Midsomer Murders (TV Series) Last Year's Model (2006) User Reviews

substantial Midsomer Murder as Barnaby questions his own work

[blanche-2 · 8/10 · 17 July 2015]

Have to say I found this a quite absorbing "Midsomer Murder" in spite of some of the criticisms I read on this board.

After Barnaby arrests Annie Woodrow for the murder of her friend, Frances Trevelyan, it's time for her trial. Barnaby and Jones attend. To Barnaby's surprise, Annie pleads not guilty, although he thought she would change her plea to avoid a trial. After all, the evidence against her was solid.

But was it?

Annie's motive for murdering her old friend seems to have been her complete obsession with Frances' husband, whom Annie had been in love with in the past. She's now married to a music executive who is a real jerk, and she's not happy. But she has always insisted she had nothing to do with Frances' murder.

Something is bothering Barnaby, but he's not sure what. He was confident of his evidence, and now he wonders. An old friend, Pru Plunkett, a psychiatrist and also a friend of Annie, tells him that before the murder, Annie was planning to move out of the area. It's time to look at the evidence again.

This was, as has been pointed out, a different structure from the usual MM. I thought it was good, particularly the intimation that Pru Plunkett may have been more than an old friend of Barnaby's. I also liked the elderly female witness who wants to help with the case.

The plot was absorbing, and though Joyce Barnaby was away, we saw her during a phone call with Cully, who visited home. I loved Cully looking at Pru with suspicion.

Very good.

Superb - a million miles from village green tea, cake and massacres

[trimmerb1234 · 8/10 · 6 March 2016]

This was excellent in all departments. If I could hazard a guess what the keystone for it all was, it would be the script. It provided a continuous thread, not just of exposition but of revelation and surprise allowing the characters to think, react and act according to their growing understanding. The dialogue was not simply recitation but very purposive causing the viewer to be a non-speaking participant rather than mere observer. The elderly lady who has been cheated out of a great deal of money at first has immovably closed ears to anything against a closest friends' son but changes to become very brave and determined to trap him. The brief cutaways of surprised expression exactly match the viewer's reaction. Having meaningful lines allowed the cast to deliver them really meaningfully. Court-room dramas are almost a cliché but this production brought quite novel aspects - movements in and out of the courtroom - the subtle tipping off of witnesses in passing and the sudden end where witnesses,friends and family step into the sunlight - some irrevocably separated, some once divided, brought together. And the end where Barnaby's subtle exchange with the expert witness is itself witnessed by his daughter, who like the viewer, infers an unsuspected revelation. There are many feature films not in this class

How to do "change of pace" well

[TheLittleSongbird · 9/10 · 9 February 2017]

'Midsomer Murders' is one of my most watched and most re-watched shows. Granted, it is nowhere near as good now as it was and the Tom Barnaby-era did have some not so good episodes, but when it was at its best and on form it was riveting and hugely entertaining television.

Season 9 may not have had many classic/elite episodes ("The House in the Woods" being the only episode to be on that level, but this and "Country Matters" were close"), but to me it is one of the few seasons of 'Midsomer Murders' to not have a bad episode. Even my least favourite "Four Funerals and a Wedding" was still decent. Despite being a change of pace for 'Midsomer Murders', being more court-case-oriented and more psychological with a low body count, "Last Year's Model" is one of the show's best examples of how to do "different"/"change of pace" well.

Pretty much the only thing about "Last Year's Model" that could have been done better to me was that more could have been done with the character of Cully, underused and wasted, and the chemistry between her and Barnaby, which showed potential but it was potential not fully lived up to and underwritten.

However, the production values as always 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 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 with some nice humour (that luckily wasn't overused or out of place in an episode with such a serious story), a grimness and with characters that are colourful and eccentric. The story is absorbing, never simplistic, sometimes creepy in atmosphere, never dull (for an exposition-heavy episode) never confusing and the maturity that 'Midsomer Murders' has when on form is more than evident here. The courtroom stuff is fascinating and the flashbacks beautifully interwoven. Loved the chemistry between Barnaby/Jones (always a delight) and Barnaby/Pru.

John Nettles and Jason Hughes are both superb, individually and together, and the supporting cast are without complaint.

On the whole, a great episode that does wonders with a change of pace. Am happy to admit as well that there is much more appreciation for the episode and what it set out to do now than there was on first viewing. 9/10 Bethany Cox

highly recommended!

[bikerc · 10/10 · 23 February 2008]

I consider this to be the best of Midsomer Murders, due to the psychological depth of the characters and to the excellent acting. The story was great, and there's only one murder!(unusual for Midsomer Murders). Consequently, there was no need for those preposterous explanations as to why a lovely old lady had to kill 3 or 4 times in order to protect her son or some such nonsense. Lately, I've been watching MM for the love of beautiful images only. But this episode is believable and dramatic - the way Midsomer Murders used to be.

Also, I enjoyed the great chemistry (and relationship of trust) between John Nettles and Siobhan Redmond(Dr. Plunkett), and the intimation of something that "might have been". Great insight into Barnaby's soul.A devoted husband, a doting father...but not only.

A Welcome Change

[Hitchcoc · 10/10 · 3 April 2016]

It seems that the nature of many of us humans is to continue forever in the same path. Change is to be resisted. I've seen all the Midsomer Murders episodes from the get go. For the first time, we get to be involved in a trial. Just this once, there isn't a murder committed which leads to an investigation of several characters. This time an arrest is made in the first two minutes and Barnaby takes it upon himself to look at what appears an open and shut case, to try to find a reason for the murder. In the process, we find things are not as simple as they appear. In many mysteries, once we have in our heads what we believe to be the right answer, we then fill in the blanks with the evidence (often hearsay) to bolster our theories. The woman here has already been convicted by the press. She has been caught in a couple lies (or careless answers to investigators' questions) and so she must have done the deed. But the motive is sketchy. The relationship with the victim's husband tenuous. And the forensics are rather shady. The eyewitness testimony of an elderly woman with bad eyesight is almost enough to set things right in the first place. I welcomed the plot here and would imagine that for one episode a bit of difference is a good thing.

A fantastic, unique episode.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 10/10 · 18 July 2018]

Last Year's Model stands out even now as a unique, intelligent and original episode. The standard formula of a body every half hour, a twenty minute summing up, and bizarre killing methods does not apply here. The murder has already happened, and for a change we get more of an insight into the court proceedings, the murders aren't sensationalised as normal, but the need for evidence is key.

It really is a first rate episode, with some fine performances, Thelma Barlow is excellent, as are Siobhan Redmond, Miles Anderson and Jamie Glover, but it really is Nettles himself who steals the show, he is outstanding.

Measured, intelligent, dare I say a deeper episode then the norm, I loved it. 10/10

Barnaby Shines in this Excellent Mystery

[barryrd · 10/10 · 5 October 2015]

I was very impressed with the two back to back episodes of this fascinating mystery with its strong acting and characterization. The location of the trial and and action is the busy town of Causton, which seems an agreeable change to the often strange hamlet of Midsomer, whose inhabitants can be a rather depressing lot despite the landscape beauty. Detective Barnaby is for once cast in the role of a doubting detective, first brought on by the intuitive daughter of a murdered woman and then his psychologist friend Pru Plunkett. The doubts come after he amasses the critical evidence to charge Annie Woodrow with the murder of her friend Frances Trevelyan. Then he has to revisit the case once more. The character of Barnaby has never been stronger than he is here, realizing that his own work might not have been thorough enough to get the real murderer. His constable Ben Jones is also on the case every step of the way. There is great chemistry between the two actors during the two episodes. Mrs. Beverley, the elderly lady who is swindled by Annie Woodrow's husband and a shady real estate agent, becomes a key player in the strategy to capture the real killer. Annie Woodrow and John Trevelyan, husband of the murdered woman, are secretly attracted to one another but too proper to break up John's marriage and family. John was excellent as a classy family man and Annie was the antithesis of a murderer, being reluctant to even put John in an embarrassing light. The plot was complicated and required all of Barnaby's talents with the aid of Jones and others intent on finding the truth.

An Enjoyable Episode

[lewis-51 · 8/10 · 16 March 2024]

This is an unusual episode. We are presented with a murder that happened 10 months ago, with the supposed culprit arrested then. She (supposedly) murdered her best friend because both were in love with the friend's husband. She has been in jail and the trial is about to start. Barnaby had arrested her.

There are flashbacks to tell us a lot of the story. We meet the families of the accused and the victim. There is an elderly "Miss Marple"-like character who is a key witness. Slowly a second plot develops with a real estate agent and the local news reporters.

Compared to many episodes, it is not exceptionally complicated -- and that is good! We see Barnaby begin to have doubts about the arrest he made. We meet a potential love interest for Barnaby!

The ending is very satisfying. Definitely worth a watch!

"Confined and largely unoriginal attempt to vary the formula which lacks originality."

[jamesraeburn2003 · 30 March 2009]

It has been a year since DCI Barnaby arrested Ann Woodrow for the murder of her old schoolfriend Frances Trevelyan. It is believed that Ann killed her because she was in love with her husband, the corn merchant John Trevelyan. The case is finally coming up for trial but although Barnaby originally thought that he had a watertight case against Ann he is now beginning to have doubts. For instance, he bumps into clinical psychologist Pru Plunket who knows the accused and she tells him that Ann was thinking of moving to London just prior to the murder due to being unable to cope with her infatuation with Trevelyan. This suggests to Barnaby that Ann is a rational person and not somebody who would go the lengths of bumping off her fancy man's wife in such brutal fashion. Barnaby and DS Jones re investigate the case to find the true killer before it is too late. Is Ann's husband, the pop impresario Lance Woodrow the supportive husband he seems to be or is that simply to hide something? In addition, Mark Thomas, the local newspaper reporter seems to be very friendly with antiques dealer Jamie Cramner, one of the witnesses at the trial. Both seem on edge when DS Jones is sitting in on the trial to observe and look for anybody who seems to be acting suspiciously. An antique table and vases prove to be a vital clue in Barnaby apprehending the killer...

Last Year's Model is a confined and largely unsuccessful attempt to vary the Midsomer formula. In this instance, the plot centres around an old case of Barnaby's, which is now on trial. Whereas usually he gets his man, here we have him and DS Jones attempting to pick holes in the evidence and the alibis of those connected with the case. This is certainly nothing new as we have seen it many times before in other detective thrillers so it scores very few points in terms of originality. The aspect of the trial going on and the coppers racing against time to uncover the true killer before an innocent person is sent down promises quite a lot in the way of suspense but unfortunately this is sadly lacking and repeated flashbacks to the night of the murder add very little to beef up the proceedings. However, things in that department improve towards the end when Barnaby and Jones reluctantly allow themselves to be talked into allowing a witness in the form of eccentric spinster Mrs Beverley to set herself up as bait to trap the murderer with Jones hiding the closet ready to pounce on him. I will admit that this had me on the edge of my seat if little else did.

Much of the film's running time is spent in the courtroom and this makes the proceedings seem rather restricted and aside from the constant flashbacks, all we get is the prosecuting and defense attorneys battling to win their cases. There is the usual objections and their off the cuffs remarks being overruled by the judge and it felt like watching an extended Perry Mason episode. In addition, many of the characters get very little to do due to there being very little action outside of court. Laura Howard, for instance, is sadly wasted here as Barnaby's daughter Cully. The script attempts to recreate some of the old chemistry from earlier (and better) episodes regarding the father and daughter relationship. This worked so well in Strangler's Wood, in which Barnaby's wife, Joyce, was away and Cully came down to look after her dad and hoping to do a bit of father and daughter bonding. However, Barnaby is a man who lets his work take him over and this means that it proves disastrous as every time Cully tries to arrange dinner or a night at the theatre or whatever, something always crops up and he has to dash off to a crime scene or a witness. This worked so well in the aforementioned episode but here all we get is Joyce being away looking after a sick relative and Barnaby and Cully remarking with delight that they will be able to enjoy a takeaway dinner for a change and not have to put up with Joyce's experimental cooking. That's as far as it goes! In addition, Cully agrees to sit in the public gallery in court at her father's request and gets to point out a suspect to her dad whom he believes is leaving court to commit a crime. I felt that Laura Howard's character was badly underused here and they could have worked her part into the story a lot better.

Overall, Last Year's Model is quite a big disappointment due to the sadly confined plot and a lack of originality in trying to vary the formula. The suspense improves towards the end but I still felt let down by this episode and felt it could have been worked out a lot better.

Great, but it doesn't quite hang together

[boxyfella · 9/10 · 1 September 2021]

I have to say I have always loved this one for being very different, and the chemistry between Tom and Pru is one of the highpoints of the story. There is a lot of stuff hinted at there.

But there are a few niggles where the story doesn't quite hold together. Barnaby makes a massive intuitive leap to decide that Jamie is the killer. OK at that point we know he's a swindler but on what evidence does Barnaby decide he must be the killer? He had the flimsiest of connections with the victim. Barnaby's evidence that Annie was the killer was flimsy at best, and it should probably have never gone to trial, but his evidence against Jamie was even flimsier. And if Jamie had not confessed then Barnaby would have had nothing to go on at all. He could have kept his mouth shut and a good defence lawyer could have claimed entrapment concerning the attempted murder of Mrs Beverley. You could imagine how that one would go in court "Really, so this police officer just happened to be in the wardrobe checking for woodworm?" Much as I thought the performance of Thelma Barlow as the spirited Mrs Beverley was excellent, would Barnaby and Jones really have agreed to such a dangerous plan?

The judge's outfit looks like Santa Claus

[vitoscotti · 7/10 · 20 December 2019]

Am not a big fan of crime stories set in court trials. That's why I like Brit mysteries so much that it's infrequently used. The court scenes here were electric though. The clownish music producer rooting for his wife's conviction was a red herring too obvious. Barnaby each episode is revealing frailties.

The murderer hanging around the trial after he testified was reminiscent of an Andy Griffith Show episode where Jack Nicholson is wrongly accused. A witness frames him and also hangs around to observe.

Thelma Barlow (Mrs Beverly) with her wit and charm, and Saskia Wickham (Annie Woodrow) with her stunning beauty shine.

A good, satisfying, change of pace episode. I don't think it's great like other reviewers. Vito S 12-20-19

Fun and Satisfying Episode

[dianes-570-565705 · 10/10 · 7 April 2024]

Great episode! The mystery is complex and straightforward at the same time. I enjoyed the look into UK courtroom procedures.

The little old lady is a standout. Not quite Miss Marple, who would have remembered the fishmonger's boy and known the truth immediately, but very well-written and played. Also a standout is Lance, the defendent's soon-to-to-be ex. Made my skin crawl. And the little girl Ed was very good.

As usual, the scenery is lovely, if a bit sparse this time. Excellent production values.

There are some funny moments (the dripping secretary). And Jones is now a DS! He and Barnaby work well together.

an interesting but unsuccessful episode

[mgl-92037 · 6/10 · 1 May 2022]

Nevertheless I quite enjoyed it. What are the problems? First, the idea that a detective would spend so much time trying to undo his case doesn't ring true. Second, the prosecutor is played by a terrible actress, whose hammy screeching style is off-putting.

Third, nobody had a clearly defined personality. Because of this, the ending doesn't work at all.

Big plus for the scenes with Mrs. Beverly. That was the highlight of the show.

A different sort of Midsomer Murders.

[poolandrews · 5/10 · 8 February 2009]

Midsomer Murders: Last Year's Model starts in the small village of Midsomer Malham late one night as DCI Tom Barnaby (John Nettles) arrests Annie Woodrow (Saskia Wickham) for the brutal murder of her close friend Frances Trevelyan. Jump forward 'Ten Months Later' as Annie's murder trial at Causton is about to begin, both Barnaby & DC Jones (Jason Hughes) are preparing to give evidence. All of the evidence points at Annie as Frances killer but one or two things just don't quite add up for Barnaby, Frances young daughter Ed (Emily Gloyens) thinks that Annie is innocent & Barnaby's close friend Plu Plunkett (Siobhan Redmond) also feels Annie is innocent. Barnaby feels responsible for Annie's situation & sets out to discover the real truth of Frances murder, as all the evidence goes against Annie in court Barnaby feels the pressure to clear an innocent women he put there...

Episode 8 from season 9 this Midsomer Murders mystery was directed by Richard Holthouse & to my recollection is a unique episode structured like none other in the show's eleven season run to date, while it's quite nice to see the regular format changed a little bit & the makers try something different the overall feeling I was left with after watching Last Year's Model was 'if it ain't broke don't fix it'. Unlike just about any other Midsomer Murders episode the plot for Last Year's Model revolves around a murder trial, a trial that Barnaby has his doubts about as it progresses & as the leading investigator he sets out to discover the truth, unmask a killer & free an innocent person. This is alright but there are a few plot points that just didn't work for me, for instance the reasons given as to why Annie kept changing her story & constantly lied didn't convince me, I mean if you are accused of murder & looking at spending the rest of your life in prison wouldn't you just tell the truth? The whole idea that Annie lied because she was embarrassed is rather feeble, I'd sooner be embarrassed for a short period of time rather than spend the rest of my life in prison. I'm sorry but I also think that's how any other person would feel. Then they give the true killer's identity away far too early, in fact it's about forty odd minutes before the end & then it's a straight case of Barnaby finding the evidence to prove it. In another Midsomer Murders first there isn't a murder in the actual time-line of the episode since when it starts the central murder has already been committed. If you are interested in series continuity this is the episode in which Ben Jones gets a promotion from Constable to Sergeant.

The look of Last Year's Model is also quite different from the average Midsomer Murders episode as it's set almost entirely in court & in the town of Causton rather than some typical quaint English picturesque village. There's one quite amusing moment here when Jones has to hide in a old ladies wardrobe in order to catch the killer & I was sat there & thought couldn't she have taken her clothes out first? The production values are high as usual, apparently the County Hall in Kingston-upon-Thames in Surrey became Cuaston Court House where the trial scenes were filmed. The cast do alright too, Thelma Barlow who plays old woman Mrs. Beverley is probably better know for appearing in over 300 episodes of Coronation Street as Mavis Wilton while a special mention goes Rosa Hoskins as Sophie who is a real hottie & probably deserved more screen time.

Last Year's Model is an attempt by the Midsomer Murders production team to do something different & while it's not a disaster I prefer the usual multiple murder mystery themed stories rather than this flashback ridden fragmented thriller style story. Not too bad but not that great, it was different I suppose.

Dear Prudence

[bhoover247 · 9/10 · 18 November 2020]

A slightly different episode that has Barnaby second guessing himself in court, all the while making goo goo eyes with a friend psychiatrist named Pru. I'm assuming her full name is Prudence as I've never heard of anyone being named Pru. I enjoyed this episode. I must not be a true romantic, because I think Mr. Trevelyan at the end should have avoided the unstable Annie. First of all she lied various times to the police, even though she had committed no crime. The biggest reason to wonder about her judgement is that she had married that creep Lance.

Midsomer Murders: Law and Order

[safenoe · 9/10 · 1 June 2022]

Last Year's Model is more the Law and Order angle of Midsomer Murders, where we see the trial and reflections of Barnaby who wonders if he made a wrongful arrest. We also see Causton and life outside of the villages where crime has run rampant and way above the national average. Much of the episode was filmed in Kingston upon Thames and in the final scene you can see in the background Bartholomews which is on Penrhyn Rd.

Helen Dallimore guest stars in this thoughtful episode. Helen is an Australian actress, and was for a time married to Abe Forsyth, around a decade her junior.

Any Decent Defense Lawyer Would DESTROY the Prosecution's Case

[jethrojohn · 5/10 · 11 February 2023]

This is a formula shakeup for Midsomer, with Barnaby arresting the supposed murderer in the opening scenes. We then fast-forward about a year, and it seems that Barnaby might be wrong.

It's a decent set-up for a murder mystery, with lots of good stories behind it to draw reference from (Poirot's Five Little Pigs comes to mind), but the awfully inaccurate courtroom proceedings are so factually incorrect and poorly handled that it was actually annoying me.

I'm not usually a stickler for accuracy in TV shows or movies. However, here the story hinges on the ability of the prosecution to convict the woman in the Dock. Yet the lawyer calls unreliable witnesses and asks out of order questions CONSTANTLY.

Any good defense lawyer would destroy her in a courtroom. Except the one in this episode remains quiet the whole time, even refusing to cross examine one of the most important witnesses in the trial.

Every time an objection could have been called or the defense could have dismantled the prosecution's baseless supposition, the dude remains quiet.

At no point are the facts presented in such a way as to make the accused appear guilty. All the evidence that Barnaby and everyone bangs on about is never once brought up.

Instead, the prosecution seems to base its case entirely on the "observations" and "opinions" of unreliable witnesses, like an obviously biased and overly protective teenager.

It became so annoying that I wished they'd hired My Cousin Vinny to dismantle the case, because then Barnaby would not have been needed.

An odd note is also how the prosecution lawyer seems unbearably smug at all times, determined to convict the accused for some personal reason. It is clear that it is a personal vendetta for her, yet this is never really adequately explained.

Why hate this specific accused so much?

Then again, maybe it is because she's a terrible lawyer, because all she does is constantly make up stories and guess at things throughout.

I zoned out about halfway through the episode because of all these overly annoying inaccuracies. And I managed to guess the murderer before the end, mostly because the person playing them was so smug the whole time.

Midsomer is usually quite good, but this episode is more annoyance than anything.