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Talking to the Dead is the seventh episode of the eleventh series of the popular ITV crime drama Midsomer Murders and was originally aired 5th May 2010.
Synopsis[]
Postman Sam Nelms' morning delivery takes a strange turn when he discovers the occupants of neighboring cottages, the Goodfellows and the Thomases have vanished, leaving half-eaten breakfasts on the table. Some years earlier the Thomases' son died in nearby Monks Barton woods, believed to be haunted, and flamboyant psychic Cyrus LeVanu arrives to perform an exorcism in the woods. The corpse of a known antiques burglar and those of the Thomases are discovered whilst Stanley Goodfellow is found, raving and apparently mad. An antiques theft ring is exposed, headed by the next victim, who manufactured ghostly noises in the woods to scare people away from his misdeeds. Barnaby knows who the killer is by now but the location of Stanley's wife, alive, by Cyrus's psychic powers shows that it may be possible to be Talking to the Dead.
Plot[]
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 WPC Gail Stephens
- Jeroen Krabbé as Cyrus LeVanu
- Paul Jesson as Lynton Pargeter
- Anton Lesser as Reverend Wallace Stone
- Victoria Wicks as Sarah Stone
- Bill Ward as Sam Nelms
- Richard Graham as Stanley Goodfellow
- Paul Greenwood as John Temple
- Anne Lambton as Dr. Mary McKay
- Elizabeth Payne as Nesta Goodfellow
- Brian Parr as Colin Thomas
- Sarah Huntley as Molly Thomas
- Rufus Jones as Talk Show Host
- Clare Higgins as 'Medea' read by (voice)
- (uncredited actor) as Terrance Lowther
- Chris Wilson as Police Officer (uncredited)
Galleries[]
Body Count[]
Prior to the Episode
Hunted and slaughtered in Monks Barton Woods during the massacre in the 1530's.
Died of hypothermia after wandering in Monks Barton Woods for a couple of days.
In the Episode
Stabbed with an antique knife, then buried in Monks Barton Woods.
Shot with a shotgun, then buried in Monks Barton Woods.
Shot in the back with a shotgun. With her last strengths she pulled a table over and turned the radio that was on top of it on full blast to try to draw attention.
Knocked unconscious, dragged to and locked inside mechanic Iron Maiden. The mechanism was then turned on, piercing him to death.
Suffered from parasympathetic rebound in Monks Barton Woods. (Being so terrified that the whole metabolic system reacts and tries to calm itself down but does too good of a job and the heart stops beating- Frightened to death)
Supporting Cast[]
Episode Images[]
Arrests[]
Stanley Goodfellow for the murders of:
Notes[]
The following actors and actresses who appeared in this episode have also appeared in the following episodes
- Brian Parr - Written in Blood and Picture of Innocence
- Paul Jesson - Blood Will Out
- Anton Lesser - Birds of Prey
- Victoria Wicks - Sins of Commission
- Clare Higgins - Midsomer Rhapsody and Death in a Chocolate Box
- Richard Graham - Breaking the Chain
Trivia[]
- This episode was filmed in the village of Cuddington in Buckinghamshire, which was also used on location in Death of a Stranger, Death and Dreams and Bad Tidings. The building which appears as the "Monks' Retreat" is in fact the "Red Lion" in Little Missenden, which has previously appeared in Destroying Angel as the "Red Lion" and Who Killed Cock Robin? as the "White Swan".
- Nether Winchendon House in Buckinghamshire, used as the location for Monks Barton Priory, has also been used as a location in Death in Disguise.
- An iron maiden is shown and described as a medieval torture device, but it is now accepted that there was, in fact, no such device--there is no evidence of the existence of iron maidens before the early 19th century.
- When the body of Molly Thomas is discovered by Lynton Pargeter, a radio is on at high volume beside her. The play being broadcast is the Greek tragedy "Medea" by Euripides. The voice heard playing the role of Medea is that of Clare Higgins, who appeared as Gina Colby in S10e8 (Death In A Chocolate Box)
The Trials and Tribulations of DS Ben Jones:
- Jones is shocked when Barnaby shuts him in the Iron Maiden (accidentally).
- Jones climbs a tree to get mobile phone service and falls, which Barnaby is oblivious to.
Quotes[]
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Video[]
Midsomer Murders Series 11 Episode 7 - Talking to the Dead Preview