Pirates of the Great Lakes is not a great episode - as mysteries in the Murdoch-verse go, the mystery solving is fairly standard with no particularly engaging guest characters or plot point to make the viewer really care who dun what (OK, there is a nice Murdoch "invention" at the end, but its too little too late). Add to that an out-of-town detective who is more grating stereotype than compelling character and this episode could be one to pass by. The real reasons to watch Pirates are the personal subplots. First and foremost is the fallout of the revelation of Brackenreid's daughter from a previous relationship (and more importantly the pushback from Brackenreid's wife's and son) and a nice bit of long-overdue character development for Higgin's bride (she drives Julia to distraction, but proves to be much more than we have seen in the past). In the end, not a good choice for the mystery lover or a new viewer to the series, but for long-time Murdoch devotees, it's worth a visit to catch up with old friends.
