User Reviews

As the episode opens we see a scene from a 1960s horror film in which a young woman is attacked by a vampire… the woman watching the film is then attacked and when her body is found there are two distinct holes in her neck! She had been writing a book about two sisters, Stella and Diana Harris, who starred in the films. Stella lives in the village and Diana had just returned with her American husband Cy after forty years away. It isn't long before further murders take place; each matching a death from a scene in one of the films. There are plenty of suspects; the landlord who found the first victim, the delivery man who had a record for drug dealing and Diana and Cy's son who had left the States and did not want to return there as his father insisted. There are plenty of clues; the most important being a photograph of Stella in a bikini! With Barnaby and Jones on the case it is only a matter of time before the killer is caught; the only real question is how many people will they kill before their identity is revealed.

Fans of the series are sure to enjoy this as there are a good number of rather creative murders as well as a couple of apparent attempted murders. As is often the case it is easier to work out who didn't do it; they are invariably the ones with the most obvious motives! The cast does a fine job providing the right mix of mystery and amusement… the scene where Jones realises a suspect is doing more than just delivering organic vegetables to local women is priceless! There are of course one or two flaws; the footage from the '60s horror films didn't have the right look… presumably the producers thought shooting it on film would be unnecessarily expensive. Still that is a minor quibble and I really enjoyed the episode.

I agree with several reviews where I don't get why they are so negative. Both the main characters (divas) were great. I liked how involved Barnaby was in all of the movies and I like how the murders paralleled the "Divas movies." The only thing I don't really think stands is the identity of the murderer. It is not realistic. The motive for the killer to commit the crimes seems rather unbelievable. It seems unbelievable that Stella's daughter would go on a killing rampage because she finds out her sister, Diana, is her actual mother. Come on!! Assumably, being raised by her aunt was a positive experience. If it weren't, then surely Stella would have placed her in some kind of mental health program years ago.

Despite this flaw, I still enjoy watching this particular episode. The "old horror movies" are a treat.

I have to say that this series has gone down hill since they started adding more "racially diverse" actors. I totally understand the need to have more diverse actors of many different races reflected in any TV series, but it should reflect the actual population. Name me one village out in the British county that has multiple residents who are asian, African, Indian, etc. The appeal of Midsomer initially was that it "Reflected" the village life and people out in the villages of Britain. I'm not from GB, but I have been to areas of British Isles and I KNOW that the villages in the country are not diverse. Can we please represent the actual culture and population. Of course, Midsomer is not the only show that has gone off the rails in terms of overpopulating their shows with racially diverse characters. Hallmark: The Boss is not realistically always going to be a black female or male!! (As in Hallmark).

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, if anybody's read my reviews for the Season 14 episodes the reasons are detailed in those. After a mostly disappointing Season 14, with three decent-and-more episodes out of eight, Season 15 started off promisingly before jumping the shark with "Written in the Stars", "Death and the Divas" despite an inspired premise is little improvement.

Of course there are things that make "Death and the Divas" watchable still. As ever, most of the production values in "Death and the Divas" 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.

Neil Dudgeon and Jason Hughes do their best, Dudgeon doesn't come over as overly-smug or disdainful and Hughes does have a fun moment when realising that one suspect is doing more than selling organic vegetables. Sykes steals every scene he's in, such a cute and amusing dog. Of the supporting cast, Sinead Cusack and Harriet Walter have great chemistry and really knock it out of the park making the most of less than game material.

However, the film footage is both overblown and amateurish, actually giving the very cheap 60s horrors a run for their money. The story had an inspired premise, but does nothing new with it, with murders that could have been elaborate considering the genre but were instead lazy and a far-fetched and over-complicated final solution further disadvantaged by the oldest motives in the book and the identity of the murderer being too obvious too soon. Not to mention the loose end with the car brakes.

Most of the supporting cast are awfully hammy, Henry Goodman's character felt like he belonged somewhere else entirely especially while John Carson and particularly Caroline Munro are completely wasted in throwaway roles. Kate and Sarah continue to be bland and charmless, and there is not much chemistry between the regulars, particularly the non-event one between Barnaby and Sarah. Barnaby's treatment of Jones is nowhere near as condescending and Jones isn't too much of an idiot but their chemistry does not have the sparkle that Jones had when paired with Tom Barnaby in the John Nettles era and Jones has been deserving of much more interesting material for a while now.

Pacing can be tedious and the script doesn't balance mystery and fun particularly well, both taking it too seriously or going too outlandishly, even for the premise. The most fun "Death and the Divas" gets actually is seeing Cusack and Walter trying to up-stage one another. The characters lack personality generally.

In summary, a disappointing waste of a good idea. 5/10 Bethany Cox

I don't watch a lot of midsomer, but in no way would this ever encourage me to become a fan. This was so bad, it was almost like a black comedy. The acting by the main characters, with the exception of Sinead Cusack, was awful, very hammy .and the premise for the murders ( come on, wrapped in bandages like a mummy and suffocated was one ? ) . Honestly, when actors and crew are filming this stuff, doesn't anybody actually stop and think "Hang on People, this is a bit much , we can't do that . And here's a possible spoiler, so be warned. Who actually cut the brake cables on the villains car, when the villain is revealed ? This person, from what I recall, had committed all the villainous acts, so who cut the brake cables on their vehicle . This would have worked better as a spoof, it was that laughable . Ps : I can't be certain as I did not record this, but in one scene I'm sure that one of the female characters ( the one who sells the organic vegetables ) calle the police officer " Detective Tillman " which was her husband name , not the police officer ?

Let me preface this review by stating this episode had to be one of the worst, if not the worst! Cheesy story line, cheesy acting. Since John Nettles left, the episodes just seem to be a discombobulation of whatever the writers throw out there. I find myself forcing to complete the viewing, pausing frequently. And...the dog (Sykes) moments irritate me to no end even though I dearly love dogs. But, Midsomer Murders should NOT be a rehash of "The Thin Man" or "Frasier". Now for my review (if I can put it into words): Two aging horror movie queens (sisters) are still trying to out best one another 40 years later. The snippets from the 1960's horror films, the film scenery with the red convertible (driven by one of the sisters years earlier)juxtaposed on the film were just to much to take seriously. "John Nettles, Come Back"