User reviews

This was such a good episode, I thoroughly enjoyed it, why oh why didn't they save this for Christmas Eve, this would have worked beautifully.

Who on Earth has killed Victor Karras, and why, they'd certainly is no shortage of suspects.

The show prior to this seemed to be on a Scare costume of the week killer, we had the bee keeper, the wolfman, this changed that direction. This felt old school, it was stripped back, and saw the show effectively going back to basics, and doing what it used to do so well, many years back.

Once again, I must be critical of the scheduling, ITB, you're not doing the show any favours.

This was better than the last run of Vera for me, loved it, 9/10.

Just yesterday I reviewed episode 4 in the series as one of the best ever (yes unfortunately watching out of sequence) this episode is the closest to an old fashioned Agatha Christie story that Midsomer has done. And in a good way, so many negative reviews on this season. But to me they have been the strongest season. All of them are a great mystery including this one. Also glimpses of other shows like Jonathan Creek with 3 people from the series. Truly a great mystery of who could have done it. I never worked it out (even though I was thinking this person at some time along with all the other suspects) it was still a great unmasking and truly that's all you need for a great murder mystery. Excellent not boring or week like other people will complain. See for yourself.

I loved this. The best episode in years. It is nothing like any Midsomer Murders episode I've ever seen, being like an Agatha Christie country house scenario, as Barnaby and Winters are trapped with a number of suspects in a mansion on an island in a river. I loved the atmospheric photography of the storm scenes with Fleur in her red plastic mac and everyone else dressed in black. Ade Edmondson was great as the clueless would-be detective.

This episode opens at a party in a large house on an island for wealthy board game creator Victor Karras. We see a couple arguing, the man storms out of the room followed by the woman he argued with. Moments later he is dead and the woman is stating that she didn't do it; luckily a detective is present to solve the crime... except there was no crime as this is part of a murder mystery weekend. As the 'detective' addresses the guests Victor stumbles on the stairs and dies... for real. Soon Barnaby and Winters are on the island to investigate and when a storm washes the ferry away they are trapped there with the party goers... clearly this is going to be a classic country house murder mystery. As they investigate various suspects emerge along with various motives.

This episode was somewhat badly timed as last week ITV aired a new episode of 'Endeavour' where Morse solved a country house mystery... some viewers thought it was too 'Midsomer Murders' but having watched both I think Morse did it better. That said I enjoy the genre so did enjoy this, just a little less so. It started well with the false murder and introduction to the various suspects. What follows is rather fun even many clues will have been solved by the viewers long before Barnaby and Winters think of the solution... of course we were shown certain things that should be too trivial so knew they weren't. The cast is solid, with several well-known actors in guest roles. The setting may be cliché but it works for a murder mystery and while many details are guessable they help the viewer feel smug when they are proved right. Overall a fun mystery.

Truly loved this episode. The story is a classic Agatha Christie's Poirot murder mystery. It contains flashbacks to what actually happens (just like the previous episode), something I missed in the previous seasons. The soundtrack is perfect. More witty characters and even though the scenes with John and Sarah are minimal you still feel the love between them. Really with this one!

I've seen all of the Christie TV series- Poirot, Marple, etc. This episode brings back memories of old Christie stories.

People are brought together for a birthday party and are trapped in a mansion on an island and the boat to the mainland has broken free from the dock, so no egress. And rain is pouring down. Cue creepy music....

Barnaby and Winter are trapped too. They get to share a bedroom where Barnaby washes out his socks and dries them on an old fashioned heater. Winter gets to run after suspects in the rain with bare feet. Barnaby gives him no sympathy, as usual. He has a pattern of chasing suspects and falling into rivers or getting wet.

The only thing I disliked about this episode is the diverse casting of many characters. While I understand the current desire to include as many diverse actors as possible, it strains credulity to believe there would be so many actors in a rural British county. Many of Midsomer's later episodes have this problem. It's great when Bridgerton does it, although not realistic or historically correct, but that show is based in London, where it would be more diverse. When you do a show about quaint British villages in the country, you don't expect to see any non-caucasian citizens or residents.

What immediately drew me into seeing "Happy Families" was the premise, a pretty genius one and had the makings of an entertaining and creepy episode if done right. 'Midsomer Murders' at its best was brilliant and addictive viewing, especially in Seasons 1-9. The John Barnaby era on the whole is not near as good, there are good episodes still being made (including the previous episode "The Stitcher Society") but the worst episodes from this period are really bad ("Night of the Stag" springs to mind).

"Happy Families" to me was very good and on the whole met the higher than usual (for the John Barnaby episodes that is) expectations. Such a great premise and setting, neither wasted in an episode that replaces "The Stitcher Society" as the best 'Midsomer Murders' episode in some time and just as good as any very good and more episode from Seasons 1-9. Which is a very big compliment that has not been given for any recent episode until now. "Happy Families" is not quite great, but it almost is.

Very little is wrong actually. Personally would have liked the board games stuff to have played a bigger role in the plot.

The most disappointing aspect was the motive, which is very trivial and didn't really make sense to me. Trivialising what was otherwise one of the most unexpected and better paced denouements in a while for the show, during a period where this aspect near-continually underwhelmed.

On the other hand, so many things are great. It's a typically good looking episode, especially the scenery which the photography clearly loves. The music is pleasant and haunting and who can resist the unforgettable theme tune. Absolutely loved the atmosphere, which is extremely creepy enhanced by the stormy backdrop. Not to mention Fleur's red raincoat, couldn't have thinking of 'Don't Look Now' for some reason. The writing is intricate and thought probing with also some nice light hearted-ness (namely from Fleur) that was close to prime-'Midsomer Murders'.

Furthermore, the story is engrossing and full of atmosphere, with plenty of twists and turns. All surprising and almost all plausible. There are also some very refreshing touches and great use of the setting, like how the first death was done (something worthy of Agatha Christie). The acting from the regulars wasn't an issue for me, Annette Badland is a joy and one of the best things to happen to the show since she was introduced. Every bit as good are the supporting cast, with the understated Rachel Stirling and gloriously hammy Ade Edmondson coming off particularly memorably.

Concluding, very, very good. 8/10.

Yay! MM returns (and Line Of Duty isn't even on the other side).

This one isn't that bad except for being like a poor send up of Knives Out.

The show is long past its best but good to see comedic actors like Adrian Edmondson and Caroline Quentin appear even if it isn't that funny (I guess they were just pleased to get out of the house during lockdown).

As per modern Midsomer, as many PC rules were adhered to in order to please the Equality And Diversity team (even Winter is left-handed!).

The show has long been a tribute act to its former self. It should have been put out of its misery years ago but as long as an outside company is producing the show then they will stagger on until Betty is old enough to take over from her dad and continue the Barnaby tradition.

There were a few titters here but there are no characters to care about anymore.

The eccentric rural middle England only exists in reality these days.

Yes please you are worth so much more than that. I'm always happy when I see you pop up in a drama or a comedy. In this your are perfect.

To the story though, straight out of Agatha Christie with more twists and turns than a country road. All the PC bases covered, mixed marriage and gay relationship, neither add to the plot but they're there anyway. True-May was sacked because he said POC wouldn't live there. Maybe he was wrong, maybe he was right. I lived for ten years in a similar village, never saw a black face living in the area.

There was one gay couple in a village about 20 miles away but never the numbers you seen in this series.

Thankfully I don't really care as long as the plot and acting is good and this was.

And don't let Annette Badland go.

Very reminiscent of Agatha Christie's Poirot style. I knew something was up when usually stoic DCI John Barnaby (Neil Dudgeon) is out of character cantankerous to stunning wife Sarah Barnaby (Fiona Dolman). The isolation at the mansion was masterfully orchestrated. I enjoyed the ferry simply drifting away in the high waters compounding an already uneasy situation. One problem I had was the poor amateurish acting of the three younger male characters. Ed White as Andrew Welles, Aki Omoshaybi as Noah Adomakoh, and Greg Lockett as Joshua Kilbride were very unnatural and their forced acting hindered the scenes they were in. Wonderful dramatic overacting by Rachael Stirling as Eleanor Karras. Highlight was a brilliant performance by Adrian Edmondson as amateur sleuth Hugo Welles. Ending was clever and interesting to see Barnaby solve the case.

During a big birthday celebration for game manufacturer Victor Karras (Stuart Milligan), he announced that he doesn't feel well and collapses, dead, from poisoning. Because a murder game had begun, people think his death is part of the show and applaud.

It's a dreadful rainy night. Barnaby and Winter arrive to investigate and are stranded with the rest of the guests when the ferry breaks down.

Karras' assistant, Joshua (Gregg Lockett) has been stealing from Karras - did Karras find out? His daughter Danni (Vanessa Emme) was due to take over the company when Victor retired, but he changed his mind. Another motive.

Karras stole a game idea from a mystery writer (Helen Welles) who is attending the party with her amateur detective husband (Adrian Edmondson) and son (Ed White), Joshua's lover.

Karras' wife (Rachel Stirling) is carrying a baby for her sister (Alicia Matheson), another guest there with her husband (Paul Bazely). Could any of them have a motive? And how was he poisoned? And with what?

It's a complex case and, as Barnaby tries to solve a Chinese puzzle that holds a clue, grapples with a big decision, and faces a second murder.

Very good but a tragic motive. No Betty and a too-brief appearance by Sykes.

The plot to "Happy Families" reminds me a bit of Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None" (retitled "Ten Little Indians" in the States). This is because there is a murder on an island and when the detectives are investigating, a storm washes the rope ferry away and they're stuck there along with several party guests...one of which is likely the murderer!

As for the murder, the man killed was a game manufacturer who was having a 'murder' party in his spaceous mansion. He's killed by both poison AND an impaling for real during the game and after the coroner takes away his body, that's when the ferry breaks loose. So who, if any of the folks there, is the killer? And, in "Midsomer" manner, will there be the usual additional murders?

Whoever wrote this episode did some research...as well as added a really awful cliche. As research goes, when one of the party members is poisoned with cyanide, they didn't die immediately (cyanide does NOT kill immediately but very quickly...despite what you'd see in movies) but in a truly dumb scene, DS Winter sees a bottle marked 'poison'...and he takes a tiny taste to see if it is poison!!! This is even dumber than cop shows where cops find a white powder and one of them tastes it to see if it's coke or heroin!! So, one step forward...one step back on this part of the show.

Despite one iffy portion about poisons, this is a pretty good episode. Sure, it's familiar in some ways, but it is enjoyable. I also was impressed by the acting of the lady playing the dead game maker's wife, Rachel Sterling. All in all, despite DS Winter having the intelligence of a grapefruit in that one scene, a very good episode.

This particular episode feels like you're watching an Agatha Christie. This has Poirot or Marple written all over it.

I get that after 22 seasons they're running out of ideas, but MM has lost its charm - it's not what it used to be.