Review: Murdoch Mysteries ‘The Final Curtain’

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Warning: Post contains spoilers

John Brackenreid returns for a delightfully campy “Murdoch Mysteries” episode in season 13 episode 8 “The Final Curtain.” As the show opens, Constable George Crabtree (Jonny Harris) summons Det. Watts (Daniel Maslany), “Psst! Watts! Over here,” as Watts enters a theatre. “I do hope they like it,” Margaret Brackenreid (Arwen Humpherys) worries. “Of course they will, they’ll eat it up,” Inspector Thomas Brackenreid (Thomas Craig) dismisses. “How long do you suppose this will be?” the titular Det. William Murdoch (Yannick Bisson) wonders. “Oh William,” his wife, Dr. Julia Ogden (Hélène Joy) admonishes, “at least try to enjoy it.” Gathered in a theatre, the group anxiously awaits the start of a play: “The Final Curtain.”
After being shot in the line of duty, young John Brackenreid abandoned the uniform for the stage. Yet, it seems John can’t stray too far from his constabulary roots since he’s cast as Detective Roderick Justice. The murder mystery play becomes a real-life murder mystery when the play culminates in tragedy when the lead star, Annabeth Potter (Claire Alan) is shot. Murdoch, Crabtree, Watts, and Inspector Brackenreid discover that one of the blanks in a prop gun was replaced by a bullet. Complicating the investigation, the entire cast and a play critic are all suspects with equal motive.

Observations:

“Murdoch Mysteries” S13E08 “The Final Curtain” is a total gem. As a refreshing change of pace, there’s nary a scene set outside of the theatre. Its confined setting coupled with a string of suspects lends a bit of an Agatha Christie vibe. In a moment of pure hilarity, George suggests that, perhaps, the entire cast collaborated to kill Potter in what’s a total Murder on the Orient Express accusation.

During the “Murdoch Mysteries” season 12 two-part finale, John Brackenreid was outed as having had an affair with another woman. Well, once again it seems young Brackenreid can’t keep his trousers up as he admitted to having sex with the victim before the play began. And Annabeth was a married woman, mind you. John explains that the marriage had yet to be consummated as her husband had a bit of trouble getting it up.

In a gut-bustingly hilarious scene, John admits his fling to Watts. Then, Watts dances around the topic. “How can you be so sure of these things?” Murdoch questions. “I can be sure because the sounds [under the stage] and the lost earring were caused by something else,” Watts responds. When Murdoch pushes, Watts whispers that young Brackenreid was engaged in a triste with the victim. “Oh! Right. Let’s consider other theories,” William agrees. “What the bloody hell is going on?” Inspector Brackenreid bellows. What follows is a string of Shakespearean-caliber innuendos. John explains that her husband, Felix, was unable to perform. “Couldn’t rise to the occasion,” Inspector Brackenreid chuckles. “You believe the husband didn’t know? He could have sensed that something was up…up during rehearsals.” Matter of factly, Murdoch responds “No sir, he never touched the weapon until the finale, there’s no way he could have put in the real bullet.”

Despite the confined setting, “The Final Curtain” manages to incorporate most of its major characters. It’s a successful whodunit that doesn’t reveal the killer until an epic finale. Plus, Julia and Murdoch enjoy a moment of romance at the end of the episode. From the fantastic dialogue, including a pun-ridden conversation between Murdoch and the Inspector to George’s wacky theories, and a clever plot, “The Final Curtain” is one of the best “Murdoch Mysteries” to date.