"Midsomer Murders" is one of those tv whodunnits that were invented for Sunday evenings at home or lazy afternoons on a sofa. The narratives don't insult the viewers intelligence-the culprit(s) are never too obvious, with the backdrop of gorgeous English villages that almost exactly mirror the stereotype you'd think of if you're not a local. In small Midsomer towns, people don't die of boredom-we're shown that there is in indeed a social life-but of cruelty and crime. In this particular episode, there is a complex story of an amateur writers' club that hosts an acclaimed novelist, which unleashes a series of tragic deaths and uncovers deeply hidden family secrets. However prosaic this might seem, it's the characters that make it work so well, like the terrifying, gloomy Honoria. There's a feeling of unease in the writers' club from the very first scene, and the brilliant soundtrack underlines the darkness looming behind the gorgeous scenery. In this episode, the director takes the tension to the edge by blurring the line between love and obsession, which then turns into a bloodbath. It's quite convincing and it succeeds in keeping the viewer's interest until the very last scene. After an episode like this, weekend binge-watching is guaranteed.
Review of Written in Blood
