Murdoch Mysteries - Murdoch in Wonderland, S04E13 - Season Finale

If you are a fan of Murdoch Mysteries, than most likely you watched the season finale of season 4 some months back when it actually aired. I, however, just watched it tonight. I am very glad that I have begun blogging again because all I can think is WHAT JUST HAPPENED!!!

The murder mystery of the episode I liked very much. William Murdoch (Yannick Bisson) is accused of a bizarre murder which took place at an Alice-in-Wonderland party, and Inspector Brackenreid (Thomas Craig) and George Crabtree (Jonny Harris) do what they can to help prove him innocent. Of course, William is innocent, but the woman who did commit the murder turns out to be a victim that William had convinced to take the stand several years ago - with very bad results. And that's when things start getting tricky.

William's choice of standing by the law or trying to right the wrong he did this woman all those years ago, a wrong that led her to commit the murder she was now going to hang for, was tough. He elected to release her from prison and give her a chance. I respect him for this choice. Yes, he freed a murderer illegally. But by following the law so many years ago, he allowed a murderer to go free, one who then did unspeakable things to this poor woman. Strangely, had William not let her go, I would have agreed as well, but it is refreshing to see William make a choice of the heart. He does have the capability of doing so.

Except of course that to accomplish that choice of the heart, he had to abandon Julia (Helene Joy) forever.

Option 1. Stick by the law and stop the woman you love from marrying another.

Option 2. Break the law you cherish and stand down in love.

William chose honour. Not legality, but honour. What honour would there have been for him to burst in on Julia in the moments before her wedding and beg her to call it all off. It was too late. It had been too late for some time. Frankly, I am annoyed at Ruby (Sarah Gadon) for pressing the matter. I realize that she cares about her sister's happiness and that she is the type of girl who goes with her whims, but Julia is happy with Darcy (Jonathan Watton). She chose to end her relationship with William and she chose not only find love again, but get engaged. Certainly the feelings she has for William are not the same as those she has for Darcy, but it is possible to find love more than once. William was engaged to a woman he cared about very much before the series began. He cannot have loved her in the same manner as he loves Julia. Regardless, both affections are genuine and whole.

I am glad that Julia married Darcy and I expect that if they had, in fact, lived in 1899, they would have had a happy and fulfilling union. I do not know if that is what we will see in Season 5...indeed, with Murdoch having broken the law in such a way, I really have no idea what we will see in Season 5...but I have every hope that this show will continue being fabulous. I can only hope that we can all move on from William and Julia, as that really is the only thing to do.

What do you think will happen?

Murdoch Mysteries - The Tesla Effect, S03E13

What a FANTASTIC season finale! Not only did Pendrick (Peter Stebbings) return to complicate things, but we also go the inevitable visit of Mr. Myers (Peter Keleghan), the operative of the Canadian government, and the return of Nikola Tesla (Dmitry Chepovetsky), whom we hadn't seen since the pilot.

While we did get some moments of delightful humour regarding the use of microwaves, particularly George Crabtree (Jonny Harris)'s suggestion they be used to cook potatoes and yams, even if every house required an additional room completely devoted the the practice, the tone of the episode was fairly serious. Of course, what else can you expect from an episode involving a death ray?

While William Murdoch (Yannick Bisson) searched for said death ray with the help of Tesla, he noticed yet again that James Pendrick was involved. Still, Pendrick would not give him the information he needed, and only using his superior knowledge, as well as that of Tesla, was he able to accomplish anything at all. And yet they got nowhere.

When Pendrick escaped from custody, Murdoch ran to the aid of Sally Pendrick (Kate Greenhouse), but upon his arrival, he found the house empty. Pendrick arrived soon after, determined to convince his wife of his innocence before fleeing the charges. Both came to the sad conclusion that Sally, not James, had been the guilty party since the beginning. I might say it was amazing how quickly Pendrick forgave Murdoch for his vendetta, but clearly the crimes were connected to his family, and Pendrick had been even more taken in by his wife's charms than Murdoch had.

In a rather spectacular battle, in which Pendrick was shot (and thus got over his lingering feelings for Sally), and Murdoch managed to explode the death ray without harming his horse, Sally managed to escape the scene. We are promised the return of Pendrick at some point in the near future (hopefully, he and Murdoch will be friends next season), and possibly a future encounter with Sally as well. I would say that all worked out for the best, but that would be ignoring William's struggling relationship with Julia Ogden (Helene Joy).

Throughout the season, we have noticed a distance between the couple, despite their declared relationship. Although we had suspected it before, Julia is unable to have children, and she does not consider herself a suitable partner for William because she cannot fulfill his desire to be a father. Along with that, she has grown weary of working on dead bodies, and, when offered the chance to go work at a children's hospital, could hardly not take the offer, despite it being in Buffalo.

Her confession to William about all this was too much for him to consider in one moment, and though both were in tears, his duties tore him away, seemingly unable to cope with her news. But we know William, the moment he had a second to think, he bought a ring and declared that she was the only woman he would ever love, and that they could adopt, so why be so concerned. Naturally, Julia said yes to his proposal, and, although it happened a little more quickly than seemed right, all was well. Until, again, we realized that the visualization of our desire, and William's, was no more than a dream, and Julia had already departed.

So Murdoch was left with only a semi-victory against evil, and without the girl. Can't wait to see how this works in Season 4!!!

Murdoch Mysteries - In the Altogether, S03E12

Interesting. In the second last episode of the season, the ongoing vendetta which William Murdoch (Yannick Bisson) had against James Pendrick (Peter Stebbings) seems to have resolved itself. Either Murdoch was right and was finally able to prove it, something which I can't help but think is quite likely, or he will return in the finale for more complications, which would be by far the more enjoyable option.

But do we really need that complication with William's relationship with Dr. Julia Ogden (Helene Joy) hanging in the balance? She is contemplating moving to Buffalo to work at the children's hospital there, a career move which would be most rewarding for her. But, in doing so, she would be leaving Murdoch behind. Is Helene Joy planning on leaving Murdoch Mysteries behind? The good thing about Canadian shows is information like that would require extensive research, and I'm not going to do that as I have no desire to destroy the surprise.

This episode, again excellent, was delightfully complicated. What might have been a simple case, a man murdering the woman he loved out of pain and jealousy, was greatly complicated when a second and seemingly related murder occurred. James Pendrick set a bomb which burnt the corps of a man he had already disposed of and which was also to kill his wife, Sally (Kate Greenhouse). Lucky for her, she arrived late and was generally unharmed.

Other highlights of the episode include Inspector Brackenreid (Thomas Craig) determining that the risky photos the first victim posed in were high quality, based both on paper quality and photo composition, and George (Jonny Harris), in response to being asked what the Swiss are famous for, came up with chocolate and holey cheese before clocks.

One more episode, but I will survive because I know I will get a 4th season of this great period drama which takes place in Toronto.

Murdoch Mysteries - Hangman, S03E11

I do love when you start watching a show, and you are confused because some of the details do not make sense to you, and then you discover that there is a reason for all of that. At first, you feel concerned that the show you like is making some bizarre choices just to make a good story, and then you realize that those choices, carefully made, make the story all the better.

The episode started with a man being hanged. He dropped through the floorboards, and I was slightly confused because I did not hear his neck break. Soon afterwards, he was in Dr. Ogden (Helene Joy)'s morgue, where he promptly woke up after she removed a tube from his throat. So we had the explanation as to why he did not die after hanging for more than 10 minutes. He should have suffocated, but the tube allowed him to breath.

But, why did his neck not break?

There is an art to hanging a man, to make sure that his neck breaks and that he does not suffer. If the rope is too short, he will have to wait until he is choked to death. If the rope is too long, his head will pop off. Neither are particularly pleasant...but then again neither is having your neck broke.

So it made perfect sense that the hangman had messed with the rope, making it too short for the neck to break. But while he saved the life of a convicted murderer, that was his only crime.

It turned out that murderer was innocent, set up by the real killer. Crown Dillard (Eric Peterson) was covering his own trail; he had been using false testimony to get convictions.

This, of course, spurs the debates both about executions, as well as about the necessity of trying to protect the innocent. The system wasn't perfect then, and it's hardly perfect now. Taking the law into our own hands doesn't fix it, so what does?

A delightful and philosophical episode of Murdoch Mysteries, ending with Dr. Ogden questioning her profession. How is that going to turn out?

Murdoch Mysteries - The Curse of Beaton Manor, S03E10

On the one hand, this was an amusing episode, guest starring Jonathan Goad, with curses and voodoo to add some flair, and on the other hand, the episode created some major question marks for me in regards to the treatment of interracial relationships.

Considering that in some places still today, interracial couples face difficulties, it's hard to imagine that over 100 years ago, the bastard, black half-brother of 3 wealthy men would be considered a suitable match for a society white girl. That part of the development of the story rested on said girl rejecting the suit of the bastard to marry the wealthy eldest might have worked had that bastard been white, but the colour thing just made it hard to believe. If he had been in love with her, but not courted her, that would have worked. But when there are fathers today who don't want their daughters marrying respectable men of a different race, I can't believe any father then would have approved of such a man courting his child.

But if those technicalities are ignored, then the episode again is quite enjoyable. Watching Crabtree (Jonny Harris) and Higgins (Lachlan Murdoch) talk about voodoo and zombies while they walk through a haunted house, certain a ghost is about to attack them, made my week. I laughed myself silly and was quite happy to do so.

Having Jonathan Goad, playing the eldest Beaton brother, was also a bonus. He was delightfully awful throughout, yet, in the end, I had to pity him for having been deceived by his wife and bastard-brother, and possibly murdered by voodoo.

And, for the fans of William and Julia (Helene Joy), the relationship was not entirely neglected, although more and more signs of issues and strains are becoming apparent.

Only 3 more episodes of the season, but it has been renewed for a 4th season, so there is nothing to fear!

Murdoch Mysteries - Love and Human Remains, S03E09

When Det. Murdoch (Yannick Bisson) and Dr. Julia Ogden (Helene Joy) examine a pair of bodies, Julia estimates the couple has been dead around 2 weeks, but further evidence quickly shows them that that estimate is very very wrong.

First, they discover that the bodies were under a shack which was built 5 years ago, then they learn that the glass eye manufacturer has been closed for decades, and finally a tattoo from 1812 determined the latest the murder could have taken place was 1836, 60 years before Murdoch and Julia found the bodies. But, 60 years ago a murder did take place, and Murdoch will solve it all the same.

While George (Jonny Harris) dealt with his cousin, Penny, who was meeting a boy in secret rather than behaving like a lady, and Inspector Brackenreid (Thomas Craig) answered a plethora of phone calls from international journalists about the perfectly preserved bodies found, Murdoch interviewed 5 older people who had lived on the land in 1836 when they were children. Adorable old people made envisioning them as adorable children all the more easy, and believing that any of them were capable of ugly murder was not easy.

Luckily, none turned out to be a murderer. Not that one of the children didn't kill the couple found buried, but, despite the cyanide poisoning, there was no intent. The now old man had been 5 years old when he gave the mean adults who had his care a potion to make them disappear. The two teenagers of the group had been planning to make themselves disappear in this way, desperate and not knowing how to get on with life, but the little boy wanted them to stay. He wanted the bad people to disappear, and didn't understand until much later in life what he had actually done.

Really quite a sad story. And if that wasn't sad enough, we begin to see the strain in Julia and William's relationship. He obviously wants a family, but Julia said no to that a long time ago. She may not even be capable of having children anymore. At least their Will They/Won't They relationship is not contrived.

Murdoch Mysteries - Future Imperfect, S03E08

I have run out of words to describe how pleased I am with Season 3 of Murdoch Mysteries. It is no surprise that we have received yet another excellent episode, nor that plot lines developed earlier are being renewed and characters known previously have returned.

While examining Eugenics in its infancy, this episode, filled with support for Eugenics from characters we question, such as the returning James Pendrick (Peter Stebbings) and the promiscuous HG Wells, and disgust for it from those we respect, such as William Murdoch (Yannick Bisson), also gave us a dash of romance and a pinch of renewed suspicion.

Murdoch continues to feel a very strong sense of doubt about the motive of Pendrick, and though he was able to keep his personal feelings in check while he investigated, they could not remain completely uninvolved. Murdoch did not cease his investigation into Pendrick's involvement in a murder somehow related to the newly formed Eugenics society, pushing ahead despite Pendrick's prominent place in society. This may not be the first time that Murdoch has ignored rank and power in the search of the truth, but it is the first time he took so much pleasure in the discomfort of the man he investigated. And although he determined Pendrick's innocence in this matter, his concern for the threat the man causes society lead him to offer his help to Mrs. Pendrick should she ever require it.

The case was an interesting study in Eugenics. A gentleman refused to allow his daughter to marry a man because his family suffered a variety of faults, from criminal involvement to disease. Although he changed his mind because of his love for that daughter and her happiness, the man he refused killed him in a rage before he was able to express his changed opinion. In contrast to Murdoch's outright refusal to ever sanctify Eugenics, this man fully believed in it, saying "Hang me and put an end to my mongrel existence."

But, however interesting all that was, I am certain that some of the viewers are only concerned with the romances which were in full bloom. Murdoch and Julia Ogden (Helene Joy) have been often seen together, going out. It may seem to some that their relationship is progressing without a hitch, and were it a relationship of the 21st century, that may be so, but we are looking at the very beginning of the 20th century, and there William and Julia ought to be talking marriage by now.

Murdoch was told last week that he would have to make a great sacrifice for love. I would argue that he already has, but that is not the point. And this week, we learn that Julia is missing something in her life, something to do with her love life, and Murdoch is not filling that void. What new challenge will our lovers face? Frankly, as long as they don't touch the abortion subject again, I'm sure I will love wherever this story is going.

And if you want a romance which seems even less likely but somehow more likely to succeed, we have only to look at the dashing George Crabtree (Jonny Harris), who spent the episode saving dogs, and the affection he has earned from Ruby Ogden (Sarah Gadon). What a perfect match she has found after all her chasing of excitement and danger - a man who is strong and steady and always honest.

Will we see Ruby again this season? And what about Pendrick? What case will he get tied up in next?

Murdoch Mysteries - Blood and Circuses, S03E07

Although I have really been enjoying this season of Murdoch Mysteries, this episode recovered some of the humour of previous seasons which had been lacking. It was nice to have a bemused smile on my face the entire time, not simply because I was excited and confused, but because there was something genuinely funny going on.

It started with a tiger attack, a beast killing its trainer and then going wild, but Murdoch (Yannick Bisson) is not the kind of man to simply allow the most obvious solution to pass by unexamined. No surprise that he found that the woman had been murdered, not by her tiger, but by a human. And so he had George (Jonny Harris) arrest the entire circus.

How could they not take advantage of the amusement of having an entire circus invading the constabulary? George and Higgins (Lachlan Murdoch) were equally intrigued by a pair of Siamese twins, and even Inspector Brackenreid (Thomas Craig) became attached to a monkey. Murdoch was the least amused of the lot, convinced that the fortune teller knew more than she was saying since her predictions were quite accurate.

By the end, 3 people were dead - two murdered (the tiger tamer and her fur-covered fiancé, Lionel) and one accidentally offed as a result of his involvement in those murders. Could those three deaths have been avoided? The cause was that Lionel had rejected the beautiful Knife Thrower at another circus he had worked at. He told her that, since he was a Freak and she was a Normal, their love could never be. When she found him at the new circus, he was pursuing a relationship with a Normal. Worse, she had sacrificed her beauty to be carved into a Freak herself, so that nothing would stand in their way.

Her obsession and insanity was undeniable, to do so much out of love for a man and to kill him when it was still not enough, but how much more twisted her mind must have become after she went through the pain of scarring her entire body so that his reason for denying her could no longer hold? And that betrayal could only be made worse by the fact that he now loved a Normal and his reason never had truth in the first place.

I pity her, for uncontrollably loving and for being rejected without proper cause. I could pity him, but his arrogance only made him seem like likely prey. Had he not died by her hand, he would have died by another's for a similar offence. Most of all, I pity the tiger tamer, who never knew that the love she felt was painful to a friend she cherished and died for it.

Murdoch Mysteries - This One Goes to Eleven, S03E06

Alright, I have to start by commenting on the hilarious episode titles we've been getting this season: The Murdoch Identity; Victor, Victorian; Me, Myself, and Murdoch. All were clear references to popular movies, and the plots of each episode were slightly connected to the plots of the movies, but This One Goes to Eleven? I'm not sure what Spinal Tap and Murdoch Mysteries have in common, but man this made me laugh.

The reference in the episode was of course to the fact that Mr. Pendrick (Peter Stebbings) built a building which was an impressive 11 stories high. When we think of that nowadays, it is no more impressive than paying $40 000 for a Rembrandt. Neither number is remarkable, except in its lowness. But that's the beauty of Murdoch Mysteries - isn't it amazing how far Toronto has come in only 100 years?

We even say "Funnily enough," without worrying about it. So much so that the line appeared in this episode, said by George (Jonny Harris) to Murdoch (Yannick Bisson) without any reaction to the absurd, grammatically-failing expression.

Highlights of this episode include the very clever plan of the thieves to build an elevator room above the elevator so that they could steal the Rembrandt, Murdoch becoming incredible embarrassed and uncomfortable as he and Julia (Helene Joy) discussed a red triangle in a modern painting, and the fact that, though the murderer had been caught and the painting restored by the end of the episode, not everything was fully resolved.

Unlike in season one, when the crazy ventriloquist escaped, it seems to me that this case and loose end may likely come back within the season. A very exciting prospect.

And so, for those who have lamented a lack of attention to character interaction, did the moments of observing paintings satisfy you, or is there still more you are wanting?

Murdoch Mysteries - Me, Myself, and Murdoch, S03E05

I continue to sing the praises of Season 3 of Murdoch Mysteries. This week's episode, resembling the Lizzie Borden murders, again coupled a plot line typical of a modern CSI show with the entertaining techniques available at the beginning of the 20th century.

After a man was killed in his study, his daughter, Charlotte, was found holding an ax in her room. When Murdoch (Yannick Bisson) tried to remove it, she got violent and bit Constable Crabtree (Johnny Harris).

Although the evidence pointed towards her, when she told Murdoch that she did not remember killing her father, he refused to allow her to sign a confession even though she believed she had done it while possessed by the devil.

It turned out she was not possessed by the devil; instead, she had multiple personalities - 3, to be exact: Charlotte, a tempestuous and violent Maddy, and a sweet and innocent 3-year-old named Girlie. Girlie was the one who had witnessed the murder, but she had promised Bobo she would not tell anyone who did it.

Although Brackenreid (Thomas Craig) showed little patience for the young crazy woman, refusing to have his constabulary made a mock of as had happened during the Lizzie Borden trial, Murdoch persisted in his investigation. He finally discovered who the murderer was, but that was not the family's horrid secret.

Charlotte's father had murdered her mother when she was three years old, then hacked up her body and buried her in the basement. No wonder the girl, having witnessed the affair, was driven mad.

I thought the best part of the entire episode was the new rhyme that Brackenreid wrote.

Bobby Edwards took an axe

and gave his Step-Father 40 whacks.

Bastard bloody deserved it.

Can't wait till next week's episode!

Murdoch Mysteries - Rich Boy, Poor Boy, S03E04

Child abductions were not unheard of at the beginning of the 20th century, but the fear of them happening and the measures taken to prevent them were not so great as they are now.

Bobby Brackenreid (Gage Munroe), son of Inspector Thomas Brackenreid (Thomas Craig), would have been warned a hundred times not to walk off with strangers had he living in this century. It's why most child abductions are committed by people the children know and trust. Not that it never happens any other way, but the idea of the child of a Police Inspector wandering off with a man promising him adventure, but refusing to allow his friend to come along, hardly seems credible anymore. Possible, but not very likely.

But a hundred years ago? I'll believe that Bobby's desire for adventure and naive trust of people, unspoilt by many warnings, made him go off with a strange man.

The most effective aspect of this episode was the pain written across all the characters' faces when they contemplated the fate of the missing boy, and when they considered the pain of his parents. Margaret Brackenreid (Arwen Humphreys) was beside herself with worry for her boy, and when her husband failed to bring home their son after he promised he would, her anger and grief, as well as his own grief, were terrible to behold. Any couple facing the loss of a child is forever marked by that tragedy.

More so, Julia (Helene Joy) finally showed a reaction to the idea of losing a child. A lovely and subtle hint to the plot line I thought most poorly handled last season. She understood the hardship, and sympathized most appropriately with Margaret. Will she and Murdoch (Yannik Bisson) ever have a child? It is hard to guess, but Julia showed that she felt everything that was right and proper considering the circumstances.

Luckily, of course, Murdoch recovered the boy, and, although there was mention of pederasts, the pair who stole the child did so mistaking him for another boy, the woman's natural son. She only wanted her child back, and so the boy came to no harm.

This season continues to surpass itself in interesting plot lines and historical relevance and accuracy. Are you as delighted with this as I am?

Murdoch Mysteries - Victor, Victorian, S03E03

Three episodes so far this season, three killer scripts and performances. Murdoch Mysteries is taking everything that was great in the first 2 season and making it happen every time, and I could not be more pleased.

Certainly, between the title of the episode and the fact that the Mason's pledge had a very high squeaky voice, it was obvious that the man who was murdered was not, in fact, a man, but a woman. And what a great choice too, as most men of the period would have been considered to have a motive if they discovered a woman had entered into their secret club in the guise of a man. Most men would have been more than angry.

The fact that George Crabtree (Jonny Harris) and Inspector Brackenreid (Thomas Craig) were part of the Masonic order, and present when Victor (our female victim) was murdered, gave the scene the humour needed to prevent Murdoch Mysteries from becoming more serious than I want it. Particularly when we discovered that George ranked higher than Brackenreid in the Masons. Hilarious.

But, despite the moments that really made me smile, the episode was more emotionally potent than usual. Victor was living her life as a man because she wanted to freedoms afforded to men that she could not have as a woman. She was part of a group of women who dressed as men on a regular basis to be able to go out without drawing gossip, though she had a job and was joining the Masons as a man as well, while the others only did so on occasions. She befriended a couple, the man was a good friend, but the woman was a better one. They both took advantages of male appearance, though sometimes Victor met up with Miriam while one was a man, and the other a woman.

Miriam's husband became suspicious, and suspected that Victor and Miriam were having an affair. He killed Victor, not knowing she was a woman, believing in fact quite the opposite. And that's what made this episode brilliant. When Murdoch (Yannik Bisson) discovered that the victim was a woman, all the motives that would have existed had she been a man disappeared. Had not another murder taken place - that of a private detective who had been following Victor and Miriam - the truth of the affair might never have come out.

I can't wait to see next week's episode.

Murdoch Mysteries - The Great Wall, S03E02

This terrific episode has increased my faith that season 3 of Murdoch Mysteries will be the greatest season of the show by tenfold. Finally, some racism! I'm delighted.

At the turn of the last century, people lacked the enlightened perspective which William Murdoch (Yannick Bisson) has. The white folk who dominated society thought themselves immanently superior to all other races, regardless of their rank or cast. Murdoch, as has always been established, has a very modern view of such things, but in past seasons I have been frequently annoyed by the lack of proper historically accurate feelings about the matter.

In the Great Wall, we see that, although Murdoch's views have transferred to his colleagues at his precinct, the other precincts in Toronto do not share this enlightenment. When a cop is murdered in Chinatown, Murdoch is asked to find the killer since he has such an excellent record for catching culprits. Had that inspector realized that Murdoch would strive to get the truth, regardless of where it led, rather than quickly arresting the first suspicious Chinese man, he likely would have gotten his own men to take care of the problem.

What I liked best about this episode was how well it showed the bond between Murdoch and Inspector Brackenreid (Thomas Craig). Although Brackenreid still gets frustrated with Murdoch's crazy methods, he definitely respects the man and understands that those methods do get results. In some ways, he is very old school - not afraid of getting his own hands dirty or of using force to get the answers he needs, but Murdoch has helped him see that results are only useful if they are the right ones. Meanwhile, one can only hope that Brackenreid's understanding of politics will rub off on Murdoch before he gets himself into too much trouble.

Have you been loving this season?

Murdoch Mysteries - The Murdoch Identity, S03E01

The premiere of Season 3 of Murdoch Mysteries, though it's likely that most people missed it because they were watching the Olympics or because they simply had not heard it was starting up again, was bloody fantastic.

It started with Murdoch (Yannick Bisson) in Bristol, England, running through the streets wearing no coat and no hat, looking very low class, being chased by two gunman in proper attire. And it turned out that Murdoch had completely lost his memory.

Back in Canada, Crabtree (Jonny Harris) and Inspector Brackenreid (Thomas Craig) are trying to find their detective, who has been missing without word for a week, while Dr. Julia Ogden (Helene Joy) can only feel the pain of missing him. Her lovely little recap of memories of all the moments they have spent together demonstrated perfectly her feelings for him.

With the help of a detective from another division, Crabtree followed the clues, made the decisions, and proved that he is second to Murdoch in talent because he follows the clues so easily discovered by modern methods. The constabulary would not be the same with a different detective, and as crazy and Murdoch might originally have seemed to Brackenreid and Crabtree, they would not replace him for the world.

I also loved that Brackenreid beat up a suspect who was withholding information that might lead to Murdoch's whereabouts. Not only did the delight Brackenreid took in the act show his affection for Murdoch, but these were the sort of police tactics that were acceptable at the turn of the last century and historical shows should play around with historical possibilities.

In England, though some moments seemed a little contrived, such as Murdoch being rescued by Anna (Lisa Faulkner), the use of flashbacks to show Murdoch slowly regaining his memory gave us the exact right amount of detail to understand his head space. And though, again, I lament that Murdoch gave up a good Catholic girl for Julia, when he returned to her, I could not doubt the affection that they felt for one another. As long as I ignore some of the problems from last season, I can quite happily watch their relationship develop.

Did you get to see the premiere? Were you pleased with it? Are you afraid the episode set a high standard for the rest of the season that the show might not fulfill?