The Marlow Murder Club Season 1 Episode 1 Review

A quaint British town is shaken in an adaptation of Robert Thorogood’s novels on The Marlow Murder Club Season 1 Episode 1.

Judith Potts is an older British scholar living alone with her cat when she inadvertently witnesses a murder. The police do a cursory search but refuse to believe that Stephan is actually dead until Judith finds his floating body by herself.

Suzie Harris is a divorced dog walker with an adult daughter and Becks Starling is wife to the local vicar and mother to two teens. Both are drawn reluctantly into the plot, Suzie more so when stumbling upon another body just after her daughter postpones a planned visit.

The circumstances of the case are already odd—Stephan is killed by a gun from WWII, and recently had a confrontation with an auction house owner named Elliot who accused him of being a fraud. Elliot, though, was in church during the shooting.

The Marlow Murder Club starts off with likable characters, an intriguing story, and the kind of tone that can appeal to fans of both cozy mysteries and the more traditional genre. This isn’t steely drama, but discovering a body in the lake is decidedly unpleasant.

The majority of the drama thus far lies on Judy’s shoulders, with Suzie and Becks only just beginning to be wrapped up in the mystery. She’s already accomplished as an amateur sleuth,  giving “Jesscia Fletcher” vibes not just for her age and gender.

In one scene, she expertly manipulates Elliot, initially pretending to have been a guest at the party where he confronted Stephen. Her act is transparent, but that’s done intentionally, switching gears as soon as she takes him off his guard.

I can’t totally blame the police for their initial doubt, but at the moment it’s hard to determine where we’re going with that. Are they incompetent “experts” to be outsmarted or will they eventually prove to be an important resource and ally?

The fact we meet the daughter of one of the main officers suggests the latter. And with a show so delightfully focused on women, I have to imagine all major players will eventually prove the point that they can get things done.

As for the actual plot of the episode, the hints dropped about the gun used to kill Stephan are intriguing. At this point where they go is anyone’s guess. Elliot certainly fills the role of a villain for now, but this early on, he’s likely to be a red herring.

The connection between the first and second murderers is also totally up in the air at the moment. Suzie had a real connection with the second victim,whose dog she walks, so this may be the one that winds up having greater emotional impact.

I’m looking forward to future episodes to get to know more of the characters, especially Suzie and Becks, and to see where the story takes us. The show has already been confirmed for a second season, so we can appreciate these scenes and characters for some time to come.

 

What did you think of this episode of The Marlow Murder Club? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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The Marlow Murder Club airs Sundays at 9/8c on PBS.

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