"McDonald & Dodds" A Wilderness of Mirrors (TV Episode 2020) Poster

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8/10
A solid second episode
Tweekums9 March 2020
This episode opens at the Mara Retreat, a private clinic dealing with various forms of addiction. A woman checks out late at night. She hasn't got far when her car is rear-ended by another vehicle. The woman driving offers her a drink. The next day she is found hanged in her room. Suicide is suspected but Dodds isn't so sure... after an experiment that leads to a burst pipe a murder investigation gets underway. The chief suspects are the other people undergoing treatment and their councillor, Kelly Mulcreevy. As McDonald and Dodds start their investigation they find their suspects accusing each other in a way that makes them think they are being played.

I enjoyed the opening episode of this new series well enough but thought this was a step up, of course it helped that the previous episode had done the work of introducing the characters. The mystery is good with a closed group of suspects, any one of whom could have done it. They were an interesting group; particularly Mulcreevy. Joanna Scanlan did a great job playing this unpleasant, manipulative character... the scenes where she goads Jason Watkins' DS Dodds were almost painful to watch for the right reasons. There are a couple of weak points, such as how quickly Dodds' colleagues turn on him when the possibility that he made a mistake is raised and the solving of a code requires an unlikely mental leap... still this isn't meant to be a realistic police procedural so can be forgiven. Overall a fine episode; I hope it does well enough for further stories to be filmed.
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6/10
The Wilderness of Mirrors
Prismark1014 March 2020
Dodds and McDonald are called into a suicide of a patient in a high end rehabilitation clinic.

It is just that Dodds thinks that this is a murder staged to look like a suicide.

Both soon discover that the patients in the clinic are playing games and manipulating them. There might even be someone on the inside the police who is placing obstructions in the investigation.

I still think it is too long at two hours, however the time here was used for a layered if a silly mystery. It was maybe just too implausible.

It was also silly that McDonald turned on Dodds rather too quickly when he might had been wrong about the suicide. I also find James Murray to be the most unconvincing Chief Superintendent.
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7/10
Friction
DoctorStrabismus24 September 2022
This was an improvement on episode 1, in which the plot was downright silly, and the unlikely chemistry between the two eponymous leads continues to grow in a natural evolutionary manner.

It is simply not in the vein of Morse, George Gently or Banksy (although this episode does feature Caroline Catz from that last-named series - she was the one who actually called him "Banksy" and was soundly rebuked for doing so!) and nor does it set out to be. This is far more in the quirky English lightly comedic cardboard-cut-out style of 'Queens of Mystery' and 'Shakespeare and Hathaway', and should be enjoyed as such.

Yes, we enjoyed it. The plot did kind of hang together (although on that word 'hang', friction does appear to have been completely ignored) far more than the last one, to which we gave a generous 7/10. This scores a far more well-deserved 7, and only just falls short of 8.

We will continue watching series 2.
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10/10
Fun to Watch
Kathy70326 February 2022
Good show to snuggle in and watch during a snowstorm. The main characters...an unlikely pair...wind up to be well suited to each other in solving crimes. It's like reading what I call a summer beach book. I found it to be a nice mental escape.
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8/10
What a difference a week makes.
Sleepin_Dragon8 March 2020
It's fair to say I was unimpressed by last week's episode, but what a difference here! It just goes to show that it's always worth giving a second chance.

This was a very well written episode, with a truly good story, excellent set of characters, and a growing relationship between the two lead Detectives.

The show stealer, Joanna Scanlan, she was brilliant, she's such a good actress, her scenes with Watkins were excellent.

I honestly felt disappointed that this ended after just two episodes, there is clearly space for this show to grow in. ITV please give it a proper full series.

I'll eat humble pie, I really enjoyed it. 8/10
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8/10
Great detective with mix of nostalgia and modern
maragachi5 September 2020
Solid writing, great characters, fantastic cinematography. Really solid british detective mystery series you can never find in US. Hope it will continue
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8/10
Disgraceful display of cruelty to Dodds
Fargomoviecritic19 August 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I can't believe the show didn't have DCI McDonald apologize perfusely or the Chief SI houseman apologize for treating DS Dodds so cruel!! You can't treat people like DS Dodds was treated and he solves the case, Again! But there was no remorse by anyone in the entire show! How did the director not pick that up and leave the characters acting evil including DCI McDonald.
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10/10
Great series
ss-1758217 April 2020
Really enjoyable series, well cast, looking forward to more episodes.
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2/10
Disappointing second episode.
carpwrangler3 December 2020
Too many stereotypes. Some mediocre acting, with the exception of Jason Watkins and Joanna Scanlon who show their skills working with the little the script gives them. The format has potential and isn't lacking imagination, but it needs more attention to detail and less reliance on unnecessary conflict between McDonald and Dodds and a ridiculous portrayal of their boss. Hope the second series ups it's game. I look forward to more of Dodds, the rest I can do without.
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2/10
The writing is terrible.
jocelyn214034 June 2021
All of them, except Dodds are one-note characters, especially Houseman. It's surprising he isn't twisting an evil mustache every time he is on screen. In both episodes McDonald places blame on Dodds for her failures, but in this episode she is down right abusive. Not sure I can stomach watching that poor guy get pummeled for a second season.
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2/10
Disappointing
musickrev19 August 2021
I really wanted this show to work based on the premise and the lovely setting of Bath and its surrounds. But if it is supposed to be a comedy, it's not very funny and if it's supposed to be a drama it's unconvincing. All the characters are stereotypes and it is obvious that the actors are struggling with trying to bring anything more to them, sometimes valiantly, sometimes simply throwing in the towel with some fruity overacting. The best aspect of the production is the photography and when you find yourself considering the visuals over the plot or the acting, that's not a reassuring sign that you are watching anything of any substance. Disappointing.
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2/10
Dodds yes, McD no
jomccauley-7757026 April 2023
I gave a pass to the first episode of this program as getting off the ground pilot but this episode. As the second episode this series has dropped into the realm of just ridiculous.

Watkins as Dodds I enjoy, everyone else is useless.

The boss is a complete jerk. Mcdonald comes across as a snob of epic proportions and the other two teammates are weakly written with no real point to their characters.

Scanlon is classic of course. Perfect manipulator. And I'm a big Caroline Catz fan so I watched the whole episode.

It was of no avail though. It didn't get any better and ended most pathetically.
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2/10
Dissapointment
zuzveseliny23 October 2021
I dont like it. I was waiting stories like Morse, Lewis, or modern Poirot. But it is worse than Monk. Mr. Dods us the only one character, which is interesting.
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5/10
wadkins is excellent in this time travel episode
davet-152758 March 2020
Filmed in 2019 , on the airline docket its September 2020, released march 2020 , itv getting the repeats up to date. wadkins is excellent and his character should have its own show , programme spoiled by main woman detective , plot does not have much but jogs on nicely with wadkins standing out a mile
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