Murdoch Mysteries - General Discussion

[blackwing]

22 hours ago, wanderingstar said:

Enjoyed seeing Choi directly involved in the case. Looks like he and Murdoch will make a good team.

Felt bad for Effie, but I did like her team-up with Brackenreid. I'm curious to see how they involve him in cases now that he's chief constable.

I really would like to know what is up with the budget for this show.  While I like the Choi character, I feel like the addition of a more active Inspector to the Station House means that we will see even less of Crabtree and Watts.  Neither of them appeared in this episode.  Nor did Henry or Tucker.  The only other named person working seemed to be Constable McNabb.

[Trey]

I really enjoyed this episode.  It was fun seeing Rebecca Liddiard but I do not think she is going to be Murdoch's love interest.  I think he moved to the rooming house just for the reasons he gave - the house was too lonely and big without Juliet and Susannah and he does like to be around people. But it was an interesting mystery at the rooming house and I did like seeing Murdoch and Choi working together.

Re the other storyline with Effie and Brackenreid, I guess the councilman will get his comeuppance sooner or later but I hope he doesn't do any damage to our crew in the meantime.

I agree, Miss Cherry is so up and down, a friend one day, maybe not quite an enemy the next but not a friend either. I think her job is everything to her and she would never reveal a source.

20 minutes ago, blackwing said:

I really would like to know what is up with the budget for this show.  While I like the Choi character, I feel like the addition of a more active Inspector to the Station House means that we will see even less of Crabtree and Watts.  Neither of them appeared in this episode.  Nor did Henry or Tucker.  The only other named person working seemed to be Constable McNabb.

I don't know if it's a budget constraint that some people don't appear or if it's got to do with the storyline.  No sense pushing a character into a story just to say they are there.

According to  https://murdochmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Season_18_Episodes_and_Guides, we will see Julia in the 300th episode when Murdoch goes to England to visit her.

[Prevailing Wind]

I've been bingeing "Still Standing" and Harris films those things in all seasons. In some, he's all decked out in winter clothing, riding ski mobiles and in others, he's wearing just a t-shirt (well, and pants & shoes LOL) and eating ice cream.  There doesn't seem to be a pattern to when he's doing that show or doing Murdoch.

I do find it charming that sometimes Macy, his dog, makes an appearance. She's a lovely German Shepherd.  I'm assuming then, that his wife isn't far away, either, but we don't get to see her.

I love the show, but I wish he had more time to be Crabtree.

Edited October 18 by Prevailing Wind

[BMGepinniw]

On 10/18/2024 at 6:01 PM, Prevailing Wind said:

I've been bingeing "Still Standing" and Harris films those things in all seasons. In some, he's all decked out in winter clothing, riding ski mobiles and in others, he's wearing just a t-shirt (well, and pants & shoes LOL) and eating ice cream.  There doesn't seem to be a pattern to when he's doing that show or doing Murdoch.

I do find it charming that sometimes Macy, his dog, makes an appearance. She's a lovely German Shepherd.  I'm assuming then, that his wife isn't far away, either, but we don't get to see her.

I love the show, but I wish he had more time to be Crabtree.

I haven't caught up with streaming Still Standing on CBC Gem.  Thanks for the info about Macy, Prevailing Wind.  I will have to keep a lookout for her.  I know Jonny Harris is a dog lover, as almost ever episode I recall shows him making friends with the local canine communities.

I agree about having more Crabtree on MM.  Good news, though!  Constable Crabtree is featured in tonight's show, along with Effie.  Would it be too much to ask that Watts show up as well?  ;-)

[wanderingstar]

18x02 - What the Dickens?!

I LOVE to see George and Effie solving a mystery together ("Honeymoon in Hampshire" is still one of my favorite episodes) The characters at the Bleak House danced on the line between endearingly eccentric and grating. I did enjoy the incorporation of Dickens into the solving of the mystery.

We got Watts, though not nearly enough. I hope we get to see him leading a case soon.

Odd that Thomas Craig was listed in the credits but didn't appear in this episode.

Edited October 22 by wanderingstar

[Trey]

14 hours ago, wanderingstar said:

Odd that Thomas Craig was listed in the credits but didn't appear in this episode.

No, that's standard.  Look at all the times Jonny Harris hasn't been in the episode but he's always in the credits. The core four have always been in the credits until this year, since Julia is apparently not coming back. Other members of the cast are only in the credits if they are appearing in that episode.

I really enjoyed the Dickens storyline. Effie and George together make great detectives.  I guess George's plans to take some time to write means he'll be away for a while.

15 hours ago, wanderingstar said:

The characters at the Bleak House danced on the line between endearingly eccentric and grating.

Definitely agree.

The crime itself in the other storyline with Murdoch and Choi was not very well developed but featuring Murdoch's invention made it much more interesting.  Henry, playing the fool, as usual, had some great lemon pie.  And so did Watts. I loved the new captain setting aside a room just for Murdoch's inventions.  That really meant a lot to Murdoch.

[Unathletic Club]

October 21, 2024. The day William Murdoch jumped the shark. 

I felt embarassed  for Claire and Jonny having to take part in that ridiculous storyline. The supporting actors were terrible. I've seen better acting in high school plays. 

 

And suddenly, Murdoch no longer cares about being Inspector. He is living with out his wife and child because that was SOOO important to him but after a week or so he no longer cares. What, pray tell, is keeping him from getting on a boat to London to see his baby?

George has to go away to write his book. Effie sends him cheerfully off without telling us why she can't go with him. 

The first 3 shows of  this season has been very disappointing and I am a long time fan. 

 

[blackwing]

18.03 - What the Dickens?!

I greatly enjoyed this episode.  Loved seeing George and Effie working together.  Loved the mystery parlor game that was set up by the dead guy.  Then it turned into actual murders.  Very Agatha Christie.  I liked the denouement at the end in the library where the doctor gave his version of the solution, then Effie, then George with his "both of you are wrong" solution.

I also liked the B plot because it harkened back to times earlier in the series when Murdoch was always inventing things ahead of their time that we use commonly today and take for granted.  Loved him inventing the tracking device, Choi calling it something and then Murdoch correcting him with something that had the initials GPS.  It was great seeing both Watts and Higgins.

I really liked the room of Murdoch's inventions.  I hope somewhere online there will be a list of everything in that room and what episodes they were featured in.

What I didn't like... Effie saying that George needs to go away somewhere and write his book.  What?!  Really?  Why can't Jonny Harris commit to being on the show.  Surely his "Still Standing" program can be filmed when MM isn't filming?

With Julia, George and Brackenreid not appearing in multiple episodes this season... I hope this isn't foretelling that this is the final season.

On 10/21/2024 at 9:48 PM, wanderingstar said:

I LOVE to see George and Effie solving a mystery together ("Honeymoon in Hampshire" is still one of my favorite episodes) The characters at the Bleak House danced on the line between endearingly eccentric and grating. I did enjoy the incorporation of Dickens into the solving of the mystery.

13 hours ago, Unathletic Club said:

The supporting actors were terrible. I've seen better acting in high school plays. 

I agree that the supporting characters were terrible.  I'm not sure what kind of direction these people are being given, but the portrayals of the doctor (guy with long white hair who presented the first wrong solution at the denouement) and the playwright (Indian(?) actor) were especially bad and way over the top.

This show tends to be generous in casting actors who probably have a hard time booking roles in bit/supporting parts, but I thought these two were especially terrible.  The actor playing the doctor chewed more scenery in an hour than Lachlan Murdoch does in an entire season.  He reminded me of some aging community theater actor who finally got noticed and is going for his Gemini / CSA award.

But I reserve most of my puzzlement for the actor who played the playwright.  I cannot figure out if the lisp or speech impediment or whatever it was was part of the character or if that's really how the actor talks.  Edwin Dwooood, vewy, all the Rs turned into Ws.  It was like Elmer Fudd getting thrown into an Edwardian period piece.

14 hours ago, Unathletic Club said:

And suddenly, Murdoch no longer cares about being Inspector. He is living with out his wife and child because that was SOOO important to him but after a week or so he no longer cares. What, pray tell, is keeping him from getting on a boat to London to see his baby?

George has to go away to write his book. Effie sends him cheerfully off without telling us why she can't go with him. 

Yes, what happened to that?  IIRC, he had just been promoted to Inspector at the end of last season.  Julia got an opportunity in London but she didn't want him to have to give up the position that he had worked so long and hard for.  So he stayed in Toronto.

Only to decide that he didn't want to be Inspector and wanted to be Detective.  He could have gotten a job as a detective in the London police force.  At least they could have said something about why he prefers to remain in Toronto even though he is no longer Inspector.

There was a time some seasons back when George was promoted to Detective or Acting Detective... but now back to constable.  Is George ever going to get a permanent Detective position?  I guess not, if he is always disappearing.

[buckboard]

Inspector was only a temporary position for Murdock and perhaps he felt they wouldn't get it permanently.  I believe he explained it in the first episode of Season 18, although I don't recall exactly what he said.

He doesn't miss Julia and Susannah?  Seriously?  Did you see his face as he watched the movie of Susannah romping around?  That's one sad Murdock.

He could have gotten a job in London?  I'm sure they would have been happy to take on a Canadian with hardly any knowledge of their city who wants to be with his wife, although they have no idea how long she will be in England setting up the hospital.  Three months?  Six months?  A year?

Perhaps you have a job where you can take off several weeks any time you want to.  Murdock is going to visit Julia, but not just now when the station is transitioning from Brackenreid to Choi. 

[Trey]

Season 18 Ep. 04 Gimme Shelter Oct. 28 2024

Quote

Murdoch, Watts and Choi investigate the overdose passing of a bookkeeper living in new workers' housing.

And another crooked councilman is outed. Even though he wasn't the murderer his embezzling from charities will put him away for a while.  And, I trust, he will pay back all the money.

So sad that the bookkeeper died just because she wanted a decent place to live.

Brackenreid was taken aback when he realized he was one of "those people". I don't think he liked the realization.

[Unathletic Club]

"Gimee Shelter"

This was more like the Murdoch I love. Lots of twists and turns. 

I doubt if William would like The Rolling Stones. But I bet Julia would.

 

[andromeda331]

I love George and Effie solving a murder together and this time at Dickens party. That was so much fun. I'm glad George is writing another book. I wondered what happened to his writing career. But why does he have to go away? 

Gimee Shelter Yeah, they want people have shelter just not near them. Sounds about right, then and now. Happy to see Watts. I really like Choi. 

I really don't get why characters are missing from some episodes. If it's the actors contracts, money, other jobs let us know. Its just weird and stinks. I miss seeing the gang together. I hate characters just going off like George to write a story or last season off looking for his father. I still don't know why Julia had to go London. 

I do wonder if this is the last season or if next season will be last. Before World War I starts.