Peering Through Time: 'Murdoch Mysteries' Delivers Engaging Whodunits
Set in 1890s Toronto, Murdoch Mysteries chronicles the global hunt for the citys grisly killers by one man: innovative Detective William Murdoch and his peers, using radical methods for the period. Aided by forward thinking coroner Dr. Julia Ogden and Constable George Crabtree Murdoch juggles a world of secrets and discoveries and even introduces groundbreaking concepts like fingerprinting and trace evidence to create a narrative which combines traditional crime solving with early forensic science; with the themes of scientific progress and justice. The tone is suspenseful, intriguing, humorous…richly textured in its portrayal of the past. In Detective Murdoch, the earnest and intelligent Yannick Bisson, and Dr. Julia Ogden, all brains and emotional depth in Helene Joy, Murdoch Mysteries has found the perfect mix. Constable Crabtree (by Jonny Harris) is a lovely breath of humour into this crime solving, adding an element of humanity. As Inspector Brackenreid, Thomas Craig supplies a cynical layer to the team, and, in a few ways, the perfect foil to Murdochs modern ways.
The pace set by directors Laurie Lynd, Harvey Crossland and Peter Mitchell maintains an excellent abiding one. The show retains the feeling of the late 19th century with its historical authenticity and compelling storytelling that brings Maureen Jennings original characters to life on screen.
The musical surrounds the period, matching the suspense and drama of each episode with compositions.
The cinematography speaks volumes — not only of 1890s Toronto, but also the period details that bring everything to life. The series nicely plays with contrast, portraying the crimes scenes against a back drop of the life of the city as they are beautiful with their careful framing and lighting.
The (the) production design careful, not giving everything but (the) detail throughout (the) costumes, set pieces, recreating (the) elegance and grittiness (of) the era. Different locations based on the morgues, police stations, give the viewer an authentic slice of life in a bygone era, which adds richness to the narrative.
And while there isnt much heavy lifting in the special effects department, the few used nicely complement the trappings of the fictional Murdochs techniques of investigative work.
The editing is sharp and tight so that the interleaved storylines are dexterous. The transitions between scenes are smooth and, in a relatively dense series, the need to move the plot forward without wasting time, or boring me, is quite deftly and persistently accomplished.
It’s a consistently engaging pace, with bits of high tension mixed with moments of quiet deduction. Everything is well paced, so that an episodes mystery can be absorbed without being rushed or swamped.
The dialog is crisp and period appropriate, with wit and intelligence having its proper place. Murdoch Mysteries, for the most part, does its job well; there are, however, certain times when the series cannot escape the mundane way of things, the formula plotlines that we have seen time and again. With some of the secondary characters, it would be nice to see a little extra development to their story so that we get a little more rich layers as we continue to watch the stories unfold. Sometimes, episodes don’t go far enough, presenting coherent endings that fail to provide a more compelling conclusion.
Murdoch Mysteries is a great watch if you’re a whodunit lover looking for sci-fi, history, and drama worked together. The ability to mix historical authenticity with intelligent storytelling is compelling and inspiring curiosity and learning about forensic evolution.
