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 on the most part. Season 14 was a disappointment outside of "The Oblong Murders" and "A Sacred Trust", with "Echoes of the Dead" and "The Night of the Stag" being show low-points. Season 15 was inconsistent, being a case of starting promisingly and then took a three-episodes-in-a-row strange turn with "Written in the Stars" before finishing on a good note. Season 16 was mostly good, especially "Wild Harvest", with the only disappointment being "Let Us Prey". Season 17 was a mixed bag, with the first two episodes being watchable but uneven and the other two, particularly "A Vintage Murder", faring better.
Season 18 was mostly unimpressive, with "Breaking the Chain" faring weakest and "Saints and Sinners" and "The Incident at Cooper Hill" not faring much better. The season did have two good episodes, the best being "A Dying Art" and this, "Harvest of Souls" being a close second. It is also one of the better John Barnaby-era episodes, a long way from being among the embarrassments like "Night of the Stag" and "Echoes of the Dead".
Not everything works. The biggest fault once again is Kam, she has little personality and is also condescendingly patronising and too much of a know-it-all that really rubs the viewer up the wrong way. For Nelson's last episode, despite Gwilym Lee's likable charisma, he deserved better, he could have been more prominent with him taking too much of a backseat. The story does contain a few familiar elements that have been done with more spark before.
On the other hand, the pProduction values 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. The murders are pretty fun and the characters are not too pantomimic or bland in general, in fact they're closer to the kinds found in 'Midsomer Murders' in its prime period.
Cast is very good, Neil Dudgeon doesn't look stiff or sleepwalk through Barnaby and Gwilym Lee continues to have a likable charisma. The supporting cast are very strong. The script has a nice balance of mystery and humour, with the cute subplot with Sykes (also in his final episode) being a welcome levity and not being a distraction at all. The story is intriguing, tightly paced with little feeling like filler.
In conclusion, good episode and one of the better episodes of a generally unimpressive season. 7/10 Bethany Cox
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