Midsomer Murders – Harvest of Souls

We’re now at the end of series 18 of Midsomer Murders, and we go out with a story that is solid and rounds off a very middling run. ‘Harvest of Souls’ sees Barnaby go to the fair and deal with some old family rivalries, in a fun case that is well-plotted and only ever sags when it has its requisite Kam scenes.

It’s the annual harvest fair in Whitcombe Mallet, but things kick off to a bad start when, Harry Wyham, the owner of a local equestrian centre is found trampled to death by his horse. Barnaby and Nelson investigate and discover that Wyham’s plans for expansion had angered many of the villagers, including the owner of the notorious ‘Wall of Death’ Butch Nevins (Michael Higgs). The detectives also learn of a long feud between the Nevins and the Wyham families, but Harry’s parents Jasper and Serena (David Yelland and Helen Schlesinger) are keeping quiet about why. After a second murder, Barnaby must act fast to discover the truth.

Midsomer Murders usually thrives on the strength of its guest cast, and ‘Harvest of Souls’ has a good one. There aren’t that many familiar faces (outside of Meera Syal as a stern vet) and not that much in the way of Midsomer ham, but that doesn’t impact on a uniformly strong supporting cast. I thought that Higgs and Michelle Holmes were particularly good as the senior Nevins, imbuing some fun and emotion into their portrayal of a married couple who’ve been through it all. And I shan’t give away the identity of the villain, but there’s also some good and genuinely sad moments at the episode’s close.

‘Harvest of Souls’ was a solid episode

There are some downsides to ‘Harvest of Souls’ that keep it from being an essential watch. It was a shame not to see the ‘Wall of Death’ used in a murder, but I guess that the insurance was a factor there. I thought the story was nicely paced and plotted, but some of the clues just seemed to go nowhere, and I’m still not certain about why one of the plot threads occurred. More annoyingly, this is one of those Midsomers that is impossible to solve because you don’t get any of the relevant information until ten minutes from the end. I enjoy it when Midsomer is a puzzle, but there’s no puzzle in not giving us any of the facts.

And then, of course, there’s the issue that’s been dragging the whole series down, and that’s the portrayal of Kam. I don’t know if it’s down to how the character has been characterised or just Manjinder Virk’s acting, but Kam sits awkwardly, possessing very little personality outside of being incredibly condescending and a know-it-all. She’s not a fun or endearing character, and it means that her presence in the comedy B-story – Barnaby and Sarah are off on holiday and they need a dogsitter – doesn’t work as well as it should.

‘Harvest of Souls’ was a solid episode, one of the best in this series and a good ending after a bizarrely weak beginning. Series 18 has teetered between solid and traditional Midsomer and (not-always successful) attempts to try new things, and it’s proof that the show is still changing and adapting, never resting on its laurels. Although not every episode has been a triumph, and we’ve had the introduction of one of the show’s worst regular characters (please get rid of her), there’s no reason not to see series 19.