I pretty much agree with a lot of the comments on here..it was not a bad episode but, it wasn't the best, either. Certainly better than "The Electric Vendetta" "The Made for Measure Murders" and "Blood on the Saddle". I personally didn't mind "The Straw Woman" or "Second Sight"...BUT, it's by far much better than the God awful "Night of the Stag" and better than "Echoes of the Dead". As I was watching this episode, I was wondering a few things that no one seems to explained...like, how did Tom and Joyce become friendly with the magistrate, Gerard? Where did they meet? A charity, an event? In the episode, it was suggested that Tom and Joyce knew Gerard's adopted son, Sebastian, birth father. But, apparently, Sebastian doesn't know that Gerard is NOT his dad. And that the mom married Gerard, son and all, and she left both of them when he was about 4 or so. Do the Barnabys know her? Where are his birth parents? Anyway, another thing is, why do they enjoy boxing all of a sudden? Is this like the time, in "Bantling Boy" the said named horse was from Midsomer County and was a winner, thus, rooting for the home team? And since the boxing was from a local named John Kinsella, they decided to be interested in said sport? Because then, that would make sense. Did I like this episode? I did. Did I care for any of the characters...besides the lord of the house Gerard Farquaharason, and his daughter in law, not really. See, I actually didn't care about the murdered victims. This was one of those rare times where the people who were murdered didn't really get my sympathies. All over a bet from a lie. Gerard made a bet, on a lie, foolishly, with a man name Frank Bishop, the promotor/father in law of John, who won a match at MSG (Madison Square Garden in NYC). A bet for the estate. The lawyer who arranged this, Giles Braithwaite, was on the take and was witnesses by his all too personal (for her, not the closeted gay Giles), blackmailing, Irish Holman. Sebastian Farquaharason, the "adopted" son of Gerard, is 100 against this bet and is PISSED that his dad made this. What we find out is that his secret lover, Giles, wrote it up and the blackmailer, Iris (whom I have stated, was in love with Giles and hated them two for being lovers or, gay, even). Sebastian is an angry, bitter, hostile young man and married to his wife Camilla.
Well, after the match, and on his way to sign everything over (once they landed at Heathrow and Frank is on the way to collect) there is Giles...dead, in his chair. Who did it? This is where Tom and Ben comes in. Then, Camilla is found to be pregnant (courtesy of Joyce, with her knowledge of morning sickness). So, while Tom is interviewing Sebastian, it becomes clear to both Tom and Ben that A, he is not excited that she is pregnant because B, that is 100 not his child (and he is 100 sure) and it MUST be the boxing Midsomer Casanova, John's baby.
Then who else gets murdered? Why, it is Frank Bishop, the lying bully promoter, who just fired his trainer (who's in love with his wife) and can't stand her, either. Do we care that he is dead? No...no we are not. He is dressed like a wanna be Jack the lad or Mack the Knife or someone who just stepped off the stage from doing "Guys and Dolls". Personally, I was hoping Sebastian would be #3 but, no. He couldn't even try to commit suicide on himself with all that damn anger he has within him.
And then, death #3, Iris Holman. Was I sad that she was next? Kind of...but I'm not lighting a candle for her. Because she KNEW who did the murder...and was blackmailing said person (Gerard)! She is special, huh?
There were a few other characters here that just filled in space, like Bishop's wife (and mother to John). The sculptor who was commissioned to do a beautiful metal piece who is engaged (or was) to an equally aggressive, hurt feelings brute of a bully who also hated John because of how he was treated by the ladies. Wouldn't have mind if he was murdered, btw. This whole episode basically had me wanting MORE people dead. Is that sad for me to say? Trust me...there are episodes of MM where the people you think or, wish that should die, doesn't.
Tom finally gets to the bottom of the case by telling Joyce that he has purposely steered clear away from one suspect (his friend) because he just can't seem to understand why...because he doesn't want to believe it.
But boy, does he! We find out that Gerard is the father of his daughter in law's baby! Not only that but, neither regret falling in love with each other. Great huh? The ending was pretty much summed up by Gerard: a lawyer who was on the cut, a bully of a man who lied to get the estate, a woman who was a blackmailing homophobe, and him. A man who had sex and fathered his own daughter in law. And the icing on this fresh baked mess of a cake...John Kinsella failed a drugs test because he's been doping and the belt will be given to the opponent. He didn't have to kill anyone. But he did. The only thing I was happy about was that he killed 3 unlikable people. And that he will finally have an heir with a woman that loves him. Albeit that's messed up but, the estate is in his name and she will be preoccupied with child.
What a Noble bunch of people indeed!
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