Small Mercies is the fifth episode of the twelfth series of the popular ITV crime drama Midsomer Murders and originally aired on 28th October 2009.
Synopsis[]
In the village of Little Worthy Bob Moss goes to open up the model village of which he is curator to find a gruesome extra attraction. Young local Richard Tanner has been stabbed in the side and his corpse tied down like Gulliver was in Liliput. Richard had his enemies, in respect of his liberal sex life and in his opposition to the running of the model village, owned by two elderly sisters, seemingly pillars of the community. There are two further deaths before Barnaby uncovers a secret affair from three decades earlier and a love child, not the most stable citizen of Midsomer, who will go to any lengths to get rid of enemies of the model village and its inhabitants—their Small Mercies.
Plot[]
In the quaint village of Little Worthy, in the model village, Richard Tanner has been killed and tied up like Gulliver's Travels. Barnaby and Jones investigate. The owners of the village, elderly Harriet Compton and her sister, Hilary Compton intrude on the crime scene. Elderly Bob Moss is the curator of the village and has a shop where he makes the figurines in the village.
At the local hotel, owner Edward Palfrey and his fiancee Bernice have to cope with his daughter Christa Palfrey, a goth looking teen who was in love with Richard. Other villagers include shop owners Annabel Johnson and Mike Johnson and Kate Dove and Steve Dove. Mike is having an affair with Kate. Annable and Steve seem ready to embark on an affair.
Villagers are preparing for the Crazy Craft race. They design and decorate boats to race. Mike has a trident designed for his boat. Later Christa is found with the trident stuck in her chest.
There is a miniature graveyard outside the model village where old figurines are buried. Harriet Compton goes and smashes all the gravestones with a hammer and then goes to pray in the church. Later she is found with her head smashed in.
Edward Palfrey goes looking for Bernice, who has left a bag of groceries on the counter and finds a bloody coat. Barnaby goes to find Bernice in the model village. Bernice is the illegitimate daughter of Hilary Compton and Bob Moss who was put up for adoption. She is a bit mentally handicapped. After her adoptive mom died (she drank something that didn't agree with her), Bob got her a job at the hotel. Bernice killed Richard because he was always messing around and having sex in the model village and not being respectful of the site. She killed Christa because she was mean to Bernice and Edward. She killed Harriett for destroying the gravestones of the figurines and she also thought Harriett was her real mother.
Cast[]
- John Nettles as DCI Tom Barnaby
- Jason Hughes as DS Ben Jones
- Jane Wymark as Joyce Barnaby
- Barry Jackson as Dr. George Bullard
- Kirsty Dillon as DC Gail Stephens
- David Ryall as Bob Moss
- Margaret Tyzack as Harriet Compton
- Caroline Blakiston as Hilary Compton
- Paul Bentall as Edward Palfrey
- Olivia Colman as Bernice
- Matilda Sturridge as Christa Palfrey
- Sanchia McCormack as Jackie Tanner
- Emma Stansfield as Rebecca Rix
- Abigail Thaw as Annabel Johnson
- Jesse Birdsall as Mike Johnson
- Michelle Butterly as Kate Dove
- Ian Targett as Steve Dove
- Jamie Treacher as Richard Tanner
- Chris Wilson as Police Officer (uncredited)
Galleries[]
Body Count[]
Prior to the Episode
In the Episode
Stabbed in the back with a bodkin and then tied down inside a model village to make it look like Gulliver in Gulliver's travels.
Stabbed in the heart with a trident and fell on her aquatic themed carnival boat.
Hit on the head with a hammer.
Supporting Cast[]
Episode Images[]
Video[]
Midsomer Murders Series 12 Episode 5 - Small Mercies Preview
Quotes[]
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Notes[]
- When questioned about her life before she came to Little Worthy, Bernice says that her adoptive mother died as a result of drinking something that did not agree with her. This could potentially be another murder that was committed by Bernice.
The following actor and actresses who appeared in this episode have also appeared in the following episodes:
- Margaret Tyzack - Garden of Death
- Jesse Birdsall - Market for Murder
- Caroline Blakiston - Bantling Boy and The Village That Rose from the Dead
Parentage[]
- It is revealed that Bernice is the daughter of Bob Moss and Hilary Compton.