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Death and the Divas

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Death and the Divas is the fourth episode of the fifteenth series of the popular ITV crime drama Midsomer Murders and was originally aired on 2nd January 2013.

Synopsis[]

The murder of a journalist has chilling echoes of a 1960s horror film starring Midsomer's own Stella Harris. When Stella's more famous sister returns after a 40-year family rift, the killings escalate, each reminiscent of a movie plot. Is life – and death – imitating art?

Plot[]

The episode opens with a young woman dressed in period costume walking through the dark gloomy streets of London. She is offered a ride in an elderly man's carriage. He says, "Can I be of some assistance? It's late and you seem unsure of your way." The woman says, "Thank you. I'm quite all right." The man persists, "Come. It's a filthy night. You do right to be cautious, my child. But you can trust me. I am the Marquis of Gravely. Such a pretty young thing. And now your beauty need never fade." He turns out to be a vampire.

Murder 1: Eve Lomax is watching the movie while typing on her laptop. Someone enters her cottage. Screaming ensues. The young woman collapses on the ground and the carriage drives off.

In Midsomer Langley, Colin Yule is setting up for the film festival. He is the president of the Midsomer Langley Film Society. He introduces the Stella Harris Film Festival. Sarah and John Barnaby head to the festival. Colin introduces Stella Harris. Then, to everyone's surprise but not everyone's pleasure, her sister, Diana Davenport walks in with her husband, Cy Davenport and steals Stella's thunder. The crowd watches the movie that was introduced at Eve's house... The young woman, now a vampire, invites a young man to kiss her and bares her fangs... After the movie, Diana and Cy greet their son, Scott Davenport, who is not thrilled to see his dad. John and Sarah greet Kate Wilding, also a horror movie fan. John gets a call from DS Jones who is at Rose Cottage, nearby.

DCI Barnaby and Dr. Kate Wilding arrive at the murder scene. Jones looks at them and says, "Looks like someone threw a party and didn't invite me." Barnaby quips, "It happens all the time, Jones." Kate says, "We've been at the Stella Harris Film Festival at the village hall." Jones says, "Together?" Barnaby says, "Yeah." Kate says, "Had your chance, Ben. John stepped into the breach." Jones says, "The victim's name is Eve Lomax. Her landlord found her, called it in at 8:16pm, a guy called Patrick Tilman. There's a laptop charger, but no sign of a laptop. None of the other rooms seem to have been touched." Patrick Tilman tells Barnaby Eve has been there about six weeks. He came by to check the boiler. He rang the door bell, but there was no answer. So he let himself in with the spare key. Eve knew that he was coming so when she didn't open the door, he got worried. Eve Lomax was writing a book about a couple of old actresses. Barnaby guesses "Stella Harris and Diana Davenport." Jones points out that there was no sign of forced entry. There's a key under the flowerpot by the door. Barnaby thinks Tillman is hiding something. There is a box of organic veggies from a local company. The detectives find a DVD playing that features Stella Harris. "A Thirst For Blood." Barnaby says, "Ah! This is the film Kate and I saw tonight. This is a classic of the late 1960s, in which Stella Harris..." Kate interrupts, saying, "John? You're not gonna believe this." Eve has two puncture marks in her neck...

Suspects:

  • Patrick Tilman: He was trying to seduce Eve, according to his wife. He is Rosie Harris' father. Is hoping to sell Langley Hall to the Davenports.
  • Juliet Tilman: Owner of Warden Organics. Has terrible relationship with her husband, Patrick.
  • Perry Stevens: Delivery man for Warden Organics. Provides sex services to the women he delivers vegetables to. He splits the cash he earns with Juliet. S.O. to Emma Harris. Jones is very uncomfortable after following him and seeing him deliver to Sarah Barnaby.
  • Emma Harris: Mother is Stella Harris. Biological mother is Diana Davenport. S.O. is Perry Stevens.
  • Stella Harris: Former actress. Career ruined by sister, Diana. She raised Emma as her own child and Diana went off to make movies with Cy. Stella and Diana's father was head gardener at Langley Hall years ago.
  • Diana Davenport: Actress. Lives in US with husband, Cy. Hasn't been back to UK in 40 years. Didn't even come back for mother's funeral.
  • Cy Davenport: Married to Diana. Bad relationship with son, Scott. Took out an injunction to prevent publication of Eve's book.
  • Colin Yule: Horror film lover. Has multiple artifacts from movies. Had a relationship with Perry Stevens, which Perry denies. He has a pair of Diana Davenport's underwear in his collection at his home. He spoke to Eve's publisher and may have a book deal.
  • Scott Davenport: Works for Emma Harris. Left home a year ago after fight with father. He saw Colin Yule upstairs during the party. Has a juvenile record back in the states.
  • Rosie Harris: Emma's daughter.

Diana drives over to Stella's house with a plant. Stella is working a crossword puzzle. Diana says through the letter slot, "I know you're in there. Open up. I'm not leaving until you let me in. God knows, things haven't always been easy between us. We've both done and said things we shouldn't." Inside the house, Stella mouths the same lines Diana is saying. "Hateful things. But you're my sister and I love you. I've dreamt of coming back here for months, years... even and now that dream is in ruins because you can't forgive me." Stella opens the door, "By Love Divided? One can see why you didn't win the Oscar." Diana says, "I was robbed." and comes in.

Diana makes small talk. "Oh, you still have Mother's clock. How cute. And Michael. I was so sorry to hear about Michael. It must be two years now. It's so great to be home. It's been too long." Stella says, "You haven't been back for 40 years, Diana. Not to see Mother, not even for her funeral." Diana says, "Yes, well... I'm not like you, I... I've never been any good with sickness and death and... ugly things." Stella says, "Real life, in other words. So why are you here now?" Diana says, "It's time for the family to heal itself." The doorbell rings. Stella answers the door. Barnaby says, "Miss Harris. Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby, Causton CID. " Diana leaves. Barnaby tells her he will need to speak to her as well.

Stella says, "I saw the police cars last night but I had no idea it had anything to do with Eve. Poor girl! She was an old friend of my daughter's. She came to see me a few times about her book. She said all the right things but it was obvious she was more interested in my sister. I'm afraid I rather lost enthusiasm for the project. And now this." Barnaby asks, "Were you surprised she wasn't at the gala last night?" Stella says, "I think... Colin indicated... that she wouldn't be welcome. Colin Yule. He organised the festival. He's very loyal, and when I told him my feelings about Eve's book, he... barred her."

Murder 2: Diana hosts a party at Langley Hall. Prior to the party, Cy has an argument with his son, Scott. He wants Scott to return home and Scott tells him he is not going. The entire village appears to be in attendance at the party. Then, Cy Davenport is stabbed in the back and falls over the railing.

Stella sees Colin Yule taking down the sign for the festival. He is cancelling the festival as it would be inappropriate with all the unpleasantness going on. Colin says, "Anyway, I expect to be quite busy. I spoke to Eve's publisher this morning about taking over her book. Frankly, Eve got most of her ideas from me, anyway. What with you and Diana being close personal friends of mine, he was extremely interested." Stella says, "You'd do well to remember what happened to the last person who tried to write about my sister and me."

Murder 3: Colin Yule is found in his house wrapped up in bandages like a mummy.

Emma Harris goes driving in her Land Rover. Emma's car crashes into a tree. This parallels another Stella Harris movie. Barnaby tells Jones, "In a film called Torment, Stella plays twin sisters. One is possessed by the devil who tries to kill the other one in a car crash. The brake pipes have been cut. Just like in the film." Jones says, "So which one's the evil sister, Stella or Diana?" Barnaby says, "That's what we're going to find out."

Barnaby interviews Diana. She says she never met Eve Lomax. She met Colin Yule at her sister's screening. Stella shows up and wants to know why her sister has been arrested. Stella tells Barnaby that Diana would never harm Emma. Barnaby says, "because she's Emma's mother. Stella says, "Our mother... was fiercely ambitious for us. And Diana... got into trouble. She was beside herself." Diana says, "She told me I'd ruined her life... and mine. She said having an illegitimate child would end my career before it had begun." Stella continues, "So Mother came up with a plan. I was already married. So we'd pretend the baby was mine." Diana says, "I had a home birth without any complications." Stella says, "Michael, my husband, registered Emma a few weeks later as his and mine. And that's what she became. Luckily for us, since it turned out we couldn't have children of our own." Emma's father was a tutor at Diana's drama school. Diana told him she'd been adopted. Eve Lomax came to see Stella a few days before she died. She said she had proof that Emma wasn't Stella's child. She wanted Stella to confirm that Diana was the... natural mother. Stella refused. Emma doesn't know any of this. They leave to go to the hospital.

Barnaby goes home and sees Sarah chopping up vegetables. Barnaby asks her if "the dishy and obliging delivery man offered any... optional extras? Vegetables with added spice, you might say. And I'm not talking about fresh chillies and hand-ground cumin seeds. Jones has been doing some undercover surveillance." Sarah Barnaby says, "What a swizz! All I got was a bunch of carrots, four beetroots and a cabbage."

Stella tells Emma she is her mother. Emma says, "You should have told me the truth." Stella says, "I was afraid. I thought you'd look to the life you could have had, and wish that Diana had never given you up. Diana has a gift for making people love her. She always did. And I'm not like that. I know I can be difficult and critical." Emma says, "You are the best mother I could ever have wished for. And I will never let Diana come between us."

Jones goes to talk to Perry and Juliet. Jones tells them "that living off immoral earnings is a crime." Patrick asks how Emma is doing. Juliet makes a snide remark about Emma almost being part of the family.

Stella goes to the hospital, but Emma has left with Diana. Diana is driving down a country lane with Emma next to her. Stella rides her bike to Emma's gardening business. Emma is not there.

Jones says, "You think there's gonna be another murder?" Barnaby says, "I'm sure of it." Jones says, "Which film is it gonna be this time?" Barnaby says, "The problem is, we've run out of films. After Death And The Diva, she never worked again. Oh, you're a genius, Jones. It's not about the films Stella made. Not any more. It's about the film she didn't make."

Woman says, "What is this dreadful place?" Man says, "Every Usher since the beginning is buried here. It is time for you to join them." Woman says, "No! Not that, I beg you, Roderick! Not while I still breathe!" Man says, "Your tomb awaits, dear sister!" Screaming...

Barnaby says, "The Fall Of The House Of Usher. A mad aristocrat buries his sister alive in the family vault. It's the film that Diana stole from her sister. And Stella's career never recovered." Jones asks, "You think it's Stella Harris, then?" Barnaby says, "Or somebody who loves her very much and has taken on the job of avenging her."

At Langley Hall Church, Emma shows Diana plaques on the wall. Emma tells Diana, "Read it." Diana reads, "George William Tilman. Yeah, I remember them both. They were ghastly snobs." Emma says, "They're Rosie's other grandparents. I thought you'd like to know." Diana says, "Patrick Tilman is Rosie's father?" Emma says, "Unfortunately." Emma puts a knife to Diana's throat and pushes her down the stairs. Emma says, "They're not your ancestors, I'm afraid. But they're Rosie's. That'll have to do." Stella shows up and tries to get Emma to drop the knife. Emma says she is doing it for her. Stella asks for the knife. Emma stabs Diana and fights with Stella over the knife. Diana drops to the floor. Stella kicks the knife away and then goes to help Diana. Emma goes upstairs and locks the door. Barnaby and Jones show up. Emma tells them Diana's in the crypt with her mother and she's got a knife. Jones tries to get to Stella and Diana.

Barnaby says, "Eve Lomax warned you that she was going to publish her scoop, that Diana was your real mother. But you couldn't allow that, could you? So when Colin Yule announced that he was taking over the book, you had to kill him too. And destroy that photo. And Cy Davenport. You killed him because he gave Diana a part in a film?" Emma says, "It was the worst kind of betrayal. And Mummy never got over it." Barnaby says, "You told me that your mother never talked to you about the past." Emma says, "She put on a brave face, but whenever she was drunk or depressed, it all came out. Acting was part of who she was. And without it, she didn't feel whole. And I grew up hating Diana for taking that away from her."

Diana asks Stella, "When did you know it was her?" Stella says, "Last night. When I told her you were her birth mother. She pretended to be surprised. She's not a very good actress." Diana says, "If only you, Mother, hadn't made me give her up." Stella says, "Nobody made you. You were willing to do anything... for success and fame. Give up your child, betray your sister." Diana says, "I was better than you would ever have been in that part. And you know it. You didn't have what it takes. You didn't want it badly enough. And you've spent the last 40 years telling yourself that it was all my fault."

Throughout the episode, Barnaby makes Jones watch multiple Stella Harris horror movies in order to predict how the murderer will strike :

  • In "A Thirst For Blood," Stella's character is picked up by an elderly gentleman and bitten (he is a vampire). Similar to Eve Lomax' death.
  • In "Death and the Diva," Stella and her paramour have to fight off a monster. Stella's character stabs him with a sword in the back and he falls over the railing. The movie was produced by Cy Davenport and he played the monster in the movie. He dies in the same manner. Stella tells Barnaby that just before filming started in the US on a new movie, Diana came to visit and became Cy's girlfriend and his new leading lady. And Stella came home and never worked again.
  • In "The Mummy Rises," Stella's character is wrapped in cloth to become a mummy. Similar to Colin Yule's death.
  • In "Torment," Stella plays twin sisters. One is possessed by the devil who tries to kill the other one in a car crash. The brake pipes of Emma's car have been cut. Just like in the film.
  • The last film, "Fall of the House of Usher," was the film that Diana made instead of Stella- where the brother locks his sister in a tomb.

Cast[]

Galleries[]

Body Count[]

Prior to the Episode

In the Episode

Supporting Cast[]

Episode Images[]

Arrests[]

Emma Harris for the murders of:

And the attempted murder of:

Notes[]

The following actors and actresses who appeared in this episode have also appeared in the following episodes

Trivia[]

  • Adwell House, which was the filming location for Langley Hall in this episode, was also used in the episodes The Great and the Good and A Talent for Life.
  • Caroline Munro, famous British Scream Queen of the 1960s through the 1980s, has a cameo as Evil Priestess in one of the films Jones is perusing for clues.

The Trials and Tribulations of DS Jones: Jones was forced to watch all of the horror movies that the crimes were copies of, which is, I guess, better than jumping in the lake to catch a suspect....

Quotes[]

“


Kate Wilding: I would say that she's been stabbed once with a two-pronged instrument, metal, probably steel.
DS Ben Jones: Not a vampire bite,then. [to Barnaby] DS Ben Jones: You must be disappointed.
DCI John Barnaby: But somebody wanted to make it look like one. It's as if they want us to make a connection with the film.
DS Ben Jones: So, who did it in the film?
Kate Wilding: A 300-year-old nobleman, who can only drink the blood of female virgins.
DS Ben Jones: Ah, well, I'll keep a lookout.


”


Goofs[]

  • Cutting the brake line of a vehicle and thereby causing a high speed crash as shown with the Land Rover is a common TV trope. The problem is that this assumes 1) the driver will not step on the brake pedal before the high-speed crash (if they did so beforehand, such as when leaving their driveway, they would notice the problem and avoid the crash), 2) the driver will not downshift or turn off the engine (called engine braking which will slow and stop a vehicle), and 3) that when they do step on the pedal the only option will be to hit a fixed object such as a tree. In fact, here the vehicle could have been easily steered to one side of the tree.

Videos[]

 
 

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