Review: Murdoch Mysteries ‘Troublemakers’

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Warning: Post contains spoilers

“Murdoch Mysteries” season 13 kicks off with a bang in “Troublemakers.” The renowned Dr. Talbot (Claire Goose), is slated to speak at a gathering of the League of Women Voters. Unfortunately, Dr. Talbot’s presence isn’t welcome by all. And it’s not simply disgruntled men such as Walter McReardy, a female voting protester. Instead, female opposition to women’s suffrage manifests in Agnus Cunningham. Unfortunately, Dr. Talbot’s impassioned speech is interrupted when a bomb explodes injuring fellow women’s suffrage advocate Clara Martin and killing a mysterious man.
Constable George Crabtree’s (Jonny Harris) relationship with Effie Newsome (Clare McConnell) seems to have blossomed. Hammering away at his typewriter, Effie dresses herself while sitting on George’s bed before George hastily ushers her out the window before his landlord arrives.

Meanwhile, Inspector Thomas Brackenreid (Thomas Craig) grapples with his strained marriage. During “Murdoch Mysteries” episode “Secrets and Lies,” it was revealed that Inspector Brackenreid, unbeknownst to himself, had fathered a child during a previous relationship. As such, he and wife Margret Brackenreid (Arwen Humphreys) separated. But the Inspector begrudgingly visits a minister to discuss the state of his marriage. “Waste of bloody time if you ask me,” the Inspector reveals, adding “The only reason I’m doing this is to stay out of the dog box.” His minister encourages him to be more honest with Margret, and the Inspector admits that while the two were separated, he invited Verna Jones back to his flat. And the Inspector doesn’t quite give an accurate retelling of the encounter. Brackenreid spins it as Verna making a move on him. “That hussy!” Margaret exclaims. But Thomas doesn’t yet confide in his wife that his daughter Nomi Johnston is slated to move to Toronto and moreover wishes to see her father as well as meet his family.

With Dr. Julia Ogden (Hélène Joy) out of the morgue, Miss Violet Hart (Shanice Banton) assumes complete control of the city morgue. Det. William Murdoch (Yannick Bisson) doesn’t trust Miss Hart, and for good reason. While he can’t (yet) oust Violet from her role as city coroner, the good detective refuses to praise her work.

Observations: 

Refreshingly, Higgins benefits from more screentime. Though his wife, Ruth Newsome of the Mimico Newsomes (Siobhan Murphy) isn’t featured in “Murdoch Mysteries” S13E01, it’s likely she’ll reappear over the course of the season. At the onset of “Troublemakers,” George asks “Ruth isn’t coming [to the rally]?” to which Constable Higgins replies “Ruthie doesn’t trouble herself with the bother of voting. She thinks it’s nothing but a load of fiddle-faddle.”

Although Det. Murdoch fully supports equal rights for women, as well as his wife, when Julia announces a trip to Kingston for a rally with Dr. Talbot, William is less than enthused. “So a woman should deny herself her right to exist because someone may commit a crime against her?” Julia challenges. “No. Not at all. I would just prefer that if someone is after her, my wife not be in the line of fire,” Murdoch clarifies. The Detective’s support and concern for his spouse are at odds. I’d expect this won’t be the last moment during “Murdoch Mysteries” season 13 that this occurs.

A running theme has been George’s writing career. Despite Effie’s praise, Crabtree remains doubtful of his writing chops. There’s a hilarious scene where George imagines everyone in the restaurant where he enjoys a cup of tea clutching his novel and whispering excitedly “That’s George, he’s here!”

Although at the episode’s onset the case appears straightforward, there’s a bit of a twist. And while it’s a bit of a predictable whodunit, the real mystery isn’t the who in this case but the why. Delightfully, both Julia and William remain key in uncovering the truth. Since the inception of “Murdoch Mysteries,” Ogden and Murdoch teamed up to solve cases. Chances are that Dr. Ogden’s post at the hospital will once again relegate her mainly to surgery, but she’ll nevertheless experience her share of crime-solving.

“Murdoch Mysteries” season 13 episode 1 “Troublemakers” features a pleasant mix of standalone plot with a bit of story arc set up. It’s clear that Brackenreid’s daughter moving to Toronto will remain a prominent subplot. Murdoch doesn’t sugarcoat his contempt for Miss Hart, another key point sure to be developed as the season progresses. George’s writing career and romance may both finally take off. Plus, the theme of women’s suffrage in Canada is poised to provide a neat theme throughout the season. Once again, “Murdoch Mysteries” scores an enjoyable romp which sets the stage for what promises to be a spectacular season. Overall, “Troublemakers” is a classic Murdochian episode.