Murdoch Mysteries Part 2
Critique season 1&2
There are three main reasons that I like Murdoch Mysteries.
First, it is such a pleasure to watch something that does not have swearing, sex scenes, and gratuitous violence. Even though there are the odd (bordering on) romantic interludes the story line remains true to the theme of the title and they do not over-shadow the stories.
Second, I quite like viewing shows that depict times gone by and it is interesting to see how detectives'/police duties were (supposedly) undertaken in that time.
Third, the acting and storytelling - as noted in a previous post - equals that of Poirot (another favorite of mine), Sherlock Holmes (again, another favorite).
I like each character who has a distinct role and adds to the show as well as the enjoyment of watching the show.
It was Jennings who conceived of Det. William Murdoch as a kind of Sherlock Holmes with a badge. Still, despite Murdoch's official status, he remains an outsider and eccentric in the Toronto constabulary of the 1890s. For one thing, Murdoch is a Catholic in an otherwise intensely Protestant city; he crosses himself whenever he first encounters a murder victim. A man like Murdoch would never have made detective if his strange methods didn't so often produce results. Crabtree admires Murdoch but frequently can't follow his reasoning. He nevertheless makes himself indispensable by paying close attention and following through on Murdoch's instructions. (Crabtree also provides much of the comic relief, and Harris plays the part to perfection.) Their boss is Inspector Brackenreid (Thomas Craig), a former English soldier whose thick Yorkshire accent hasn't been dulled by his years in Canada. Nor has his temper been cooled, especially when Murdoch insists on complicating what appears to be an open-and-shut case with a lot of questions about "loose ends”. Episode 8, "Still Waters", turns on class conflict between rich and poor; it also features Murdoch's attempt to create a lie detector. And Episode 12, "The Prince and the Rebel", which was clearly inspired by Patriot Games, uses the occasion of a state visit by Queen Victoria's grandson, Prince Alfred (Chad Connell), to examine the then-current state of the "Irish problem", which wouldn't be resolved for over 100 years. Since the name "Murdoch" is Irish, the case becomes particularly personal for the usually detached detective.
Our likable lead along with a terrific supporting cast such as the above-mentioned Harris and Murdoch's obligatory tough-minded boss Inspector Brackenried (Thomas Craig) keeps things running smoothly but great credit for its success is due to the show's antique. This is supplied in the form of the brainy, forward thinking, liberal and early feminist Dr. Julia Ogden (Helene Joy) whose skill for forensics makes her one of the area's top pathologists and a woman who shares a similar fascination for science, medical examination and experimentation to help rule in and out suspects and evidence as Murdoch's most trusted ally.
 
The essential thread that winds through Season 2 is the stop/start romance between Det. William Murdoch of the Toronto Constabulary and the local coroner, Dr. Julia Ogden. While their intense attraction was obvious throughout Season 1, the buttoned-up detective could hardly bring himself to entertain thoughts of new love, because he was still in mourning for the fiancée who had died of tuberculosis before the series opened. In Season 2, Murdoch suddenly finds himself able to envision a future in which he is not alone. Their conflicts come to a head over the case of a young career woman who died after a failed attempt at an illegal abortion (Episode 5, "Shades of Grey"). Adding to Murdoch's uncertainty is his encounter and subsequent friendship with an attractive widow, Enid Jones (Sarah Allen), and her son, Alwyn (Dakota Goyo), who becomes a witness in a case (Episode 6, "I, Murdoch"). Faced with a traditional woman (who is almost immediately interested in the polite detective) and the prospect of a ready-made family, Murdoch is forced to consider what kind of future he really wants. in Episode 10, "Murdoch.com", he analyzes telegraph arrays to track down a con artist who has assumed a false identity to persuade lonely women to send money. (Listen closely, and you'll hear someone utter the words "world", "wide" and "web" in close proximity.)