John Ransom collapses and dies outside a pub after a fight with his brother-in-law over the baptism of his niece. He has electrical scars across the top of his head.John Ransom collapses and dies outside a pub after a fight with his brother-in-law over the baptism of his niece. He has electrical scars across the top of his head.John Ransom collapses and dies outside a pub after a fight with his brother-in-law over the baptism of his niece. He has electrical scars across the top of his head.
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Did you know
- TriviaThe newspaper shown several times mentions a UFO sighting. The character Romany Rose was played by Wanda Ventham, who appeared nine times in UFO (1970) as Colonel Lake. That series dealt with a secret government organization trying to stop UFOs.
- GoofsAt approx 27 mins when a file is being burnt in an incinerator, the sticker on the file in the front top right hand corner with the person's details is clearly seen to burn to ash. Later when Barnaby retrieves the file the sticker is fully intact and untouched, the only burn is a smouldering circle below it.
- Quotes
Sergeant Dan Scott: Well, whatever they call it, sir, Jimmy Kirby knew I was wearing this tie before I came in.
DCI Tom Barnaby: I should think everyone from here to Causton would know you're wearing that tie.
Featured review
A 'Midsomer Murders' low-point
What a real shame. Have been a huge fan of 'Midsomer Murders' for a long time, and while it is nowhere near as good now and there are a few not so good Tom Barnaby-era episodes it has been watched and re-watched with great pleasure.
'Midsomer Murders' was no stranger to disappointing episodes prior to "Second Sight". "The Electric Vendetta" was the first bad episode to me, being over-stuffed, underdeveloped and convoluted, and "The Straw Woman" left a sour taste in the mouth in many ways. There are a few others that scrape the just-about-average rating.
"Second Sight" was to me, and it was always the case since first encountering it, the worst episode to be made at time of airing, and to this day it's still one of the show's worst. After being impressed hugely by the previous episode "Bantling Boy", to see the show reach low-point depths in so short a time beggars belief.
There are a few redeeming values. As always, the production values are top notch, with to die for scenery, the idyllic look of it contrasting very well with the story's darkness, and quaint and atmospheric photography. Love the house, like a character of its own. The music fits perfectly, and the theme tune one of the most memorable and instantly recognisable of the genre. The acting is good enough considering what's given to them.
Unfortunately, the story is an absolutely shoddy mess. It is the first 'Midsomer Murders' episode to not feel like a 'Midsomer Murders' episode at all, with the mystery aspects (of which there isn't enough of, and it plays second fiddle to the second sight aspect) being both convoluted and dull, as a result of trying to cram in too much and neglecting to properly explain it. The execution of the second sight stuff is even worse, that gave the episode a continually weird vibe that didn't belong in any way and not only it take over everything else (or so it feels) but it very rarely made sense.
It is agreed that the killer's identity was not the kind to leave you floored, to put it mildly. Worse though were their very flimsy and bizarrely senseless motives and the ending when "explaining" the first murder clearly completely forgetting what happened because what was shown in the explanation didn't add up at all. Thought that on first viewing a long time ago (watching it around dinner time after school during GCSEs when ITV were doing re-runs) and after two further viewings (to check as to whether my initial thoughts were still that it's one of the show's worst episodes) it's still a head-scratcher.
Really was irked by the attitudes of Barnaby and Scott, another thing that bothered me on first viewing, towards the case here too. Barnaby seemed to forget what he was meant to be investigating, because seemingly everything he was trying to prove was completely irrelevant to the mystery, and Scott didn't seem to be functioning as a human at all. Their usually delightful chemistry is nice enough, but marred by the bad writing for it to really shine. The script is, to sum it up in one word, weak.
Overall, a huge disappointment and a 'Midsomer Murders' low-point. 3/10 Bethany Cox
'Midsomer Murders' was no stranger to disappointing episodes prior to "Second Sight". "The Electric Vendetta" was the first bad episode to me, being over-stuffed, underdeveloped and convoluted, and "The Straw Woman" left a sour taste in the mouth in many ways. There are a few others that scrape the just-about-average rating.
"Second Sight" was to me, and it was always the case since first encountering it, the worst episode to be made at time of airing, and to this day it's still one of the show's worst. After being impressed hugely by the previous episode "Bantling Boy", to see the show reach low-point depths in so short a time beggars belief.
There are a few redeeming values. As always, the production values are top notch, with to die for scenery, the idyllic look of it contrasting very well with the story's darkness, and quaint and atmospheric photography. Love the house, like a character of its own. The music fits perfectly, and the theme tune one of the most memorable and instantly recognisable of the genre. The acting is good enough considering what's given to them.
Unfortunately, the story is an absolutely shoddy mess. It is the first 'Midsomer Murders' episode to not feel like a 'Midsomer Murders' episode at all, with the mystery aspects (of which there isn't enough of, and it plays second fiddle to the second sight aspect) being both convoluted and dull, as a result of trying to cram in too much and neglecting to properly explain it. The execution of the second sight stuff is even worse, that gave the episode a continually weird vibe that didn't belong in any way and not only it take over everything else (or so it feels) but it very rarely made sense.
It is agreed that the killer's identity was not the kind to leave you floored, to put it mildly. Worse though were their very flimsy and bizarrely senseless motives and the ending when "explaining" the first murder clearly completely forgetting what happened because what was shown in the explanation didn't add up at all. Thought that on first viewing a long time ago (watching it around dinner time after school during GCSEs when ITV were doing re-runs) and after two further viewings (to check as to whether my initial thoughts were still that it's one of the show's worst episodes) it's still a head-scratcher.
Really was irked by the attitudes of Barnaby and Scott, another thing that bothered me on first viewing, towards the case here too. Barnaby seemed to forget what he was meant to be investigating, because seemingly everything he was trying to prove was completely irrelevant to the mystery, and Scott didn't seem to be functioning as a human at all. Their usually delightful chemistry is nice enough, but marred by the bad writing for it to really shine. The script is, to sum it up in one word, weak.
Overall, a huge disappointment and a 'Midsomer Murders' low-point. 3/10 Bethany Cox
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- TheLittleSongbird
- Feb 1, 2017
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