Half way through the deliriously delicious new Australian murder mystery The Doctor Blake Mysteries and the only thing that is seeming a tad tasty is Lucien’s (Craig Mclachlan) beard and a slice of Jean’s (Nadine Garner) classic passionfruit sponge. This week it’s that very sponge that catches the baddie! Oh Lucien, we are so lucky to witness your cleverness.
After the strangulation and fiery death of a judge at the all-important Begonia Festival in Ballarat, Lucien is on the case to find out exactly who had a grudge against this flower loving, bribe taking pre hippie. Naturally, in figuring it out he also uncovers the arsenic poisoning of a close friend by the same devious bad egg that can’t wait for his fiancé to die to cash in on her large inheritance. Oh the foibles of Ballarat in the late fifties!
Importantly, Lucien receives a call from a ‘Mr. Kim’ who informs him of a sighting of his lost wife and daughter in Singapore. Lucien doesn’t seem too excited at this prospect even though it’s an ongoing story that seemingly has no point. The weep counter remains steady as Lucien seems to have packed in the weeping and replaced it with some good old dancing, which is what all of us had hoped for.
The problem with this show is that it’s very dry and a little boring. Craig Mclachlan is so wonderful and charming as Lucien but the material he has to work with seems bland and Heartbeat-esque. After much contemplation I’ve decided that Craig should enter Whisker Wars on ABC2. He would win a prize for neatness and colour and the way the competition is going at the moment he’s really in with a chance to take the title.
Here’s the problem. The Doctor Blakes Mysteries needs a good shake up. It’s as stale as Nice biscuit left out overnight. I want to love this show so much. McLachlan is the best thing in it and on a weekly basis I find myself daydreaming about sexy Lucien and combing his beard as he wears way too many clothes for any woman’s liking. Sigh. Please get his gear off and let something awesome happen. Quickly.
If I have to sit through another dreary episode where cups of tea and gasps of impropriety are the norm I shall be forced to create a Facebook page specifically for ‘liking’ Mclachlan’s beard when I should be watching episodes six to ten. If we ever needed TPOC (the power of Craig) it’s now!
The Doctor Blake Mysteries airs on Fridays at 8:30pm on ABC1. Read more episode reviews of this series.
