User Reviews

Midomer Murders: Faithful unto Death is set in the Midsomer village of Morton Fendle where DCI Tom Barnaby (John Nettles) is attending a local fête, there he witnesses a local man named Gray Patterson (Mark Bazeley) threaten businessman Alan Hollingsworth (Roger Allam) about a project to turn an old mill into a tourist attraction that has gone belly up leaving a lot of investors including himself out of pocket. Barnaby is asked to investigate the collapse of the deal & see if anything illegal has taken place, however the situation becomes much more serious when Alan's gorgeous young wife Simone (Leslie Vickerage) is kidnapped & held to ransom. Barnaby has a long list of suspects with strong motives & it not long before the first murder occurs, that of a local girl named Brenda Buckley (Sophie Stanton) who may have seen too much for her own good...

Episode 4 from season 1 & originally broadcast here in the UK during April 1998 this was directed by Baz Taylor & is yet another excellent murder mystery which is one of my all time favourite stories from this generally excellent series. The script by Douglas Watkinson adapted from the novel by Caroline Graham has all the necessary ingredients for a top Midsomer Murders, it has a complex multi layered plot where things may or may not be connected to keep you guessing, it has lots of rich character's many of whom have strong motives for the crimes committed, there are plenty of red herrings & a well thought out plot that in my opinion is far from predictable & to round it off there's a deliciously dark ending which although typically far fetched & unlikely it's very memorable, it ties everything together perfectly & has a nice sinister edge to it that rivals the equally dark climax of The Killings at Badgers Drift. There is also a really nice humorous streak running through Faithful Unto Death with Barnaby unknowingly taking cannabis amongst various other light hearted moments. It's not all good news though, again at almost 2 hours you need a fair amount of patience as these show's are exposition heavy, despite centering the whole story around them we never find out what happened to the villagers who invested in the mill projects, I mean did they get their money back & there's a character called Harry Vellacott who gets a big introduction but then is totally forgotten about. Still, these are small quibbles & Faithful Unto Death is a classy murder mystery with a dark edge that seems to be missing from more recent Midsomer Murders stories.

Again this makes good use of the beautiful English countryside & is nice to look at for that aspect alone, the real life village of Little Marlow in Buckinghamshire was used for the fictional Morton Fendle if your interested. As usual this episode has high production values mainly because a fair amount of cash went into making it, apparently the average cost of an episode is £1.25 million which is a lot by British TV standards. The murders aren't graphic in this one although there is a cool car crash even if the angle at which the logging trailer is parked is utterly ridiculous, I mean why would someone leave it in that position across the road & uncoupled from a truck? How did they even get it into that position in the first place & uncouple the truck that was hauling it? It makes no logical or physical sense whatsoever when you think about it. The acting as usual is also superb.

Faithful Unto Death is a personal favourite of mine, I love it's mix of humour, the strong character's, the complex multi layered mystery which I doubt anyone will second guess & everything else that makes this series a winner like John Nettles & the location's, what's not to like? An absolute must for fans of the series & armchair sleuths everywhere.

DCI Barnaby and Sgt Troy investigate a suspected fraud in the village of Morton Fendle in which a local businessman called Alan Hollingsworth (Roger Allam) bought the old mill with the view to turning it into a crafts shop. Many local people are furious after the project has seemingly fallen through and believe that Hollingsworth has conned them out of their hard earned cash and legged it. Barnaby has a personal interest in the case because his colleague, the pathologist Dr Bullard (Barry Jackson), and his wife Catherine (Alwyne Taylor) had money tied up in the project. In addition, Catherine sits on the planning committee of the local council and she says that Hollingsworth's former business partner, Grey Patterson, threatened her into giving them planning permission to make the necessary changes to the structure of the mill. When Hollingsworth's wife Simone (Lesley Vickerage) disappears, Barnaby believes that she has been kidnapped and whoever is behind it is demanding ransom money from her husband. The disgruntled investors in the mill are naturally his chief suspects. However, things take a sinister turn when the project's secretary Reg Buckley's dowdy daughter, Brenda (Sophie Stanton), is murdered. Brenda had a crush on Alan and had followed him into town where she saw him give as yet an unidentified man a suitcase full of money. Interestingly, Reg Buckley (Paul Chapman) was fired from his post as a supermarket's accounts manager for fraud making him a suspect in the eyes of the police. When Hollingsworth is found murdered as a result of somebody spiking his whisky with sleeping tablets, Barnaby and Troy believe that Simone might be the next victim. But, is the kidnapping as straightforward as it seems and is it connected to the murders?

One of the highlights of season one in the long running and popular Midsomer Murders mystery series. It is director Baz Taylor's second contribution to the series: his first was the slightly disappointing Death In Disguise, but this one was by far his best. It has all the hallmarks which made the series so popular; the idea of dastardly deeds and murder emerging out of the seemingly soothing setting of the English countryside. The long standing joke about the series is that by now there has been so many killings in the small fictitious county of Midsomer that there can be nobody left alive in it. Yes, that would be true, but the thing certainly works and it hasn't affected its popularity: at the time of writing it is twenty one years since the classic pilot The Killings At Badger's Drift was first aired. This one has a strong plot line and there is some irresistible comedy here too in the form of an elderly couple, a retired actress called Elfrida Molfrey (Eleanor Summerfield) and her husband Bunny Dawlish (Peter Jones) who grow cannabis in their greenhouse. What they don't smoke themselves they bake in Elfrida's "bunny cakes" and Barnaby's colleagues wonder what on earth it is that is making him high: he has taken a liking to the cakes! Performances are extremely good all round. Aside from those already mentioned, Lesley Vickerage deserves a glowing review as the devious and manipulative Simone as does Tessa Peake -Jones as Sarah Lawson, a close friend of Simone's, who due to her love and affection for the guilty party agrees to go to prison in their place. She gives her role a real depth of feeling and it stirs our emotions. Due to this Barnaby is left frustrated because, in this instance, he knows in his heart who the killer/s are but has no hard evidence unless she testifies. But, things change several months later after Sgt Troy discovers that they have betrayed her and have hooked it with the money extorted from the murdered man and got married. He visits her in prison to bring her this news. But will these revelations persuade her to give them away so that she can go free? Sophie Stanton is also very good as the dowdy Brenda Buckley who worships a man whom she has no hope of winning over. In a touching scene she bakes him a shepherds pie, which he literally buries in his garden and she is devastated when she finds out. It is also quite brutal in the way she is murdered later on and we think to ourselves: "Who on earth would want to kill somebody as well meaning and as harmless as her in such a terrible way?"

Overall, Faithful Unto Death is classic Midsomer Murders and it is hard to believe that it is twenty years ago since it was first aired. It remains a must see for fans of first rate whodunits and for those who just like top quality television drama.

This episode had some funny bits in it, especially lines given by Eleanor Summerfield who acted the part of Elfrida Molfrey, a delightful character which made me smile (and without one of her special brownies--talk about funny bit(es)!)

The scenery is lovely in this one, with the cold and damp air playing part as well.

Interesting unfolding of events regarding the murder plots with a satisfying conclusion at the end just as the viewer assumes Barnaby let the killer get away!

The first season of MM has done a fair job of giving the viewer a good sense of each suspect and their possible motives. I suspect this is due to the fact that these early episodes are based entirely off of Caroline Graham's novels. Speaking of which, since this plot ALSO included a gay couple, I wonder if Graham herself is gay? Why else would she add this particular situation so often in her stories? I don't know, I'm just a daft American who doesn't quite get the appeal of this.

Cully looked beautiful as she starred in another stage production. Troy gives his first real indication that he fancies her ...

Barnaby is a real romantic in these first episodes as well, giving Joyce flowers and an expensive perfume for their anniversary. I think he loses this touch as the series progresses. But he still has a wondering eye early on, commenting on the good looks of one of the characters (I don't remember Joyce being so crude as he!)

Firstly, the primary murderers get off scot-free, although their may be recourse for that issue in the end.

Also, it's just a bit unbelievable. The "beautiful wife" who is supposedly kidnapped and held for ransom: She is NOT beautiful. She is NOT nice to her husband. It is hard to believe that anyone, including her lesbian lover, would buy into her kidnapping scheme and then take the rap for all the murders, particularly the murder they did not commit.

I just don't find this one at all appealing and haven't watched it more than once or twice.

This was another very good episode, and there's not much to say that's not already been said. The scene with Barnaby and the bunny cakes was hilarious. It wasn't too difficult to solve though, the clues of the chicken in the fridge and someone being an expert in make-up were dead giveaways. And as soon as we saw Sarah Lawton's attic both me and my partner said "that's a false wall". How come the police never noticed that?

There are a couple of things that didn't make sense though. Alan Hollingsworth was already digging the hole when Brenda brings the shepherd's pie out to him. It's never explained why. Also when Alan goes to make the ransom drop we see him drive away and then Brenda walk past. By the time she'd got to her house and got in her car to follow him he'd be long gone and she had no idea where he was going. And then when she did witness Alan handing over the ransom money, it's doubtful that the kidnapper knew she was watching. But those minor gripes don't detract from what was an enjoyable episode.

Tom Barnaby, Joyce Barnaby and Cully Barnaby are attending a village fête in Morton Fendle, where DCI Tom Barnaby witnesses an altercation where Gray Patterson threatens local businessman, Alan Hollingsworth about turning an old mill into a tourist attraction. But the project has been going down the drain for quite a while, and the investors demand their money back. Alan seems to take this whole thing deeply personal and is drinking to hide the pain. Barnaby and Troy find him drunk on the floor when they come to visit him. Barnaby wants to talk to Alan's wife, Simone, and says she is at bell practice. When Barnaby arrives at the church, George Bullard says she never turned up.

Elfrida Molfrey and her husband Bunny Dawlish seems to have control over what is going on in the neighbourhood. They informs Barnaby about a hole Alan has dug up in his garden and they believe he concealed hidden money there. Barnaby tries a couple of their homemade Bunny cakes, and seems to enjoy their company. Brenda Buckley gives Alan a Sheperds Pie, which Alan buries down the hole. The detectives dig the hole up again and they find the sheperds pie. Brenda Buckley is looking out of one of the windows in Buckley's home and starts to cry when she witnesses what Alan did with her gift to him.

A meeting is held at the Queens Arms, where the investors are discussing how they can get their money back. Barnaby and Troy sit in the back monitoring, but when the discussions are esc, Barnaby steps forward and makes the investors aware of Simone's disappearing and that her sagety means more right now.

Alan travels to Finchmere Market to deliver a ransom demand, and Brenda Buckley follows him and asks if she can help him. She tries to call her dad, Reg Buckley and wants to talk to Troy, who is at their home, but the line is cut. Suddenly a car is seen behind her forcing her car to collide with a stationary log lorry, killing Brenda instantly.

Soon afterwards, Alan is found dead in his home. Cully is a part of a new play, and invites Elfrida and Bunny to the first night. When the show is over, Elfrida gets sentimental and says that she does miss Simone and her handiwork with make up. Elfrida's line makes Barnaby aware of the truth and when Simone returns, it is revealed that Sarah Lawton killed Alan on behalf of Simone, with her former boyfriend, Vince Perry also involved. Sarah Lawton goes to prison, and Simone and Vince become a couple again, and are moving away from Morton Fendle.

"Faithful unto Death" is a good episode, and is a step up in quality from the previous episode, "Death of a Hollow Man". But everything is not good with this episode. Even though "Faithful unto Death" is a wonderful episode, the story itself is not that interesting as I would have wanted it to be. The story takes a long time to get going and the first murder happens after forty four minutes. What I do like about this show is when the first murder happens during the first ten minutes, and "Faithful unto Death" fails to deliver on this. But with that being said, there are some characters that makes this story a joy to watch, and that is Elfrida Molfrey and Bunny Dawlish. Eleanor Summerfield and Peter Jones who plays the characters of Elfrida and Bunny, steals the whole show. Faithful unto Death" becomes a much better episode because these two characters are in it.

"Faithful unto Death" is a fine episode and is a step up in quality from the previous episode, "Death of a Hollow Man", but the story itself is unfortunately not that interesting, even though some of the characters make the episode well. 8/10 Hossy Christie.

Yep, this is the only crime case where Barnaby failed to catch a killer, ok there is also a green man where Eric Edwards was killed and Tom (the killer his son, said that he killed him, Barnaby still had no evidences against him).