User Reviews

Midsomer Murders: The Fisher King starts late one night at an archaeological dig called the Midsomer Barrow during 1970, a young Nathan Green steals a ceremonial spear from the site & also witnesses the murder of a Roger Heldman... Jump forward 30 odd years later & the Midsomer Barrow is now a site of historic interest that David Heartley-Reade (Nicholas Rowe) has written a book about based on his late father's diary who initially discovered the site back in 1970 & is organising a 'Solstice Festival' at the Barrow. However DCI Tom Barnaby (John Nettles) & Sgt. Dan Scott (John Hopkins) are called in when a local resident named Garteh Heldman (Henry Ian Cusick), son of Roger, is found brutally stabbed to death with the stolen spear which is planted at David's house but used to be owned by Harry Green (Nick Barber) son of Nathan (Jim Carter). Barnaby is convinced the death of Roger & his son Gareth are connected & he discovers plenty of dark family secrets as he begins to do some digging of his own...

Episode 3 from season 7 this Midsomers Murders mystery was directed by Richard Holthouse & is a decent one but maybe a little bit too complicated for it's own good. The script by Isabelle Grey has all the usual intrigue, mystery & murder but there are constant flashbacks to 1970 which start to become confusing as all the character's just sort of blur & since these flashbacks are also told from a mystery whodunit point of view it becomes a bit difficult to concentrate on the present day murder mystery & this one from 30 years ago as they involve some of the same people. When the killer is eventually revealed I had to keep trying to remind myself of the part he played in the flashbacks during 1970 & why they wanted to kill these people, then there's the oddball fact that almost every character in the thing has some connection to Roger & it transpires that he fathered virtually the entire cast! It just felt a bit silly after the fourth time it is shockingly revealed that someone is in fact his illegitimate son/daughter, it felt like he fathered the entire village! The motive for murder isn't great but it's still an engaging enough mystery that could have done with a couple less character's & a slightly clearer plot, at least it's not predictable though. At almost two hours in length The Fisher King demands total concentration because if you miss any of it or don't get it in anyway it'll be even more confusing & make zero sense, that in itself may put some off as it's very exposition heavy. The Fisher King is also the episode in which the famous conversation between Scott & Barnaby takes place where Scott says 'Is the body count always this high around here?' & Barnaby replies 'It has remarked upon', very ironic.

This looks as nice as it usually does with a nice period English mill which in reality was Mapledurum Mill in Berkshire. There are four murders in this story including someone buried under some rocks, a vicious stabbing, a drowning & someone being shot with an arrow. The production values are as high as usual & it's very well made as a contrast to most British TV. The acting is strong from all involved.

The Fisher King is a Midsomer Murders episode that delves into the murky goings on surrounding archaeology & is a little bit too complicated for it's own good, I still liked it it anyway but I can see it losing a few people before it's end.

I have to smile, a little bit, reading all these reviews of how complicated this episode was. Not that I don't agree that it was complicated.

But If you intend to try to follow and solve the mysteries of Midsomer, as you're watching,--keeping up with who was who, what was what, and why who was doing what to who--you need to make a bloody flow chart every time you watch the show.

This episode did not strike me as being that much more complex than most. The episode was decent in making some kind of crazy sense, after it was over and I had time to "ruminate" on it. And that is not always the case with Midsomer Murders, in my experience.

As an American with some Irish blood in him, I particularly enjoyed the Celtic lore thrown in, which I assume had some validity to it.

The one thing I did "roll my eyes over", as another reviewer mentioned, was the reveal that the long dead Roger Heldman seemed to have fathered, illegimately, about half the village! And it seemed like it was a secret to so many!

The Midsomer producers were very fair in giving us a clue to the murderer, by briefly, and blurringly, showing the hand of the killer. I admit that I missed the clue--I must have been working on my flow chart at the moment.

The episode had a good mix of characters, interesting and mostly sympathetic. The one creep was the first victim killed, so that was nice!

And newbie Sergeant Dan Scott (John Hopkins) has, I believe, done a good job--as a character and an actor--in fitting into the rhythm of the show.

The seventh season of "Midsomer murders" started solid with both good, but not great "The Green Man" and "Bad Tidings". "The Fisher King however is not as strong as the previous ones, though it's still enjoyable "Midsomer murders".

Let's start with good first.

. The production values are usually wonderful with beautiful direction, fantastic music in the background and fine acting throughout.

. The murder mystery is also complex with intriguing twists, turns and red herrings. "Is the body count always so high around here?" is arguably one of the most clever lines of the show. The identity of the killer was buyable too.

But...

. The story does get overly complicated with suspects relationship baggage. After few twists, it's pretty hard to understand who has an affair with who or what exactly is the relation between the characters.

. Also, some aspects of "The Fisher King" got kind of laughable with one womanizer character, who seems to have fathered the entire village for some reason.

. The motive for the murders as well feel tame and not very compelling at all.

Overall: fine, but not of my favorites.

6/10 HK

The Fisher King is set in the village of Midsomer Barrow and starts in 1970 with the death of Roger Heldman. 30 years later at present day, David Hartley-Reade, son of the late Paul Hartley-Reade is writing a book about the barrow. His wife Miriam is attending a course led by the Norwegian archeologist Per Hansen, and gives him a copy of David's book. Later, during a talk at the Barrow, Jane Willow is witnesses a fight between her daughter Vanessa, and Roger Heldman's son, Gareth. Gareth is soon found murdered, and Vanessa may have been the last person to see him alive. Miriam informs David she wants to divorce, and it is later revealed that they are brother and sister. In David's mind, this can all be fixed by the summer dolstice held at Midsomer Barrow, where flaming arrows are shot through the skies, giving David permission to have sex with Miriam again. But Miriam still wants a divorce and tries to avoid David at the solstice. When David's arrows have been fired towards the skies, someone shoots him with another arrow and he falls to the ground. A man called James Lavery is later found murdered as well, and Miriam nearly becomes a victim of the killer herself, but Barnaby and Scott prevent that from happening. It is revealed that Per Hansen is indeed Paul Hartley-Reade and that he wanted to get vengeance over Roger Heldman, as it is revealed that Roger Heldman started a relationship with Paul's wife, who also was the sister of Roger's own wife, Anne Heldman. Paul Heartley-Reade is then arrested, and the last thing he says, is that he wanted to take back what was rightfully his, including his own birth name, Paul Heartley-Reade.

"The Fisher King" is a good, but decent third episode of series seven of Midsomer Murders. I really do like the setting about a dig happening in Midsomer, but I do agree with the reviewer saying that the incident happening 30 years prior to the episode, may have stolen too much attention of the episode. With that being said, every story needs a beginning, and "The Fisher King" and the story's background, manages that very well indeed.

Per Hansen/Paul Hartley-Reade turning out to be the murderer, did not come as a shock, and was very quite obvious from the start. Midsomer Murders has suffered with that kind of flaw many times before, but many of the episodes with that happening, have still been good.

The plot about Roger Heldman, and the fact that he was a womanizer who fathered the whole village, did get me a bit confused, as other reviewers have also pointed out. Him being father to both Gareth and David, Miriam and Vanessa, did get clarified at the end, but it could have been explained in an easier way. The fact that Roger was more interested in making kids with different women, then to stay with his wife Anne, strikes me as odd, even though things of course was a bit different in 1970, the year this episode started.

Overall, "The Fisher King" is an interesting and indeed a watchable and enjoyable episode, but to me, this episode could have been a more intruiging episode. 7/10 Hossy Christie.

Ok, can we take a moment to recognize the absolute absurdity that occurs when the character is killed on top of the barrow about to shoot his arrow into the sun? If you didn't notice it I will happily point it out here: DCI Barnaby, his wife, new partner, everyone, are all standing there watching as the arrow pierces the man right through the back...and NONE OF THEM looked to their left to see from whence it came! Honestly, these are police, right? Are we to believe that no one looked to see who shot the arrow? Not exactly a stealthy weapon to use to murder in a public setting! Once you find out the murderer it becomes even more ludicrous.

I love the show, I love the stories, usually, but this one was just alright. I will agree with others about the casting. It was off and I think that's what made the story seem convoluted and confusing to many.

Lastly, not a fan of DS Scott. Smarmy is the word that comes to mind for him.