Masterpiece Mysteries!

Growing up one of the things I loved most was solving mysteries. Watching movies and TV shows that centered around them, reading books that lured the reader into the mazes they held, playing video and board games that often resulted in shouting matches with my brother, and spending time with said brother devising new puzzles to unravel – this all was a large part of my childhood. Although, I can’t say much has changed.

It was my light obsession that led me to take a winter course in Forensic Science this past January. Well, that and the need to fulfill the Pathways College Option requirement. But it helped that without that requirement I probably wouldn’t have set aside some time for learning about something that actually interested me. And so, I spent my mornings and afternoons studying the stages of decay and trying to distinguish between different types of trauma and their effects on the bones of a body (riveting stuff, eh?). It led my mother (who forbade me from ever discussing what I learned in class anywhere near her) to suggest rewatching an old favorite.

And so, we began to spend the evenings drinking tea and listening to the transfixing voice of an old lady from the village of St. Mary Mead, the incarnation of Nemesis herself, Miss Marple, as she successfully untangled the secrets of the past who most thought lay well-hidden and long forgotten. BBC One’s and, perhaps more importantly, Joan Hickson’s exemplary, in my humble opinion, interpretation of one of Agatha Christie’s beloved characters, captures most of what I imagined when reading the stories and presents it in beautiful detail. And don’t we all enjoy it when that happens with a book or character we grew up with and love?

Naturally, when the last episode of the series was rewatched, we continued down the path of memory lane and turned on the first episode of Agatha Christie’s Poirot – another British drama series I fell in love with as a child. While I can appreciate new interpretations of the charmingly exact Belgian detective that now and again pop-up, for me there will never be anyone more perfect for the role than actor David Suchet ( the same goes for his brilliant co-stars). His journey of creating his Hercule Poirot and that of obtaining the role is an extraordinary story in itself and I will leave it to you to discover it for yourselves. Thus, episode after episode, the month of February went by, and suddenly, my mother and I were left once again alone with our thoughts, still yearning for more mysteries. So we began to watch another TV series, however, this time one we haven’t watched already.

May I present (and highly recommend), Grantchester, a series based on the works of writer James Runcie about a devilishly handsome Anglican vicar (six-pack included) by the name of Sidney Chambers, who as vicars tend to do, meddles in the affairs of those he considers in need of his attentions, and solves murders and mysteries alongside a no-nonsense detective by the name of Georgie Keating. The show is pleasant to watch after a grueling day – as it is not too complicated in terms of plot, and contains a level of drama that certain viewers might appreciate (my mother, for example). However, after each episode, this show leaves the viewer pondering on the age-old topics of peace and war, love and hate, and crime and punishment. With believable performances and amazing chemistry between the actors, this show, I believe, earns its spot alongside other brilliant Masterpiece Mysteries, such as Inspector Morse and Midsomer Murders. And I can’t wait to continue watching the series when the fourth season comes out this year.

After all, who doesn’t love a good mystery?

-L.L.L.