My Life Is Murder (2019) s03e10 – Killer Fashion

Killer Fashion is a peculiar episode. It’s a peculiar season finale, but it’s also just weird. It’s more about its guest stars than a season finale ought to be, and then there’s the whole fashion angle. Lucy Lawless and Ebony Vagulans are both obsessed with the fashion world, though Lawless won’t admit it. Other than “My Life Is Murder” having delightful costumes (the pastels are presumably because New Zealand loves life because they’re New Zealand), fashion hasn’t been a character trait. All they needed to do was have a scene with Lawless and Vagulans watching a fashion show and eating sourdough, but no, it’s just this previously unexplored, shared trait.

And it’s often delightful. They’re investigating the unexplained death of a fashion model at world-famous designer Mark Mitchinson’s latest show. Lawless bonds with forty-something but still got it fashion model Simone Kessell, while Vagulans pals around with make-up artist Jodie Rimmer and model Bella Rakete. They’re on the case because Rakete is playing cop Rawiri Jobe’s sister, and he doesn’t want someone killing her too.

Martin Henderson shows up because it’s the season finale, and there’s some slight resolution to his season-long character arc. But then they actually put off integrating Henderson into the main ensemble, which again includes Tatum Warren-Ngata, who does nothing this episode but hang out at Joseph Naufahu’s coffee shop. The episode’s all about Lawless and Kessell hanging out—the dead model was Kessell’s direct competition—and Lawless oscillating between suspecting Kessell and just having a wild time with a famous person.

But there’s nothing for Lawless this episode other than showing the guest star a good time. There’s some season finale celebrating, but there’s no character development or even the hint at any. And the mystery’s complicated but straightforward; there are like four red herrings before they get to the end, with Lawless and Vagulans trading suspects like baseball cards.

If the episode spotlights anyone, it’s Kessell, which is incredibly generous, but—again—so odd. It’s like they’re walking the season finale, which is too bad, given the outstanding mysteries they’ve had elsewhere in the season.

Still, okay episode; pretty fun.

My Life Is Murder (2019) s03e09 – Staying Mum

This season of “My Life Is Murder” has had several outstanding mysteries; with one episode to go, I’m pretty confident giving the prize to this episode, though. The script, credited to Kate McDermott, effortlessly keeps the show’s almost ensemble cast involved (except for Joe Naufahu, who’s occasionally around) while unfolding a windy murder investigation. The episode does make a feint at character development for lead Lucy Lawless, leading to maybe Ebony Vagulans best performance on the show outside a suspense sequence, but it doesn’t go anywhere.

Maybe next episode.

Probably not.

Anyway.

The mystery this episode is dead male nanny Alex Walker. Ostensibly beloved by all, he went out into a thunderstorm and got struck by lightning. Only copper Rawiri Jobe (who’s got to be upset he’s gone nowhere as a character this season) doesn’t think so. Lawless is in a great position to investigate because her newly revealed (to audience and characters alike) niece, Nell Fisher, goes to the same fancy private school as Walker’s charge.

There’s the current set of parents, Melanie Vallejo and Jared Turner—both great—the jealous former boss, Tania Nolan, and the rival nanny, Sinead Fitzgerald. Some of the episode’s success in casting these supporting parts well. All of them are good, and most have a character arc playing out through their various reveals.

But then having Fisher at the school lets the episode bring in Tatum Warren-Ngata as her fake nanny, while Vagulans can concentrate on computer hacking and that unexpected character development arc. Of course, because that arc doesn’t go anywhere with Lawless, Vagulans gets stalled out too, but it’s a lovely way of integrating the sidekicks.

Playing up the ensemble aspect is Lawless, Fisher, and Fisher’s dad, Martin Henderson, having their family thing going on too.

It’s just a supremely well-balanced episode with exceedingly solid direction from Mike Smith. I’ve been hopeful for at least another season just in general, but I wasn’t expecting to want it for the procedurals. The show’s stalled out on Lawless’s character development; while this episode acknowledges matters unresolved, it still doesn’t do anything about them. They can probably get away with it for one more ten episode season.

Otherwise, they’ll have to address some things. Like what happened with Lawless and Jobe’s season two, “are they or aren’t they” becoming a season three “did they ever?”

But they can easily get through another season with just these excellent mysteries and delightful ensemble. And Lawless, of course.

My Life Is Murder (2019) s02e04 – Look Don’t Touch

It may just be the museum setting or Lucy Lawless making fun of a woman with a dog in a stroller at the beginning of the episode, but I’m really on board with this season of “My Life is Murder.” The actual big difference—besides giving Lawless some backstory to drive her character and the move to New Zealand—is turning Lawless and sidekick Ebony Vagulans into roomies. They can’t avoid one another (more precisely, Lawless can’t avoid Vagulans), and so there’s a lot more banter.

Including Lawless dropping backstory bombs. She had to pick mom over dad and Australia over New Zealand—Vagulans doesn’t seem surprised to hear Lawless has a brother, even though it was new information for the audience last episode, so maybe she already knew. There’s a nice bit of implied gravitas to the relationship, though Lawless is still a jerk whenever Vagulans talks about her own family. Or to hottie restauranteur Joe Naufahu about almost everything. Though whenever Lawless and copper Rawiri Jobe meet up—including a chemistry-filled stakeout sequence—she’s nicely softer.

There’s no question of whether or not the case is foul play this episode—museum curator Josh McKenzie ends up dead in a river with blunt force trauma to the head—Jobe just can’t figure out motive or opportunity. Lawless and Vagulans head to the museum, where Lawless spent lots of time as a tween and has lots of memories, and start interrogating the staff. There’s working partner and ex-girlfriend Manon Blackman, helpful and flirtatious security guard Matariki Whatarau, and then head curator (or something akin to it) Anna Hutchison.

The mystery solution is relatively obvious (does Jobe even do his job) once all the facts come to light, but Lawless has to find them all. There are some missing security tapes, a mysterious symbol, and a lover’s quarrel or three.

Once again, the show leverages Lawless’s widow backstory to help her bond with Blackman, which becomes a slight character development arc for both of them. Blackman’s not in the episode very much—she’s the obvious prime suspect, and she bungles a North by Northwest alibi—so instead, flirty Whatarau and grieving mentor Hutchison get the most material. Both of them are good; this episode’s acting, down to bit player Wesley Dowdell, is quite good.

Plus the museum. Director Mike Smith really captures the grandeur of the open interiors while Lawless does an excellent job of being nostalgically touched.

It’s early, but I’m already hoping “My Life is Murder” gets another season. Especially if they stay in New Zealand.

My Life Is Murder (2019) s02e03 – All That Glitters

“My Life is Murder” has seven more episodes this season, and it’s entirely unclear how much more they can reveal about Lucy Lawless’s character by the end. In this episode, we find out not only does she have a brother (Martin Henderson), he’s a con man (a professional one like their dad), he’s in prison, and she moved from Australia to New Zealand to be some kind of a support system for him. All that information comes in one scene. Despite this episode going over all the mystery details twice like they’re trying to catch up with anyone coming into the episode late (seriously, was this practice a thing before streaming, and did I forget), the set-up on the brother stuff is phenomenally efficient.

Lawless isn’t much friendlier to Henderson than anyone else, and she’s just as cagey about what she’s filling her time in Auckland besides bringing him the occasional care package. “Murder” is usually a light, breezy, pretty mystery procedural, but Lawless is developing a rather interesting character this season. Though having a major backstory bombshell every episode helps.

The mystery this time is a dead drag queen (played by real-life drag queen Kita Mean), who may or may not have been murdered. It’s an unlikely electrocution situation, and copper Rawiri Jobe wants Lawless to figure it out, which means Lawless and Ebony Vagulans get to go clubbing. While Vagulans bonds with bartender Amanduh La (who’s delightful throughout), Lawless pisses off Mean’s widow, Elektra Shock, and her now promoted protege, Drew Blood, with all sorts of annoying questions.

The episode takes a really, really long time to answer the cause of death question, and a lot of it is just Lawless or Vagulans hounding someone with questions. Usually, the queens’ manager, Michelle Ang, who alternates prime suspect with Blood. See, Ang wanted Blood to replace Mean the whole time, but it’s Mean and Shock’s show.

Blood’s acting isn’t great, but Shock’s pretty good (the episode avoids having too many scenes with Shock to delay important mystery components), and Ang’s kind of great. Though only as a foil for Lawless. Ang tries being hostile to her; Lawless brings it back tenfold, always smirking through.

Not a lot of material for Jobe, other than an excellent flirtation scene.

It’s a rather good episode for “My Life is Murder;” Lawless getting character development is doing wonders for the season.