Midsomer Murders Series 15: The Dark Rider [DVD]

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At the Barnaby home, Sarah is furious about the re-enactment fiasco. All her staff know what a farce it turned into. Barnaby soothes her. Barnaby is trying to figure a way into Simon's head. He hasn't said a word for five years. His psychiatrists have described his refusal to speak as idiopathic. Which means - They haven't got a clue. As Barnaby leaves, Jones says, "There's a report just came in. Three people claimed they saw the headless horseman in the last half hour. What's that about?" Barnaby says, "That is a sense of community, Jones. One goes mad, they all go mad. It's a wonderful little world out here."

Death by Looking Up: Ludo DeQuetteville is lured outside his ancestral home and looks up just in time to see a gargoyle toppling on top of him. Toby tells Barnaby and Jones that his relationship with Julian was all good. He would be the next in line to inherit. Toby admits that he is uncomfortable with being called a sir and running the place. He is a bit... socially... clumsy. Toby mentions that The Fleetwoods have been in a family feud with the DeQuettevilles for "yonks"- a long time. As the near series begins it is time for more murder and mayhem is the most dangerous corner of rural England. The episode opens with an elderly man going onto the roof of his house to fix the flag; he is startled by what appears to be a headless horseman on a grey horse and falls to his death. This isn't any old house it the hall belonging to the DeQuetteville family and one of their ancestors, Geoffrey DeQuetteville, lost his head in the Civil War; could his ghost have returned… or was the horseman all too human? It doesn't take long before there is another death and this one is clearly murder. As is usually the case in Midsomer there are plenty of suspects including just about every member of the DeQuetteville family and their neighbours, whose family, the Fleetwoods, clashed with the DeQuettevilles centuries ago at the battle of Naseby. We don't just have ancient bad blood between the families; there is also a bet on how a forthcoming battle re-enactment will go. At Quitewell Hall, Ludo tells Barnaby that he saw the headless horseman last night. Ludo says, "It's the ghost of Geoffrey. I'm a goner!" Barnaby says, "Sir Ludovic, if his horse was real, there's a good chance the rider was real too." Ludo says, "No, no, it's Geoffrey. And he's coming for me!" Barnaby tells him to stay inside today with the battle on. The story itself is fun with a creepy atmosphere, wisely on the most part not taking itself too seriously while rarely descending into over-silliness even with the odd preposterous idea (then again even classic 'Midsomer Murders' had silly parts). It is easy to follow without being simplistic and has enough twists and turns and eccentric characters without being confusing. The script likewise doesn't feel as heavy as the later seasons tended to be.Series fifteen truly did open up in style, the usual idyllic locations, a story which couldn't be more imaginative and Middle England if it tried, The Houses used are incredible, the battle scenes and costumes look fantastic, and the killings are wonderfully Gothic and macabre. Don't have as much a problem with Barnaby, who is not as smug or as disdainful as he can be, the writing for Jones which is not quite as dumbed down or their chemistry which is not as mean-spirited as often are. Neil Dudgeon and Jason Hughes do what they can, James Callis and Natalie Mendoza have the juiciest supporting characters and do wonders with them and adorable and comedically gifted Sykes steals every scene he's in. Bound and Gagged: The killer attempts to remove someone who is afraid of the dark from the line of succession by leaving them bound and gagged inside a priest hole, driving them into a permanent state of trauma.

Barnaby and Jones drive up. Jones asks Barnaby. "You like horses, sir?" Barnaby says, "No. Nasty brutish creatures. They always tread on me. Modest little place," referring to the mansion. Jones says, "An Englishman's castle is his home." Diana DeQuetteville greets the officers.On the grounds of Quitewell hall, workers are putting up a sound system and testing out the cannon. Up on the hill nearby, at a modern style home, Harry Fleetwood watches Quitewell Hall scratches his arms. Sasha Fleetwood brings him a pill. Harry says, "Every damn year, every damn month they do something. Deliberately corrupt history. I've got to do something. It was Naseby. They never got over Naseby.

Still not crazy about the characters of Sarah and Kate. Sarah has very little charm and warmth and her chemistry with John is not really one of two people in love let alone husband and wife. Kate is just bland with little personality. In the library of the mansion, the family are seated together- Izzy next to Ludo; Julian with an arm around Diana. Toby walks in and joins Betty. Izzy is saying to the police, "I'm sorry if we sound callous, but we didn't like Bentham." Ludo joins in, "Total misery." Izzy says, "Spat at the visitors. Smelled of boiled cabbage. And his death hasn't really increased his charm at all." Jones asks Toby what happened last night. Toby says, "I was taking the dog out for a walk. Slash. And... I heard these cries. I came running round the corner. And there was poor Uncle Ben. You know, awful." Jones says, "You saw a grey horse riding away." Toby says, "I did, yeah." Barnaby says, "And you say the rider had no head." Other family members smirk, murmur. Toby says, "Er... Well, yeah. He was a bit... headless." Jones says, "And as your uncle died, he said the name Geoffrey." Julian looks at Toby and warningly says, "Toby!" Toby says, "I might have misheard that. He was on the ground. You know... I don't know really." Barnaby continues, "And Geoffrey... Is there a Geoffrey in the family?" Ludo lies and says, "I can't think of a Geoffrey. Can you, Izzy? No. There's a Rupert in Norfolk. Mind you, he's pretty dead as well. Isn't he, Betty?" Police arrive at the hall looking for Simon. They eventually find him in the priest's hole with his hands tied and duct tape over his mouth. Simon grabs a knife and puts it to Barnaby's throat. Barnaby talks him down. Barnaby asks Simon if he saw who put him in the priest's hole. Barnaby is having a problem buying any of it - the horseman is on a gray horse, and no one seems to have one. But the death toll mounts. DCI Barnaby and DS Jones investigate the death of Bentham DeQuetteville, who fell from the roof of the family manor house after seeing a headless horseman in the courtyard. His last word to his nephew Toby DeQuetteville - who also saw the headless horseman - was simply 'Geoffrey'. Several members of the family are quite open about their dislike of the dead man but are less open about the family legend that says the headless horseman is their 17th century ancestor, Geoffrey DeQuetteville, whose appearance always portends a death in the family. Toby's mentally disturbed son Simon DeQuetteville has always claimed that the headless horseman had appeared prior to his mother's death. The DeQuettevilles have had a centuries old row with their neighbors, the Fleetwoods, but two other members of the DeQuetteville family will die before Barnaby figures out just what is going on.The Dark Rider is the first episode of the fifteenth series of Midsomer Murders and originally aired 1st February 2012.

Season 15 Episode 1 of Midsomer Murders resulted in a 0.00 rating in the 18-49 demographic. Midsomer Murders Season 15 Episodes... That night at the hall, Ludo walks through the dining room. He shuts the shutters over the windows. He sees a headless horseman pointing at him and is terrified.The following actors and actresses who appeared in this episode have also appeared in the following episodes