Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries (2012) s01e06 – Ruddy Gore

It’s an excellent episode and maybe the one most interested in the murder investigation. There aren’t any substantial subplots—Ashleigh Cummings has to deal with Hugo Johnstone-Burt being a lug of a boyfriend and not a romantic daydream like stage actor Alex Rathgeber, who’s actually a right bastard but Rathgeber figures into the main plot. Cummings’s crush just gives it all some texture—actually, it also fits in later when Essie Davis wants to investigate the cold case (tied to the main one).

The pre-titles scene is a ghost in a theater, then after titles it’s Davis taking Cummings to the show itself—a Gilbert and Sullivan opera, Ruddigore. Rathgeber’s in it. The show’s Davis’s birthday present to Cummings. We also meet show producer, Bille Brown, who’s an old friend of Davis’s. Brown wants to hire Davis to investigate the ghost, so it’s kind of perfect when the actor who the ghost had been haunting dies.

Davis’s investigation, often alongside copper Nathan Page’s (the show’s fecund with Davis and Page chemistry this episode and it’s all wonderful), leads her from jealous Rathgeber to disinterested fiancée Christie Whelan Browne to dresser James Pratt then to Chinese businessman Philippe Sung. Turns out Davis is fluent in Mandarin and axe-throwing, which helps since she meets Sung while he’s in a kung fu fight in the middle of the street.

Sung’s a fantastic Phryne Fellow. Charming, mysterious, unavailable, with a mean grandmother (Amanda Ma) who threatens to curse Davis for getting Sung’s attention. Great stuff with Sung.

The actual perpetrator is fairly predictable but the situation of the case, which involves illegitimate births and tragic suicides and so on, is really engaging. Brown’s got a fantastic presence and it’s fun to be around the theater during the investigation, especially once Davis sees the ghost herself.

Between Davis and Sung, Davis and Page, and even Davis and Johnstone-Burt—she’s trying to help him understand Cummings’s romantic wants—it’s also a phenomenal showcase for Davis in the lead. In addition to the mystery keeping one intrigued, you’re just waiting to see what Davis is going to say next. So good.

I mean, it’s also the least… serious episode in a lot of ways. In terms of danger to its principals… even though Davis is in danger. Script’s by Liz Doran, it’s her first episode… director’s David Caesar, who directed the previous episode, also excellent. Sadly it’s Caesar’s last time directing the show.

Anyway… excellent episode.

Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries (2012) s01e05 – Raisins and Almonds

After the lackluster previous episode, the show’s back on track with this one, which almost showcases what material “Miss Fisher’s” works best with.

For instance, there’s not time for the whole supporting cast. Nathan Page doesn’t get a whole bunch to do this episode, but he gets to do all of it with Essie Davis. The Jack and Phyrne banter—which gets soulful here—is a must.

There’s also no B plot. There’s a C plot—which, yes, technically would then just be the B plot but no—involving Anthony J. Sharpe getting engaged and partner Travis McMahon basically throwing a fit and trying to push him out of the business because no girls. Ashleigh Cummings figures into it as well—Davis puts Cummings in charge of a lot of the investigation logistics this episode—and it’s got a rather nice resolve.

The main mystery needs to have some heart, something for Davis to connect with. Here, it’s the death of Jewish guy in a bookshop (private lending library type of bookshop), which leads to Davis discovering how her own gender presumptions are dangerous, how love doesn’t conquer all, and a bunch about pre-Israel Zionism could splinter families. Not to say “Miss Fisher’s” needs some engaging history to click but actively avoiding engaging with the history clearly doesn’t work (see last episode).

There’s also a great action sequence where Davis, retained to prove the bookshop owner’s innocence—after Davis was the one who basically got suspect Kat Stewart arrested in the first place—is snooping around the closed bookshop and runs into a fellow prowler, which leads to a chase scene complete with throwing knives and gunfights. Excellent stuff.

Most of Davis’s investigation involves Phyrne Fellow #2 Tim Draxl. He’s the secretly Zionist son of definitely non-Zionist Brian Lipson, who hires Davis to prove Stewart’s innocence. Lots of chemistry for Draxl and Davis, also lots of exposition as the case leads to the mystical with the Kabbalah. But also to science, which brings Dr. Mac (Tammy Macintosh) back for a welcome return.

There are a bunch of great one-liners for Davis and a couple excellent reveals in the wrap-up. The science mystery is cool (both as a surprise and in terms of historical accuracy) and the villain, while not unpredictable, is great.

And it ends with just the right moment for Davis and Page.

It’s an excellent episode.