User reviews

As "The Sicilian Defence" begins, we see a teenager, Harriet Farmer (Jo Woodcock) leaving her father (Richard Lumsden) a note and running away, into the woods. She's about to meet her boyfriend, Finn (Royce Pierreson), and elope.

Something happens at the rendezvous point; Harriet is hit and left in a coma. No one has seen Finn, who apparently left town.

A year later, the Bishopwood Chess Tournament is taking place at the time that Harriet wakes up with amnesia. Then the chess club president, Edward Stannington (Nicholas Rowe) is murdered, leaving his aunt Vivian everything.

On investigation, Barnaby finds out that Stannington was the illegitimate father of a young chess genius, whom he wants nothing to do with. Also, Stannington's rival, Alan Robson, Finn's father, has created a computer chess game and Stannington wants to discredit him.

The list of enemies continues. Arthur Potts, an unhappily married man, wanted Stannington to invest in his faltering business, but he was turned down.

Then Harriet's father is murdered and Dr. Laura Parr and Barnaby try to jog Harriet's memory by taking her into the woods. Her memory finally returns. A killer is exposed, and there's a surprise in store for the village.

The Sicilian Defense is a chess move, normally a starting move, and not a particularly unique one.

This was a good episode. Neil Dudgeon doesn't bother me any longer but I don't feel he adds anything either.

Coma victim Harriet Farmer finally wakes up a year after she was attacked while trying to elope, but her boyfriend Finn Robson is still missing. Soon after she regains consciousness, members of a chess club are targeted by a killer. Could the assault that left Harriet for dead be linked to moves on a games board.

The quirkiness and OTT murders are toned down a bit in this intriguing and slightly serious-toned story. The atmosphere and location as well as the characters help propel the steady-paced plot. I much prefer Neil Dudgeon over the previous actor but I guess Nettles had the advantage of starring in the more classic ones.

I'm sure we'd all agree that at this point in time the show wasn't exactly at its best, however there are some highlights, The Sicilian Defence being one of the finest.

Dare I say it, but at times I felt like I was watching an episode which could have easily been written for Morse, the writing is that good. It's a complex story which has multiple layers, all of which weave together and tie in nicely at the end.

The production is very slick, it's beautifully filmed, and features a brilliant soundtrack, it really adds to the story.

It felt like vintage Midsomer, an episode where the plot and characters were the main focus, as opposed to bizarre killing methods. The chess theme added a nice touch, again feeling like something from a decade ago.

Super acting, Julie Graham in particular deserved huge credit for a terrific performance.

Very good indeed. 9/10

The writing of these latest episodes has gone from worse to worse, unfortunately. Makes a mockery of what was a wonderful series for the first 14 Seasons. It's become silly at times and I feel makes the viewer think why bother anymore ! ? John Nettles and former Co were the Best in my opinion.

Despite a good rating, the reviews here are negative, so I thought I'd throw in a positive one.

Most of the Season 15 episodes have been a disappointment to those of us who have watched and re-watched MM from the beginning, especially Written In The Stars. Much of the humor of early episodes is gone, as are the historical tidbits that can be fun. The writers seem to want to be grittier even throwing in foul language (huge let down).

But we enjoyed this episode in comparison w the rest of Season 15. I can't give much detail w/o throwing in spoilers. One pairing made me cringe and we didn't see enough of the fun folks, like the aunt, and good people got done away with, but it is fiction and meant as escapism. We liked it. The gorgeous scenery is still there. And we like John Barnaby and Ben Jones and we miss Gail Stephens.

We hope Season 16 gets to the US very very soon.

Complex, but easy to follow story. The PC placed characters worked well previously. But, seemed a drag on the story here. Finn and his parents were miscast. Father's bad toupee didn't help. The bizarre turn ending I found quite interesting. Very strange Barnaby would caress the villain's head while hugging the perpetrator of such heinous crimes. I watch Neil Dudgeon episodes in parts. They're just not good enough to watch all the way through like John Nettles' episodes. Thought Harriet (Jo Woodcock) & Dr Parr's (Julie Graham) beauty were highlights.

This is a great program with great twists and turns and a young John Bell.

This episode starts off in an interesting way with a runaway bride being in a coma and her missing boyfriend. I was unreasonably over critical of this episode so I've changed my review and rating slightly because it turns out didn't necessarily pick the murderer the moment I saw them but I did from the second half of the episode. To me they made it pretty obvious but to others maybe not. So it's not a terrible episode it has intrigue, but because they let me down in the 'hiding the identity of the culprit' part I have to mark it down. I love surprises and I didn't get it although I didn't know the motive behind it until near the end.

This was a passable episode that could and should have been much better.

Who's to blame? Some reviewers are happy to lay the blame on Neil Dudgeon, whose main crime is that he's not John Nettles.

Dudgeon, however, is just fine. In his episode the blame lies squarely with the writers. There are too many threads left dangling. For instance, the sub-plot of Edward Stannington's (Nicholas Rowe) death leaving everything to his Aunt Vivian (Cheryl Campbell) and her subsequent behavior is left dangling, as is her relationship with the dodgy Arthur Potts (John Henshaw). The crime here was the waste of talented actress Cheryl Campbell.

Also left dangling is the sub-plot of Arthur's wife Caroline (Fay Ridley) and her relationship with the missing Finn Robson (Royce Pierreson), who was set to elope with Harriet Farmer (Jo Woodcock) when they were attacked in the woods.

The mystery is pretty straightforward, with the viewer able to figure it out early.

Now compare this with the writing in the Season 4 episode, "Who Killed Cock Robin?", where three sub-plots were spun, with a host of red herrings to leave us guessing as to who the murderer was right up to the end.

Dudgeon has a lot to overcome here and he comes through just fine. Unlike some others, I have no problem with him assuming the role. Following the superb John Nettles is a daunting task, but Dudgeon handles it well. I like his take on the character of John Barnaby. Would the critics like it any better if he played it as a clone to the departed Tom Barnaby? His relationship with Sgt. Ben Jones unfolds naturally, given he is a total stranger who without warning replaces a boss who Jones greatly admired. So it's rather unsurprising that the two go through an adjustment period, given John Barnaby is a different personality and Jones is resentful that he was not chosen as Tom Barnaby's successor (which would have been an impossibility as he was not an inspector). Dudgeon's chemistry with Fiona Dolman, who plays wife Sarah, is excellent, and Sykes the dog steals every scene he's in. Shades of Asta.

No, Dudgeon's problem is in the poor quality of the writing, which is not nearly as crisp as in the earlier episodes with Nettles. This episode is but another example.

When in its prime (a vast majority of Seasons 1-9), 'Midsomer Murders' was a great show and one that is watched and re-watched frequently. Seasons 10-13 became more uneven, with three of the show's worst episodes coming from Seasons 11 and 13, but there were a few solid episodes and "Blood Wedding" and especially "Master Class" were gems.

After John Nettles retired and Neil Dudgeon and the new character of John Barnaby took over, 'Midsomer Murders' just hasn't been the same, if anybody's read my reviews for the Season 14 episodes the reasons are detailed in those. After a mostly disappointing Season 14, with three decent-and-more episodes out of eight ("The Oblong Murders" and "A Sacred Trust" faring best, while "The Night of the Stag" and "Echoes of the Dead" are especially bad), Season 15 started off promisingly, with "The Dark Rider" and "Murder of Innocence" being surprisingly good, before jumping the shark with "Written in the Stars". Unfortunately, "Death and the Divas" despite an inspired premise is little improvement and neither is "The Sicilian Defence".

Of course there are things that make "The Sicilian Defence" watchable still. As ever, most of the production values in "The Sicilian Defence" cannot be faulted as usual. It's beautifully and atmospherically shot with suitably picturesque scenery. The music fits perfectly, with some lush jauntiness and sometimes an ominous quality, and the haunting theme tune is one of the most memorable and instantly recognisable of the genre.

Neil Dudgeon and Jason Hughes do their best, Dudgeon doesn't come over as overly-smug or disdainful and he doesn't treat Jones anywhere near as demeaningly as in "Death in the Slow Lane" and "Echoes of the Dead", while Jones isn't written as much as a dumbed down idiot while still lacking spark. Sykes steals every scene he's in, such a cute and amusing dog, and the supporting cast are competent.

However, Fiona Dolman and Tamsin Malleson do nothing with their characters, not helped that Sarah and Kate have always been not very well written, Kate being bland without much personality and Sarah being rather condescending and lacking warmth. Her chemistry with Dudgeon still doesn't convince, one doesn't even get the sense that they're in love let alone husband and wife.

The story is the season's strangest, as well as one of the most bizarre ones of any episode from the John Barnaby-era. The love story is just too contrived and underdeveloped, and the case itself is too melodramatic and convoluted with bizarre character behaviour and with too much going on and it not being explained enough. The final solution isn't as obvious as the previous two episodes but amps up the overwrought-ness to an uncomfortable degree. Script-wise the tone feels far too heavy and serious, the gentle humour is sorely missed, and the pacing never really ignites.

Overall, bizarre episode and not in a good way. 5/10 Bethany Cox

This episode is not only bad in itself but it's worse because it's a part of what was once a wonderful mystery series. It is, in fact, a desecration. I never liked Dudgeon as a replacement for John Nettles. Dudgeon is wooden and humorless. In an older Midsomer he played a surly, shifty gardener. He was perfect for that role. But even he could have made a believable detective if the writing was up to par. Unfortunately it's not, it's banal. The dialog is bland, the motives of the characters are bizarre and unbelievable and the plot is predictable and melodramatic. Midsomer is a darker, more depressing place now.

'Midsomer Murders' worked because of its subtle humor. Odd motives, strange methods of homicide and barely hidden passions among respectable, self-absorbed villagers were just part of the fun because the entire series was based on its dark humor, a beautifully crafted send-up. Without the humor the motives of the killer and other characters seem just convoluted and creepy. The solution looks to be pulled out of a hat since there's insufficient preparation for it in preceding scenes. The final rescue is prolongued, preposterous, and overwrought. And there's a sappy love story tacked on which is too contrived to be heart warming.

Brian True-May is gone, taken down by nasty elements of the PC thought police. His absence is sincerely felt. How much that effects the quality of recent episodes I don't know, but it can't help. This episode is practically unwatchable. Don't bother.

A series like this does become worn with so much time, but this episode was giving me a headache having so many impossible holes in it.

Someone already noted the disappearing Tracheotomy as a "Goof" but I would call it terrible production. My goodness, an opportunity was lost for increasing the drama and vulnerability of the central "Harriet Farmer" character by not having her throat bandaged throughout the present time scenes. Instead, a Tracheotomy just goes away the next day.

Worse planning and production was watching so many characters offer zero resistance to someone less powerful about to murder or take control of them. All of the victims were just rag dolls given in to their fate without any fight.

This disregard for reality does soon make the whole story fall to pieces, which was laid out as a jumble to begin with.

"The Sicilian Defence" is a confusing and disappointing episode of "Midsomer Murders". It also features a few ultra-bizarro characters to the point where none of it seems plausible or real in any way.

A young girl planning on running away with her boyfriend has been in a coma for a year following an attack on her. Additionally, her boyfriend has disappeared completely and no word has been heard of him. Ultimately, some bizarre folks are living in this town and their motivations and actions are also very difficult to understand.

I thought this episode felt unreal to the point where after a while, I found myself a bit annoyed. See the show...see what I mean as the ending plays itself out in a very strange fashion. One of the very poor episodes and one I did not enjoy.

Midsomer Murders is often silly; indeed it rejoices in silliness and that can be one of the charms of the show. But it can also be ridiculous and irritating and this in one of those times. A battered young girl wakes up and then the murders begin. Then Barnaby begins pontificating, as usual. Dudgeon usually comes across as irritatingly smug, rather than the witty he is presumably supposed to be (Oh, how one misses the deft touch and light wit of John Nettles!). In this episode, though, he adds pseudo-intellectual pop-psychologizing to the mix. And just to add to the misery, the dog is more nauseatingly cutesy than ever. The perennial question remains: what on earth is Sarah Barnaby doing married to this fat bore?