Nineteen seasons - wow. It's like the U.S.'s Law & Order.
It seems to have been a couple of years since season 18 ended and Betty was a baby. The new season opens to some sadness. Then Barnaby is called out on a murder by yet another assistant, Jamie Winter (Nick Hendrix). In this episode they seem to be waiting for Nelson to return from some sort of project, so Winter is temporary. If that's the case he's been gone a while since Betty is now running around in the yard.
Apparently, the army took over Little Auburn Village during World War II, and have abandoned it now, some 70 years later. Three groups have submitted ideas for restructuring the town.
Finn Thornbury (Edwin Thomas) and his girlfriend, Corina Craven (Catherine Steadman), had submitted an eco-friendly village. They are killed. Turns out Thornbury had a few secrets.
Other submitters include Sylvia Lennard (Catherine Blakiston) who was a child when the town was taken over; and condo developers Blake (Christopher Colquhoun) and Lucy Resnick (Pippa Haywood). It was to fall to Corinna's father, Roderick, to decide on the best submission. However, he is the next victim and has left everything to his mother. More unfolds as Barnaby and Winter attempt to work out the town's many mysteries.
Good episode, with Neil Dudgeon settling nicely into the role of John Barnaby. I also like the coroner Kam Karimore (Manjinder Virk) who actually knew Winter previously.
This episode comes full circle, ending on a happy note you'll see coming a mile away. Very sweet, though - I kind of loved it.