The Blue Geranium

by Courtney Hilden
Spoiler Alert: Though the murderer is not revealed in this review, other details are.

"The Blue Geranium" is a unique episode of the latest Miss Marple series. Instead of opening up solely with the crime, it opens up with the second crime, then moves forward in time by six months to the trial of the believed killer. Miss Marple, at home and doing some gardening, realizes that the wrong killer is on trial, and then tries frantically to get to the Old Bailey in time to save the day, since the killer, if convicted, will be hanged.
The original short story, one which this episode is based, actually had Miss Marple telling the story to a group of friends and amateur sleuths at her home. Deciding not to introduce these characters, the episode opted instead for Marple to be narrating many of the events to an old friend. This is a nice change-up from the typical Marple episode, in which things are not told from any character's point of view. It also makes the mystery harder to solve, since changing from time to time means the audience has to put together a coherent timeline before even getting to the crimes. In addition to that, the audience has two murders to solve and two mysteries (who is the real killer and who is on trial).

The rest of the story is sadly not as interesting or as engaging as past Marple outings. Toby Stevens, playing the believed killer, Mr. Pritchard, and Claudie Blakley, playing his ex-girlfriend and sister-in-law Phillipa Pritchard, give serviceable performances. Sharon Small plays Mary Pritchard, Pritchard's wife, and she brings the crazy. People on the edge of insanity are often unbelievable, and this role is difficult because she has to be both irritating enough that the audience can see why Pritchard would hate her, but can't over do it. Small manages to make Mary unlikeable, but keeps the full-blown crazy to a minimum. More than anything, she's just unpleasant and paranoid, saying nasty things to the maid and harassing the police inspector. The costumes and set are decent, though the eagle decorated podium within the church was far too much.

The Secret of Chimneys

by Courtney Hilden
Spoiler Alert!: The mysteries are revealed in this review.

"The Secret of Chimneys" finds our heroine, Miss Marple, visiting an old friend and niece, Virginia, at the family's lavish country estate. A count from Austria comes to visit them to secure a business deal, and in the process, is killed. Marple, as usual, is on the case, this time aided by an Inspector Finch, who doesn't bumble around but holds his own and respects her abilities.
It's this Inspector Finch who is the most enjoyable part of the episode. It seems clear that the show is setting up a possible love interest for Miss Marple, who always plays such a quiet role in this series. Possibly Finch is not just a love interest but someone who is spying on her. It would be interesting to see if Finch returns, in what capacity, and what motivations of his will be uncovered.
There were also some lovely touches. The Count was hilariously overdressed in a Dracula-like black cloak and red-ribboned medal. Several of the characters attempting to decode the musical message with a piano was delightful. Having Marple find the diamond and then pull it out of her purse, revealing the rest of the mystery's clues, made for a shocking conclusion, because Marple herself so rarely becomes directly involved (or puts away a brother-in-law.)
Although not as good as previously episodes, it's still a solid entry in the series.