Review: Murdoch Mysteries ‘Dr. Osler Regrets’

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Warning: Post contains minor spoilers

“Murdoch Mysteries” season 11 chugs along with “Dr. Osler Regrets.” The show begins with renowned, pioneering physician Dr. William Osler (Stewart Arnott) enjoying dinner with Dr. Julia Ogden (Helene Joy) and Detective William Murdoch (Yannick Bisson). During their university days, Ogden and Osler studied together. During a lecture at Toronto University, Osler quipped that men over 60 should be euthanized using chloroform. Despite his facetious statement, newspapers spun offhand joke as fact.
During the mean, Osler is accosted by an enraged man, Archie, claiming that his father was killed because of Osler’s statement. While Archie’s father appears to have committed suicide, it seems more like a murder. It’s not long before a series of apparently staged suicides crop up. This leads Murdoch to conclude that another sequential killer is on the loose.

Meanwhile, Constable John Brackenreid persists in his training at Station House No. 4. In the absence of her former morgue assistant, Dr. Ogden hires Miss Violet Hart (Shanice Banton) as her new helper. Unfortunately for George, his once love interest, journalist Miss Cherry (Bea Santos) resurges. Once again, it appears Cherry is up to her usual antics.

Observations:

“Murdoch Mysteries” entry “Dr. Osler Regrets” ranks as an engaging episode. Notably, there’s a running theme of fake news, perpetuated by the quite unlikeable Miss Cherry. During “Murdoch Mysteries” season 11, the concept of fake news remains a strong undertone, and I appreciate this timely commentary on United States political affairs.

Constable John Brackenreid’s presence in Station House No. 4 continues to play a point of contention. Although his father appreciates the familial interest in the constabulory, Inspector Brackenreid (Thomas Craig) worries about his son.

As with many episodes, including “8 Footsteps,” “Murdoch Mysteries” features historical characters. This time around, it’s Dr. Osler. In fact, the entire episode centers on a real-life incident where Osler gave a speech which was in turn taken out of context. Similarly, “Dr. Osler Regrets” sees Osler’s reputation tarnished briefly.

The mystery is marvelously well-done in this episode. I wasn’t entirely sure who the culprit was until the final moments. Moreover, the reveal is nuanced, with complicated motivations behind the killer.

It’s refreshing to finally see Louise Cherry unmasked for what she really is. Especially after betraying George, and referring to the Murdochs as “…those awful bores,” Cherry has not been in high regard.

Throughout the episode, there’s a running gag with the Inspector aging. However, the final moments present one of Brackenreid’s top moments. Overall, it’s a solid episode which further grows the characters of Louise Cherry, and Violet Hart, while developing a few key subplots.