Jonathan Creek (TV Series) Satan's Chimney (2001) User Reviews

traditional murder mystery with some fine twists

[awblundell · 8/10 · 28 November 2002]

This feature length episode of TV Series, Jonathan Creek introduced Julia Sawalha as his new side-kick, Carla.

A murder mystery is being filmed in the Scottish Castle owned by the producer. It is a typical 'locked room' mystery in the best Agatha Christie tradition, but when the rest of the cast batter down the door, they find that the unfortunate leading lady has a real bullet hole in her breast to go with the fake one in her temple.

Needless to say, magician's assistant and amateur sleuth, Jonathan Creek is called in to investigate. Pretty soon there is another death to investigate with plenty of twists and turns before the whole truth is finally out.

A must-see for mystery fans and recommended for anyone else.

Just brilliant.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 9/10 · 1 May 2020]

When I think of my personal favourite episodes of Jonathan Creek, I think of Danse Macabre, and this one. It is a great story, packed with twists and turns, there is so much going on, but it's not too complicated or over the top, it's very easy to follow.

It's wonderfully clever, you'll do well of you're unable to untangle the mystery on first watch. At the end, all of the threads are neatly tied together, you're not left feeling cheated.

Notable for being the first appearance of Carla Borego, Sawalha is so different to the much missed Maddie.

Wonderful acting from the whole cast, Berkoff and Cowan in particular. It makes me so sad to see Mary Tamm, a wonderful, beautiful performer who died way too young, such a talented, beautiful, much missed actress.

Very clever, thoroughly enjoyable, 9/10.

Good though the two-hour running time doesn't necessarily make for a better episode

[grantss · 7/10 · 25 April 2023]

A veteran actress is shot and killed while in an empty room. The bullet must have entered via the window but that's closed and undamaged. Maddy is in the US on a book tour so it looks like Jonathan will have to tackle this on his own. Luckily Carla Borrego, the agent of escape artist Alan Kalanak, is keen to help. Unfortunately she and Jonathan don't see eye to eye.

A two-hour episode of Jonathan Creek. This gives writer David Renwick room to develop characters and the plot, in theory. In practice what he then does is throw in a second murder, effectively having two episodes in one.

This said, there is more time allocated to sub-plots. The Jonathan-Carla one was interesting and has potential to become something longer term. Also good to see Julia Sawalha in the role: she's fantastic and the chemistry between her and Alan Davies is great.

The Kenny Starkiss one was amusing and is helped by him being played by the hilariously funny Bill Bailey.

On the downside, some of the extra time is just spent making things more complicated and it's not like the series needed more of that! Rather than help explain things, the longer running time just seems to make it even less understandable!

Ultimately this special episode is fine and par for the Jonathan Creek course.

Absolutely brilliant

[lbowdls · 10/10 · 28 December 2019]

I am a new convert to Jonathan Creek this is like only the 4 or 5th episode I've seen and this is the best so far, and one of the most overall great mysteries I've ever seen. Sure there are plot points which have been used before but a plethora of them. Magic, closed room murder, ancient historic rituals, movie along with a set group of suspects that all seem suspiciously obvious. Yet is the murder going to be obvious or come as a complete surprise? Seriously amazing!

historically inaccurate but very good

[blanche-2 · 8/10 · 5 January 2015]

This is really an excellent episode of Jonathan Creek, called Satan's Chimney. During filming at a Scottish castle, an actress is found dead in a locked room. Someone fired a bullet through a plate glass window - and didn't break it. Perfect mystery for Jonathan.

This episode introduces Julia Sawalha as Carla Borrego, an ex of Jonathan's who becomes his new sidekick.

The castle has a few secrets, including a chamber where people have been disappearing since the 1500s -- and, as they learn, are still disappearing. And the victim has a few secrets, too.

As far as the historical inaccuracy, I don't believe Protestants were persecuted in Scotland.

I have to say, I love the show, and I love this episode, but the show lost something when Caroline Quentin left. With her departure, suddenly the scripts started loading up on sexual innuendo (mostly due to Creek's lascivious magician boss).

It's still wonderful, and Alan Davies wonderfully underplays the cerebral and brilliant Jonathan, who knows a good magic trick when he sees one.

Good but a major problem...

[ajbakeresq · 3/10 · 24 August 2009]

I love J Creek but this one is disturbing. It's a good story, though too long, but it has a huge fundamental error.

The castle is in Scotland. There's a flashback to 1557. There's a reference to Queen Mary persecuting protestants - and the sinister torture chamber that gives the story its name.

Queen Mary who? Mary Tudor was Queen of England at the time, and persecuting protestants (though no more than Elizabeth persecuted catholics). Scotland was a completely different country.

Do they mean Mary Queen of SCots? She was a catholic but tolerant of protestants as they were a growing power and her son was a leading protestant.

Surely someone in the entire production team could have pointed out that it didn't make historic sense? Also - one character is described as a Lutheran and then as a right wing fundamentalist. I wouldn't have thought Lutherans were particularly prone to extremism.

Tripe

[rogerkread · 1/10 · 19 June 2020]

Why is this sort of mindless bilge made? Terrible plot full of inconsistencies and lack of continuity, dire acting to say the least from many of the cast including the lead. I could go on, but really there is no point.