"Death of a Stranger" has always been a favourite episode of mine. "Death of a Stranger" is compelling and interesting from start to finish, and the story from Douglas Livingstone and the direction from Peter Cregeen are both amazing. The story is dark, but not as dark as the series two opener, "Death's Shadow". "Death of a Stranger" was broadcast on New Years Eve in 1999, and what a way to end this year with this episode.
"Death of a Stranger" starts with the murder of an old tramp during a fox hunt in the village of Upper Marshwood. Barnaby enjoys a holiday in France with Joyce and Cully, while Superintendent Pringle steps in to cover the murder investigation during Barnaby's absence. Pringle arrests a young poacher boy named Billy Gurdie, after finding out that Billy Gurdie's fingerprints were found on the weapon. When Billy's father, Ben Gurdie, is found murdered as well, Tom Barnaby realises that the two murders are connected.
The Founders night party are being held shortly after. All seems well, but after a while, Pringle witnesses something at the summer house and is spooked. The next day at the fox hunt, Ron Pringle is murdered, and it appears that this horse has been tranquilized. Barnaby shows Troy the summer house and believes that Pringle was killed because the murderer knew he had seen "them". "Them" is found to be Kate Tranter, Grahame Tranter's wife and Dave Hedges, and Grahame could not bear knowing that someone else knew about his wife's infidelity. Grahame tries to stop Kate from leaving, but fails. In a last desperate attempt, he finds his shotgun and points it at Kate, their son Harry, and Dave. When Barnaby arrives, Grahame realises it is all over and that he has lost both his wife and son. He can't bear to live without them, and chooses to take suicide.
It all comes down to the killing of Simon Tranter and the tramp. The tramp. Who is revealed to be Michael Darrow and Grahame Tranter's dad, started a relationship with Marcia Tranter, which resulted in her pregnancy with Grahame. Her pregnancy put her in a difficult position hence to Simon being sterile. He knew that Grahame could not be his son, so Marcia persuaded James Fitzroy, another lover of hers, to kill Simon, and to make Michael disappear, so Marcia was able to pass their son Grahame off as Simon's son, so he could inherite the Tranter Estate. But Grahame knew that Kate was seeing someone else, and that the Estate did not matter at all, if he could not have Kate and Harry.
"Death of a Stranger" is a wonderful start to the third series. The first murder of the tramp, happens after ten minutes, and it is that amount of time that makes it most intriguing. We have seen other episodes, such as "Death's Shadow" where the murder of Richard Bayly happens after nearly 30 minutes. Considered that the first series of Midsomer Murders lasted for about 1 hour and 45 minutes per episodes, 30 minutes before a murder happens is a very long time, but "Death's Shadow" was so well written, with many interesting scenes before the first murder after 30 minutes, that it did not really matter at all.
"Death of a Stranger" is also that kind of episode where you need to pay full attention. I have watched "Death of a Stranger", and it took me a while before I did understand the connection between the tramp and Grahame Tranter, and that he indeed was Grahame's father. It took me a while before I really did understand that Simon Tranter had been killed by James Fitzroy just to hide the truth behind Marcia's pregnancy. I am also quite fond of the writer's decision to wait to reveal the tramp's true identity until the end of the episode. The real identity of the tramp was a huge surprise when it first was revealed, and that decision made me pay more attention to the story, as I wanted to find out who the tramp really was. With that being said, even though I have paid attention to this episode, I still neeeded to see this episode several times to get the full picture. A reason for that, is, as someone else already have written in their reviews on this episode, that during the last 30 minutes, too many secrets are revealed at the same time, and there is no wonder why I have felt so confused after watching this episode, and why I needed to see "Death of a Stranger" several times to get the full picture.
The Lee was once again chosen as one of the filming locations, and I love that place. From the supporting cast, Dominic Mafham is amazing as Grahame Tranter. Richard Johnson was well liked as James Fitzroy and James Bolam played Ron Pringle wonderfully. I also did like Sarah Winman as Kate Tranter, and Diane Fletcher and Jennifer Hillary were likeable too, as the characters of Marcia Tranter and Sarah Fitzroy.
"Death of a Stranger" is a wonderful start to the third series, and will always be one of my favourite Midsomer Murders episodes, alongside "The Killings at Badger's Drift", "Written in Blood" "Death's Shadow", "Strangler's Wood", "Dead Man's Eleven" and many more. 10/10 Hossy Christie.
"Death of a Stranger" starts with the murder of an old tramp during a fox hunt in the village of Upper Marshwood. Barnaby enjoys a holiday in France with Joyce and Cully, while Superintendent Pringle steps in to cover the murder investigation during Barnaby's absence. Pringle arrests a young poacher boy named Billy Gurdie, after finding out that Billy Gurdie's fingerprints were found on the weapon. When Billy's father, Ben Gurdie, is found murdered as well, Tom Barnaby realises that the two murders are connected.
The Founders night party are being held shortly after. All seems well, but after a while, Pringle witnesses something at the summer house and is spooked. The next day at the fox hunt, Ron Pringle is murdered, and it appears that this horse has been tranquilized. Barnaby shows Troy the summer house and believes that Pringle was killed because the murderer knew he had seen "them". "Them" is found to be Kate Tranter, Grahame Tranter's wife and Dave Hedges, and Grahame could not bear knowing that someone else knew about his wife's infidelity. Grahame tries to stop Kate from leaving, but fails. In a last desperate attempt, he finds his shotgun and points it at Kate, their son Harry, and Dave. When Barnaby arrives, Grahame realises it is all over and that he has lost both his wife and son. He can't bear to live without them, and chooses to take suicide.
It all comes down to the killing of Simon Tranter and the tramp. The tramp. Who is revealed to be Michael Darrow and Grahame Tranter's dad, started a relationship with Marcia Tranter, which resulted in her pregnancy with Grahame. Her pregnancy put her in a difficult position hence to Simon being sterile. He knew that Grahame could not be his son, so Marcia persuaded James Fitzroy, another lover of hers, to kill Simon, and to make Michael disappear, so Marcia was able to pass their son Grahame off as Simon's son, so he could inherite the Tranter Estate. But Grahame knew that Kate was seeing someone else, and that the Estate did not matter at all, if he could not have Kate and Harry.
"Death of a Stranger" is a wonderful start to the third series. The first murder of the tramp, happens after ten minutes, and it is that amount of time that makes it most intriguing. We have seen other episodes, such as "Death's Shadow" where the murder of Richard Bayly happens after nearly 30 minutes. Considered that the first series of Midsomer Murders lasted for about 1 hour and 45 minutes per episodes, 30 minutes before a murder happens is a very long time, but "Death's Shadow" was so well written, with many interesting scenes before the first murder after 30 minutes, that it did not really matter at all.
"Death of a Stranger" is also that kind of episode where you need to pay full attention. I have watched "Death of a Stranger", and it took me a while before I did understand the connection between the tramp and Grahame Tranter, and that he indeed was Grahame's father. It took me a while before I really did understand that Simon Tranter had been killed by James Fitzroy just to hide the truth behind Marcia's pregnancy. I am also quite fond of the writer's decision to wait to reveal the tramp's true identity until the end of the episode. The real identity of the tramp was a huge surprise when it first was revealed, and that decision made me pay more attention to the story, as I wanted to find out who the tramp really was. With that being said, even though I have paid attention to this episode, I still neeeded to see this episode several times to get the full picture. A reason for that, is, as someone else already have written in their reviews on this episode, that during the last 30 minutes, too many secrets are revealed at the same time, and there is no wonder why I have felt so confused after watching this episode, and why I needed to see "Death of a Stranger" several times to get the full picture.
The Lee was once again chosen as one of the filming locations, and I love that place. From the supporting cast, Dominic Mafham is amazing as Grahame Tranter. Richard Johnson was well liked as James Fitzroy and James Bolam played Ron Pringle wonderfully. I also did like Sarah Winman as Kate Tranter, and Diane Fletcher and Jennifer Hillary were likeable too, as the characters of Marcia Tranter and Sarah Fitzroy.
"Death of a Stranger" is a wonderful start to the third series, and will always be one of my favourite Midsomer Murders episodes, alongside "The Killings at Badger's Drift", "Written in Blood" "Death's Shadow", "Strangler's Wood", "Dead Man's Eleven" and many more. 10/10 Hossy Christie.