blackmail her with a suicide threat, was extremely creepy, but sadly not in the least implausible.

The action was a bit lacking, and the dialogue hard to follow in the pub scenes, getting drowned out by background noise. The "look out, someone is about to be murdered" musical theme was over-used, including a couple of times as a red herring. Scott was being a twit a fair bit of the time if not on a Troy level, but it was amusing seeing Barnaby giving him grief for it. The sniping about Lorna not wasting any time with the renovation irritated me a bit - it had already been planned before Stephen's death, and given she probably knew he was being unfaithful, why should she put on a grieving widow act? There was also a chunk of dialogue put in with the explanation of Stephen's death that did not happen as it was shown before. That's cheating; if we had heard the whole conversation the murderer's identity would have been known. He made one comment that wasn't answered, and was shot - not at all the way the recreation showed it.

It's one of those episodes to re-watch only if you've managed to forget the story since last time.

Starring the future Ms Benedict Cumberbatch

[safenoe · 7/10 · 22 February 2016]

Sophie Hunter played Bella Monday (10 years later Sophie would marry Mr Cumberbatch) and she plays her with the innocent touch who looks out for the retired pub owner by ensuring he has his fair share of whiskey.

The plot twists are several - I never saw it coming who the murderer was, and why the first murder was committed (a case of mistaken identity).

There's an underlying social theme - the gentrification of a Midsomer pub by the ambitious widowed owner, who has a sign "No work clothes", which rules out tradies. Although aren't business suits work clothes? Guess we can get nitpicky.

The Maid

[ummajon2003 · 4/10 · 20 September 2016]

Set in Midsomer Worthy, most of S7E5 takes place in the local pub, The Maid in Splendour whose title comes from an old story about a man who kills himself for his love--or is it about a man who kills his lover? You'll have to watch to find out. Some solid acting here, especially from the lovable character Benbow (Freddie Jones). Still, the plot is slow and the killer's motives are creepy to say the least. Gentrification is a theme throughout as well as a catchy orchestral tune as soundtrack. Not too many lovely exterior or interior shots here, except for the lovely Autumn foliage on display. For more commentary, visit my Midsomer blog, midsomermurders1997.blogspot.com

Solid if a little lacking

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 22 January 2017]

Of the seventh season up to this point, the best episode from personal opinion is "The Green Man", while "Bad Tidings" was very good, "The Fisher King" was decent if cluttered and over-complicated at times and "Sins of Commission" was mostly fine apart from the contrived last 15 minutes with a rather lazy motive for the murders.

"The Maid in Splendour" was a little lacking, but still very much a solid episode with a lot to like. Was a little underwhelmed by the motive for the killings (though nowhere near as much as "Sins of Commission"), while 'Midsomer Murders' going down the twisted and elaborate route with their motives are often entertaining those here go a little too far and border on the perversely creepy.

Especially in the climax, which is one of the Tom Barnaby-era's most bizarre and over-the-top (if also slightly moving with the outcome). The pacing also could have been tighter in places, some of the middle is sluggish, and the motive for the first murder seemed too guess-able too early (the actual identity of the murderer however to me was a surprise).

However, as can be expected John Nettles is superb and John Hopkins is very much at ease as Scott. Their chemistry is very spirited and brings a lot of joy and witty interplay between them. The supporting cast are strong, especially Freddie Jones, William Gaunt and Frances Tomelty.

Production values are top notch, with to die for scenery, the idyllic look of it contrasting very well with the story's occasional grimness, and quaint and atmospheric photography. The music fits perfectly, and the theme tune one of the most memorable and instantly recognisable of the genre.

Meanwhile, the script is smart and thought-provoking. The story is a vast majority of the time compelling, with many twists, turns and red herrings, a real ominous feel and the odd colourful eccentricity, never feeling simplistic or convoluted. The characters are fun.

All in all, solid episode if a little lacking to be a great one or more. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Nice one, but not as good as I wanted it to.

[harrykivi · 7/10 · 5 April 2020]

The seventh season of "Midsomer murders" started well with "The Green man" and "Bad Tidings", but after them, two decent episodes "The Fisher King", "Sins of Commission" came about. "The Maid in Splendor" is a solid one in the long-running series, though could have been lot better.

Starting with good.

. The production values are amazing as usual with good direction and fantastic music. The acting is also pretty good. Sophie Turner's attractive in the role. Leon Ockenden, Australian actor known as Norman Jayden from the "Heavy Rain" game, is good with what little screen time he has. William Gaunt, Frances Tomelty are strong too.

. There are some nice twists and turns here, which work and are intriguing. The story in "The Maid in Splendor" is fun with quirky humor, interesting murder mystery. The identity of the killer I found surprising as well.

But...

. It is agreed that the motives for the murders are bit too much to handle for the viewer. I thought they were taken out of nowhere and felt oddly perverse.

. There are certain surprises here, which are not that surprising. For one: it wasn't very hard to figure out why Jamie died.

Overall: good, not great "Midsomer murders".

7/10 HK

Business as usual

[coltras35 · 6/10 · 27 August 2022]

A barman from rural inn the Maid in Splendour is shot dead as he walks near a ruined cottage in woodlands - and Barnaby's investigation reveals a clash between charming landlord Michael Bannerman, the unofficial squire of Midsomer Worthy, and his abrasive son Stephen, who now runs the pub.

It's a business as usual episode and quite interesting. Plenty of motives, hidden secrets and murder. William Gaunt ( the champions, Home sweet home) stars. There's a good cast and some fine murders. The murders are the similar as people are shot with twelve-bore shotguns, there's a bit of blood but nothing too graphic. It can be convoluted at times but the pace and characters diminishes the confusion.

Good, but not great, compared to the subsequent series

[znatokdetectiva · 6/10 · 19 August 2020]

The seventh season started well, with a promising series, "The Green Man", followed by episodes that were excellent," Sins of Commission"," The Fisher King "and, especially,"Bad Tidings". "The Maid in Splendour" is good, but not great. The episode was shot brilliantly, with disturbing music, a chic atmosphere,and an interesting plot. However, the motives for the crime are too far-fetched for me and somewhat ridiculous. Annoying characters, though not all, but some. Side lines are not particularly interesting. The chemistry between Barnaby and Scott is good, but I lacked the disclosure of Scott's character, especially compared to his role in "the Straw Woman" and "the Fisher King." And so, 8/10, good, but not brilliant.

Lame, lame, lame...

[theoriginalantiblonde · 2/10 · 29 August 2018]

...and illogical. The ending that is. Something can only be considered a "plot twist", if it was somehow a part of the plot to begin with. However, this old guy (Michael Bannerman) all of a sudden, out of the blue, declaring his undying love for a girl young enough to be his grandfather isn't a plot twist, it's just creepy and bad writing. It makes no sense, based upon his interactions with her earlier on in the episode. He's supposedly so besotted with her that he'd kill his own son for having been romantically involved with her, (a son who incidentally appears to be far too old for her also), yet until the end he had treated her so casually, almost distantly, like a niece he was maybe kind of fond of, or such. Not only that but then he seems so surprised that his now widowed daughter-in-law is turfing him out now that his son isn't around anymore. Well, duh!

This series has had some "questionable" (lazy) plot "developments" before, but this episode really scores big for lack of continuity in character development, or I guess pre-development in this case.

Lame, lazy, and overall disappointing.

really terrible

[mgl-92037 · 2/10 · 26 April 2022]

I never watched as far as season 7 previously. It's shocking how far the quality went down by that time. Perhaps it is the new sergeant, who is a smug, stupid idiot. I rate this episode so low because the solution is not credible at all. Also there is no humor by this stage.

Sociopathic

[daryltinworth · 1/10 · 21 September 2023]

I was home sick one day and this ep repeat was on, so for nostalgia sakes I settled in with a cup of tea. It must be rose tinted glasses, as I don't remember the plots being this bad. It's laughable. Cheered me up, that's how bad it was. I had to rewind and fast forward a few times during one scene. Tom and Dan arrive at the village garage, get out of the car, and there's snow & frost on the village green. Their breath is visible. Background extras rugged up. Middle of winter. They disappear inside for ~ 30mins tops, and head outside again to a different season. For now it's sunny, warm, people in t shirts, no snow, it's summer time baby!

But this isn't the main issue. The plot and ending is so 'spit your tea out' that it's scarcely believable. Sorry for spoilers - but for the old man to declare his love for Bella is just plain odd. At no point has there ever been chemistry or anything to suggest to the viewer this could be a reality. And for the old man to unload his 12 gauge into his SON from point blank range is just pure sociopathic! I mean, think about that! A quiet village. An ex publican who is mourning his lost wife who died 2 years ago (the opening scene shows him staring adoringly at a photo of his wife) shoots his only son with a shotgun just because he is going to sell the pub, and who is having an affair with Bella. This is all after the old codger has mistakingly shot one of his young employees (and he's able to act completely like nothing happened).

Of all the nefarious characters I've ever seen across all sizes of screens, none have come close to the sociopathic evil this old bloke shows! Its worth a watch just for that.