休暇を過ごす為、アッシュは恋人シェリルと妹や友人と共に森深くたたずむ別荘にやって来る。 暖炉を囲みながら夜更けまで楽しく過ごす若者たち。退屈しのぎに別荘の地下室に入りそこで見つけた 古いテープレコーダーを再生すると、そこからはかつて別荘の住人だった学者の古文書解読の経緯を 伝える音声が流れてくる。古文書の呪文の一節を朗読するその音声は唱えてはならない古代の死霊を 呼び出す禁句であった。薄気味の悪いテープの内容にナーバスになるアッシュの妹だったが、次の瞬間 愛らしい妹は恐ろしい形相になり、宙に浮かびながら死霊を呼び覚ました全員を皆殺しにすると吐き捨て 襲いかかってくる。死霊にとりつかれた妹をいさめるにはもはや地下室に閉じ込めるしかなく、その間 アッシュはテープから流れていた死霊から逃れる方法を思い出していた。その方法とはとりつかれた者 の体をバラバラに裂くしかないというものであった・・。思い悩むアッシュ達をあざ笑うように死霊達 は仲間に次々と憑依してゆく。
We have now watched every season of Midsomer Murders so far, and that is a lot. So you know we like the program. It took a few shows for us to get a sense that the it is a pastiche of police shows. I don’t mean that it is a comedy or makes fun of the genre; just that it turns it on its head a little. For one thing, it seems there are always about three murders per episode, and they are not 90 minute shows. They aren’t serial killings; it just seems like for one reason or another, circumstances call for repeat killings. Besides the three-peat murders, there is also a sort of formula the episodes often follow. A lot of the shows either include a pseudo supernatural element, or they take place during some kind of festival or fete. People from a character’s past also play into a lot of shows, and if you are squeamish and someone says “What are you doing here?” Look away for just a moment. Plus, perhaps out of necessity since there are so many murders, they come up with imaginative ways of doing it. Not always plausible, mind you, but all part of the fun. So it is a pleasant show. The recurring characters are likable and their personal plot lines provide continuity for the one-&and-done mystery for each episode. If you are dubious but still give it a try, watch at least three episodes. It grows on you. If you have Roku tv channels, there is one channel that runs just Midsomer Murders, though I imagine not in any sensible order. Don’t let then20-plus seasons put you off. There aren’t many episodes per season so it goes faster than you might think.
Spoiler Alert: Do you want to know who the killer is? Look for a Cross, a Star of David, someone praying, a member of the clergy and you are good. The character that is not an atheist is the killer... unless the character is a Muslim, then they will be heroic. And they are pretty pathological about it. in a different age it would be bigotry, not the new episodes are made in an era where people are proud of their bigotry. But for you the viewer it's like watching a Woke show in America... you know who the killer is because they look like Trump. In the UK, it's Christian or Jew. It's pretty disgusting now.
