Midsomer Murders (TV Series) Scarecrow Murders (2021) User Reviews

A fresh approach pays dividends here.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 8/10 · 25 June 2022]

A scarecrow festival begins to raise money for the local church roof, but several grizzly murders halt proceedings, all suitably macabre.

A quality episode I thought, after a wonderfully vintage start, it felt very fresh, very new somehow. I thought it was wonderfully well made, deliciously macabre, up to date, and very relevant. The ending felt very unusual, not your typical Midsomer mix.

The story itself felt very relevant, a very hot topic right now, addiction, it felt on the money for 2022.

I loved the mix of characters, and enjoyed some superb acting, I am a massive fan of both Jason Wong and Amara Karan, so good to see both here, fantastic, Jacqueline Boatswain and David Yip were so good also. Hard to fault anyone.

It must have been interesting for Hendrix to be adding alongside his real life wife, you could kind of see the chemistry there.

Thoroughly enjoyed it, 8/10.

A solid episode of this long running series

[Tweekums · 8/10 · 31 May 2022]

This episode opens as preparations start for a village scarecrow festival. It is being held to raise funds for the church. As things get started people notice the absence of Naomi Ashworth; daughter of the vicar and one of the organisers. She is soon found... carefully posed to look like one of the scarecrows! Barnaby and Winter are soon investigating and many suspects and motives are found. There are some extra problems for Winter in the form of a journalist he dated when he was at university and is now happy to misquote him for a lurid headline. Inevitably further murders follow.

I thought this was a pretty solid episode. We don't have to wait long for the first body to turn up and when it does we are in classic Midsomer territory with the way she is posed. Plenty of time is then spent establishing suspects and motives before we get the second and third killings. The characters are such that the viewer is unlikely to be too sympathetic towards them when the next body turns up. When we learn who committed the crimes and why it isn't too obvious, nor is it a total surprise. The cast, both regulars and guests, do a fine job playing things fairly straight even when the situation is as silly as one expects. Overall a decent episode that should keep fans of the series happy.

A fine episode.

[harrykivi · 6/10 · 6 November 2021]

I have been a huge fan of "Midsomer Murders" for many years, I've said it many times, but after John Nettles left, the show has not been the same. In my opinion, the only very good seasons from Neil Gudgeon are the 16th and the 19th season. The 4th and the18th being very disappointing, the 15th, the 21th average at best, the 17th and the 20th decent in the long run.

The 22th season of "Midsomer Murders" has not been very good either. "The Wolf Hunter of Little Worthy" started off intriguing, but then got very stupid. "Happy Families" was not bad, but just too cliched and predictable for me. "The Stitcher Society" has been the only episode in this season to be solid, but even that episode has issues. "Scarecrow Murders" is sadly not a great entry either. It's certainly not bad, but is not very interesting at the end of the day.

Let's start with good, shall we?

. The production values of "Scarecrow Murders" are great as usual. The episode is well-directed and the music fits the scenery. The acting is very good for the most part. Simon Shephard, Holly Freeman, Jacqueline Boatswain- all of them were really good and it was nice to see David Yip, who I hadn't seen for a long time.

. The story is compelling at times, there are some interesting turns, good humor with Jamie ( I love Anette Badland as Fleur, she is such a lovable character) and moments of dread in here. The solution is one of the most different ones in the series (there is more than one killer here).

But...

. Even though they try very hard to make us care for the killers, who take their revenge by killing people ,who used other people's addiction to get some money, parts of the solution feel rushed and could have worked a lot better if the themes presented in the solution would have been introduced more earlier,

. Also, the narrative suffers from too many characters. There is just too much going on here and sometimes it was very hard for me (especially in the beginning) to understand, who is who and what exactly is going on. The subplot with Jamie and his love interest was resolved way too quickly as well and felt put in the story for the sake of it.

So overall: fine, but not great.

6/10 HK.

OK but nothing special

[boxyfella · 6/10 · 21 June 2022]

This was a decent atmospheric episode. I actually felt sympathy for the victims until I learned their true characters, despite which it was difficult to feel sympathy for the killers. An unusual episode in which there were multiple killers working together. I do miss the eccentricities of yesteryear. Have to agree with the reviewer who said that Winters and Barnaby seemed bored. Perhaps time to put the series to bed.

Absolutely intriguing

[lbowdls · 10/10 · 6 August 2021]

This is one of the best episodes I've seen in years. It was totally intriguing wondering how all the people knew each other? If hey have anything on each other? The plot includes a lottery winning vicar, gambling, the odd affair, scarecrows and twins! One of them usually a murder mystery makes, let alone all together. 3 Murders by the way. Which story arc has to do the murders? Do any of those things have anything to do with them? Oh and for good measure one if Winter's old girlfriend turns up as a reporter!

An absolute amazingly episode that's worthy to become a Midsomer classic.

Lots of fun

[drthierfelder · 9/10 · 18 January 2022]

I've been a fan of this show for years. This episode as well as others in this series are really enjoyable. Intriguing stories, solid acting, and engaging atmosphere.

Double O Bevan

[xmasdaybaby1966 · 10/10 · 25 September 2021]

It has been a long time since I gave this show full marks but, as AShropshire Lad myself, it's great to hear Emily Bevan. We Salopians rarely make national or international prominence (Percy Thrower, Frank Bough, Carol Decker, Joe Hart) so it's good to hear one of our own get airtime

The episode isn't the worst ever but can't believe the grown up Betty didn't receive a credit after a long absence for the character.

Simon Shepherd also makes a rare TV appearance but, in reality, the show is just like an 80s group still doing the rounds like a tribute act to its former self.

Not the worst watch. Loads of daffodils are reminiscent of the early years when John Nettles did most of his filming.

Where's Aunt Sally when you need her!

[coltras35 · 9/10 · 9 July 2022]

Scarecrows now gets the focus in this fun and deliciously macabre MM outing. Victims are fashioned into scarecrows; now that's one imaginative way of downing someone. The story is good too. A scarecrow festival begins to raise money for the local church roof, but several grizzly murders halt proceedings, all suitably ghastly.

Too many nasty characters

[Pimpernel_Smith · 5/10 · 29 May 2022]

I've no problem with the Barnaby family, and I quite liked the whole scarecrow scenario. But there were far too many characters who were pretty obviously dishonest/nasty/cheating. I don't enjoy the episodes where this is the case.

Great Series. But...

[scramblinrosie · 8/10 · 19 February 2023]

I love watching Midsomer Murders. I have series 1 through 22. I'm waiting for 23 to come out in April.

I have one complaint. Throughout all 23 series it has astounded me that writers ignore a big part of the law.

Yes, I know this is a fictional story.

In this episode, Scarecrow Murders, Winter goes to Fergus Rooney's house to get a file. Fergus comes out of his study with the file and Winter says, "Can I look in there?" and just walks in. Winter sees a large, closed cabinet and just walks over and opens it to find many research binders, draws his erroneous conclusions from it.

Did Fergus not know about illegal searches or the cops needing a search warrant?

Great Britain's laws are a different from the US, but not that much.

Unless Fergus gives Winter permission, which he didn't, Winter can't just walk into his study and go through his closed cabinets. Anything that Winter finds is fruit of a poisonous tree and inadmissible in court. The lawyers or banisters can have it suppressed.

I know in GB the cops do not need an arrest warrant like here but unless they are chasing someone the police believe has committed a crime, or if there's a disturbance, or there are cries for help coming from within the premises then the police cannot enter.

Maybe this is a way the writers have to move the story forward. All I know is in approximately 140 episodes, I do not remember anyone asking if the cops had a warrant.

Like I said. I love the show. It took me time to like the character of DS Jamie Winter, he was a bit too arrogant in the beginning for me. He was nothing like DS Charlie Nelson who he had replaced.

But I've finally have gotten used to him.

The only pet peeve I have is the way that Barnaby & Winter can just walk in to a person's home and have a gander.

Good episode with one spoiler....

[writeon-87275 · 8/10 · 3 September 2022]

This was a good episode...creepy scarecrows...liked the scarecrows in the pews in the church...really bizzare...

BUT.....spoiled by the scene where the hubby says to his wife " come on we agreed hand it over "....at which point she handed him her smartphone.

Now I discounted a secret lover possibly I thought online shopaholic

no that wouldnt really be a good storyline

one thing left....gambling addiction on online casinos.

What they should have done is not shown the phone at that point and kept us guessing as to what the hubby meant.

So from that point it was fairly easy to work out what was happening even although I didnt guess the perpetrators.

Ok the end twist was clever...but shame about the phone scene.

Festive Autumn Fare

[kall6695 · 9/10 · 17 March 2023]

The best thing about this episode is the Scarecrow Festival. I really enjoy all of the fetes, fairs, festivals and events in these quaint British villages.

The village is hosting a Scarecrow Festival so there are scarecrows everywhere. It's fun to see all of them. One of the scarecrows in a shop window is actually a dead body. Brilliant idea!! Barnaby makes a lot of jokes about straw and corn in the beginning which is funny. The pathologist, Fleur Perkins, has a phobia of scarecrows. The second victim is dressed up as a minister scarecrow with a scarecrows in his audience. Great idea!!

A nice side plot is that Jamie Winter comes face to face with his college sweetheart who broke his heart. Fleur gives him a stack of books on dating. The actress who played his sweetheart is actually Nick Hendrix' wife.

I think the victims all deserved to get killed and it's too bad Barnaby and Winter prevented the fourth death. Gambling is a horrible addiction and people who take advantage of gamblers for personal gain should be tarred and feathered. Hopefully, the killer(s) will get short jail terms.

Covid conquers Midsomer

[mabjsy · 7 August 2021]

This last series has really struggled to keep the viewer intrigued. Plots are looking tired and worn. Perhaps the end is near, it's been a good run after all, decades of good whodunnits. There needs to be believable characters and relationships rather than a potpourri of ticking boxes purely for the sake of some bbc bureaucrat . Art without freedom of expression is no longer art. Sad.

Nothing short of wonderful

[adamsamtaylor · 10/10 · 29 August 2023]

This is by far my favourite episode of Midsomer Murders. From the very first scene I was gripped. The story itself felt refreshing and the characters had significance. The storyline running throughout this episode was intriguing and I couldn't take my eyes off the screen! There were plenty of twists and turns to keep my attention, and I enjoyed getting a glimpse into D. S. Winters love life in the form of his ex. For a show which has been going for a very long time, you sometimes wonder if the magic starts to fade, but no, this episode proved that Midsomer Murders can continue to reinvent itself with every episode. A highly recommended watch, and an episode I won't forget in a hurry!

Murderous scarecrow festival

[TheLittleSongbird · 4/10 · 6 March 2023]

'Midsomer Murders' has been past its best for a long time now, it was already becoming less consistent with the last few seasons of the Tom Barnaby period but became increasingly hit and miss when John Barnaby took over. Due to a higher number of misses. There have been still a good number of good episodes made during the John Barnaby era, some being very good indeed. This was true with the previous two episodes "The Stitcher Society" and even more so "Happy Families".

"Scarecrow Murders" sadly saw a return to below average disappointment. Actually quite liked the premise, with a setting that sounded very creepy and different. Sadly wasted by over-stuffed, bland and sometimes silly execution. It is not one of the worst episodes of 'Midsomer Murders' and is not as bad as "The Wolf Hunter of Little Worthy" for example, but it is really not a good effort and a good representation of how much inferior 'Midsomer Murders' is now compared to how it was.

There are good things here in "Scarecrow Murders". It's a typically good looking episode (mostly), especially the scenery which the photography clearly loves. The music is pleasant and haunting and who can resist the unforgettable theme tune. Did think that there were moments of genuine dread and a few moments amuse.

Did think as well that the acting was fine. Annette Badland continues to be an absolute joy as Fleur, easily the best pathologist since Bullard (didn't like the other two), and has been one of the best things about 'Midsomer Murders' ever since he was introduced. Nice to see a more light hearted side to Nick Hendrix and Neil Dudgeon has improved quite a lot since his first appearance. Simon Shepherd, Holly Freeman and Jacqueline Botswain stand out.

It could however have been a lot better. While the setting was different, the story execution and what was included certainly weren't. The episode does feel overstuffed, with too many characters that one doesn't to know enough and too many plot points that are not given enough time to be fleshed out. A couple also resolved too quickly. The creepiness and suspense factors are lacking generally, with the surprises being too few and with parts that veered on being silly. Which made the episode feel bland and some pedestrian pacing didn't help. The scarecrows looked on the amateurish.

Moments of humour aside, the dialogue lacks tautness and can be too melodramatic. The ending is very rushed and last minute like, and also tries too hard in making one feel sorry for the responsible with their reasoning for doing what they did (not possible considering how underdeveloped they are). In an episode where the character writing was pretty sketchy.

Concluding, underwhelming. 4/10.

Guest starring David Yip

[safenoe · 8/10 · 15 May 2023]

Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan has an Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom co-star, David Yip, guest starring in Scarecrow Murders, which was admirably filmed during the pandemic so all credit to the Covid Manager in the end credits. Anyway, Scarecrow Murders is quite gruesome and is a swipe against the devastating impact of online gambing (a deserved swipe may I say without wanting to sound politically incorrect against online gambling).

Anyway, the murders are indeed gruesome and not for kids. In fact there is more than one, a trio in fact, all united by the devastating effects of online gambling.

Top-notch episode.

[vitoscotti · 10/10 · 23 July 2023]

Fascinating episode. Thee fourths through I couldn't believe how fast it went by. Curiously only Christians are continuously put in a bad light on "Midsomer Murders". Though I must admit the vicar going bad is always interesting. All other religions are off limits. Amazingly beautiful British actresses. I especially enjoyed the stunning Goldy Notay as Samira Mallick. Loaded with twists and turns. But, not overloaded. Fleur Perkins (Annette Badland) was quite the pain with pushiness, and snide remarks. Very strong "blame game" ending was a surprise and worked well. An obvious natural chemistry between Nick Hendrix as DS Jamie Winter and knockout real life wife Jessica Ellerby as Caitlin Dawson.

Each Episode is Worse Than The Last

[AppalachianMountainWriter · 1/10 · 20 October 2021]

This last season of Midsomer Murders is the worst I've seen so far. Story lines are scattered all over the place with crazy characters. Each new episode is worse than the one before. And Barnaby and Winter seem bored beyond reason as they sleepily plod through all the clues.

Boring, switched off halfway

[rosemaryandthyme · 4/10 · 7 August 2021]

They are flogging a dead horse these days and should have stopped a few series ago. It's not the acting as the Brits produce the best actors by far (and I'm not a Brit). The problem is the writing and character development. These days MM takes itself too seriously but then throws in some dumb forced attempt at humour that doesn't work. MM of old had crazy eccentric characters, what happened to them? Well I know the answer because the writers are so PC these days that they lost their creative juices. All the boxes are ticked with this one, every race is featured bar one, the story was so boring that I lost interest and my phone was far more interesting. It is better now to pull out the old DVDs and reminisce the good old days. There may be hope if they can bring some crazy characters back, maybe Dennis Rainbird's other cousin will appear or Troy will make a comeback..no I doubt it. John with his smirk and pursing lips should retire with his humourless PC wife somewhere far away never to be seen again.

Hate to agree with the haters

[xbatgirl-30029 · 3/10 · 4 April 2022]

Starting by saying I am not one of those who thinks the show died when John Nettles left (yet still strangely watches every episode?), and I think the racists give fans of this show a bad name. So I am not coming from that point of view. However this particular episode was one of my least favorite in a long time. I just couldn't get into it. I ended up doing some housecleaning while this played. None of the characters interested me and even the scenery seemed gloomy and dull.

I do like the show best when the plot involves something maybe a little creepy, like ghosts or witches. Next best is some really eccentric characters or theme. So I was actually psyched for a scarecrow festival. Then they produced a handful of the saddest, lamest scarecrows in existence. The production budget doesn't have to be huge but maybe skilled and creative would be welcome. Even then that aspect of the show was quickly over. And it was just gloom gloom gloom. Even Fleur's phobia seemed misplaced. (Or as I call her, Fern, since I seem to have a block on the name Fleur.)

I'm sure it was partly due to cleaning the house, but I also couldn't really tell about the various skinny women with limp brown hair. Were there 2 or 3, the agoraphobic and the exercise person and maybe there was another. Or even more. Either way, I guess I didn't care much for the various characters and their plot lines.

Well, I watched it.

God awful

[buckinghamxx · 1/10 · 2 May 2023]

Compare this episode to one of the firsts, like Written in Blood and you'll see how far this show has sadly gone downhill.

Unfortunately there are little redeeming features to this episode, but just shows you that 'good TV' is based upon how many boxes you can check rather than making something watchable.

This episode is truly unwatchable, lots of poor acting and it feels like a sitcom. The plot is also poor and makes the episode fees like a sitcom, with way too much 'comedy', not as subtle as it used to be.

You can really tell how much this show has been dumbed down for the Americans.

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