I don’t know if some new quota has recently come into effect, but for the second episode in a row there are only two Midsomer Murders as opposed to the usual three.
In the case of ‘Last Man Out’ though, I think we can forgive the shortfall – because the potential third victim, saved in the nick of time, is none other than former regular, DS Ben Jones (Jason Hughes).
Jones’ surprise guest (re)appearance, operating undercover and quite by accident stumbling across corpse number one, adds an extra frisson of excitement and intrigue to an episode already well-stocked with estranged parents, illegitimate children, blackmail, gambling, guilt and… cricket.
After last year’s subpar cycling episode, I must admit that the prospect of another sport-centric episode didn’t exactly excite me (especially given that it’s cricket, not always the most high-octane of sports), but I’m very pleased to have been proved wrong.
The cricket is pivotal to the story, but at the same time is kept rather more in the background than the cycling last year. In addition to that, this isn’t your run-of-the-mill, never-ending, rain-stopped-play cricket; this is C10 Grand Slam cricket, a fast-paced, quick-moving, razzmatazz version complete with fireworks and cheerleaders.
In a rare moment of research I Googled it hoping for a little more detail, as the exact explanation is rather rushed through on-screen… but much to my disappointment I couldn’t find anything, so it appears to have been made up just for this episode!
A well-rounded guest cast, including a particularly strong performance by Susan Jameson as retired cricketer Germaine Troughton, makes for a very watchable couple of hours, although it does make me feel a bit old to see Paul Reynolds (once Colin Mathews, the teenage Del Boy of Press Gang) greying and middle-aged.
Mind you, his character here, the bizarrely-named Butler Styles, is out to make a profit (involved in the very match-fixing which the undercover Jones is investigating) so I guess he’s still keeping the spirit of Colin alive.
DS Winter continues to make his mark, and there’s some nice moments for him where the script takes full advantage of Barnaby being sworn to secrecy over Jones’ identity. With no reason not to consider Jones a suspect, Winter becomes more and more suspicious of this guy who seems to pop up everywhere he goes; and then more suspicious still when he realises that Barnaby is deliberately putting him off the scent.
There’s also some fun to be had post-denouement, with Jones and Winter comparing notes on the boss (“Never calls you by your first name” – “I don’t think he knows what it is”).
All in all, a very enjoyable entry. A definite six!
Aired at 8pm on Wednesday 11 January 2017 on ITV.
Buy the complete Season 18 box set on Amazon here.
What did you think of this week’s episode? Let us know below…