Murdoch Mysteries Season 4 DVD Review

 

Combining the period appeal of Sherlock Holmes with the forensic fascination of CSI, Murdoch Mysteries, Season 4, debuts on Blu-ray and DVD from Acorn Media on May 29, 2012. Based on the characters from award-winning author Maureen Jennings’ Detective Murdoch novels, the acclaimed Canadian series has garnered 25 Gemini® nominations to its credit, including Best Writing and Best Dramatic Series. Set in Victorian-era Toronto, this smart, compelling series follows Yannick Bisson (Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye) as Detective William Murdoch as he pushes the boundaries of criminal science to solve the city’s most baffling murders. Distributed by ITV Studios and available to U.S. audiences for the first time, the 4-volume DVD boxed set and 3-disc Blu-ray set include all 13 episodes from season four, plus a behind-the-scenes featurette ($59.99 each, www.AcornOnline.com). A fifth season has already been produced, and a sixth season begins production in spring 2012.

Season 4 pits the kindhearted Detective Murdoch against a would-be vampire, a costumed killer, and ruthless mobsters, inspiring him to whip up a slew of innovative crime-fighting techniques along the way. But while Murdoch nabs the culprits with the help of politically ambitious inspector Thomas Brackenreid (Thomas Craig, Where the Heart Is) and eager constable George Crabtree (Jonny Harris, Hatching, Matching & Dispatching), he struggles to subdue his feelings for former sweetheart Dr. Julia Ogden (Gemini^® winner Hélène Joy, Durham County).

The series guest stars Victor Garber (Alias, Titanic), Simon Williams (Upstairs, Downstairs), Peter Keleghan (The Red Green Show), and Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper in a cameo.

Season 4 debuted in Canada on CityTV in June 2011. Acorn Media previously released Season 1-3 on DVD as well as on Blu-ray for Seasons 1 and 3. The Murdoch Mysteries website is www.murdochmysteries.com

Disc 1

Episode 1:  All Tattered and Torn

The discovery of dismembered body parts encased in a concrete block poses a seemingly impenetrable mystery, but Murdoch chips away at the case, despite the resistance of prickly pathologist Dr. Llewellyn Francis. The detective soon unearths clues to a decades-old crime with unlikely accomplices.

Episode 2:  Kommando

A dead soldier found hanging from a tree with his head twisted 180 degrees points Murdoch to a secret plot in the Canadian military. The investigation puts the constabulary at odds with both the British and Canadian armed forces and prompts an unlikely alliance between Murdoch and Dr. Francis.

Episode 3:  Buffalo Shuffle

Murdoch reunites with his old flame, Dr. Julia Ogden, in Buffalo, New York, to investigate the death of a young patient. In short order, Murdoch’s feelings for Julia heat up, as do suspicions surrounding one of Ogden’s colleagues. In Toronto, a constabulary break-in raises troubling questions.

Episode 4:  Downstairs, Upstairs

Wealthy patriarch Percival Jenkins is found facedown in a bowl of porridge, pulling Murdoch into a world of privilege and resentment. Murdoch untangles the twisted web connecting the servants and family members and finds that each has a motive to kill the master of the manor.

Disc 2

Episode 5:  Monsieur Murdoch

The disappearance of a visiting Parisian girl thrusts Murdoch into an odd partnership with French Detective Marcel Guillaume, a real-life inspiration for the fictional Inspector Maigret. Brackenreid, meanwhile, ponders a political career.

Episode 6:  Dead End Street

Murdoch suspects that a detailed miniature streetscape of a Toronto neighborhood contains clues to a homicide. But the artist is an “idiot savant,” unable to finger the killer. It’s up to Murdoch to get a clear picture of a street roiling with conflict, deceit, and murder.

Episode 7:  Confederate Treasure

Murdoch’s investigation into the murder of a defense minister raises the hackles of the detective’s rival, spy Terrence Meyers. Could the inquiry ignite war with the United States? The explosive revelations put Murdoch’s technical wizardry to the test in a race for Civil War booty.

Disc 3

Episode 8:  Dial M for Murdoch

A phone operator with a penchant for amateur sleuthing claims she overheard the strangulation death of a young woman. Is the wannabe detective crying wolf, or is a real predator on the loose in Toronto? Murdoch taps into the phone system to prevent a killer from striking again.

Episode 9:  The Black Hand

Murdoch’s old friend Anna Fulford gets engaged to a New York businessman, but plans for Niagara nuptials come crashing down when Anna’s fiancé turns up dead. Murdoch suspects the Black Hand, a ruthless pre-Mafia organization. Can Murdoch keep Anna safe from murderous mobsters?

Episode 10:  Voices

Religion forms an unholy union with murder when a priest’s corpse turns up in a convent overseen by someone closely connected to Murdoch. The detective learns that the victim isn’t who he appears to be, and a cloistered nun has divine revelations that may provide clues to the murder.

Disc 4

Episode 11:  Bloodlust

Toronto or Transylvania? A dead body’s dramatic blood loss shines light on a vampire craze among schoolgirls inspired by Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Murdoch tracks a fanged suspect, despite lurid stories by Toronto Gazette reporter Paddy Glynn and the incredulity of Inspector Brackenreid.

Episode 12:  Kissing Bandit

A dashing masked robber steals from banks and gives to the poor à la Robin Hood, but Toronto is no Sherwood Forest. Undaunted by the sensational reporting of Paddy Glynn or the detective’s longing for soon-to-be-wed Dr. Ogden, Murdoch doggedly probes the crimes.

Episode 13:  Murdoch in Wonderland

Murdoch steps through the looking glass when he awakens to find he’s a suspect in a murder committed during the previous night’s Alice in Wonderland party. As Dr. Ogden’s wedding to Dr. Darcy Garland nears, she faces her own struggle upon learning of Murdoch’s feelings for her.

Our Thoughts: I had never seen Murdoch Mysteries before I received this set to review, but I think that its now one of my favorite crime based shows. I love period drama, and I love learning about criminal investigations. This show combines both in an early 1890' setting. You'll learn how forensics excerpts solved the cases before they had the help of computers. Each episode brings you each of the seat drama and mystery. The cast of characters are funny, interesting and diverse. I especially love the female pathologist who is making her way in a man's world. While the man characters are fictional, along they way, they cross paths with some famous figures from history.. This series is definitely a refreshing switch from the norm, and I'm looking forward to getting the other seasons.


If you want to get the advantage of a full set of amazing old world  stories, than this is the box set for your. You can order Murdoch Mysteries Season 4 for only $59.99 at Acorn Media.





***Please note that I received no form of monetary compensation for this post. I did receive a sample of the product to try in order to write a fair and honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own and were not influenced in any way. ***