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It
is the big race of the season in Midsomer, The Causton Gold
Cup. The local favourite is Bantling Boy, a horse owned by
a syndicate led by Bruce Hartley. After a last minute jockey
change Bantling Boy wins and Sam Tate offers to buy him. The
syndicate cannot agree on whether or not to sell. Shortly
after this heated debate Bruce Hartley is brutally clubbed
to death. Barnaby and Scott investigate...
In
Bantling Boy, what appears to be a complicated and long drawn-out
plot transpires to be extremely clever with some excellent
effects. I particularly liked the blood and horses hooves
effect in murder one.
The
first murder appears to be easily explained but for the second
and third murders the perpetrator of the crimes introduces
a slightly different
modus operandi. The
introduction of a gag reveals that the victims are not just
being murdered, but ritualistically silenced.
It
is always a refreshing change when Midsomer Murders
uses a child as a lead character, especially so in this episode.
It's also a bit of a gamble. The production relies a lot on
whether or not the child actor is believable. In this episode
Thomas Grant is extremely convincing in the role of Peter.
Due
to the inclusion of video games in this episode, and their
effects upon children's behaviour, I thought that Barnaby's
end quote is poignant: "When killing becomes entertainment
we all loose touch of reality."
Barnaby's
daughter, Cully is still not having much luck in her on-screen
acting career and features a lot more heavily in this episode
(usually his on-screen family take more of a back seat).
Overall
this is a very good episode, which will keep you guessing
as to who did it. The ending may be surprising, but it is
the process of elimination and reason that makes this episode
so enjoyable.
Heather
Simpson
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