Do the Right Thing Part 1

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"Do the Right Thing Part 1"
Season	17
Episode	1701
Airdate	October 2, 2023
Writer	Peter Mitchell
Director	Laurie Lynd
Guests	Sorcha Cusack as Hilda Fanshaw
Recurring	Laurie Murdoch as Melvin Banks
Previous	The Long Goodbye Part 2
Next	Do the Right Thing Part 2

"Do the Right Thing Part 1" is the first episode of the seventeenth season of Murdoch Mysteries and the two hundred sixty-fourth episode of the series (not including the three stand-alone holiday specials). It first aired on October 2, 2023.

Summary

After ridding the Station House of its corrupt leadership, newly appointed Inspector Crabtree’s first order of business is finding them Detective Murdoch and Dr. Ogden.

Murdoch and Ogden have been abducted, and now baby Susannah's life is at stake unless they can get the murder conviction of a treacherous socialite Hilda Fanshaw overturned.

Character Revelations

• Violet Hart has some legal issues with her late husband's family.
• Louise Cherry now reports for The Sentinel.
• Susannah has grown quickly in two weeks - a bit taller and can stand on her own.

Continuity

• Not only is the Weaponized Capacitor used on and against Julia and Murdoch, their scientific approach and illustrated handbook Solving Murder has inspired a sinister blackmail plot.

Historical References

• This episode takes place in Toronto 1911 – George V is King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936.
• “Tinker, Tailor” is a traditional nursery rhyme and a fortune-telling dating back to late 15th century, England. It was first published in a nursery rhymes collection in the 19th century as a counting song. The English version is "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor, Rich Man, Poor Man, Beggar Man, Thief", while the American version is "Rich Man, Poor Man, Beggar Man, Thief, Doctor, Lawyer, (or “Merchant”) Indian Chief."

Trivia

• Jonny Harris's weight loss is apparent, making his sideburns look a bit longer/bigger.
• With six dead bodies, this episode may lead in the body count.
• According to writer Peter Mitchell live tweet/X, he buried a "meatloaf" lyric in one of Hilda Fanshaw's lines in this episode.
• This episode was filmed in Belleville, situated on the eastern end of Lake Ontario, located at the mouth of the Moira River and on the Bay of Quinte, and at the Muskoka Steamships and Discovery Centre.

Errors

• Please note: The timeline of season episodes have not been consistent, let alone chronologically accurate, since Season 15. To further confuse the timeline, CBC has been known to release episodes out of their originally written and intended order of release; The MM production team have not made any official timeline confirmations as of this posting.

Cast

Main Cast

Yannick Bisson as Detective William Murdoch
Hélène Joy as Dr. Julia Ogden
Thomas Craig as Inspector Thomas Brackenreid
Jonny Harris as Constable George Crabtree

Recurring Cast

Lachlan Murdoch as Constable Henry Higgins-Newsome
Daniel Maslany as Detective Llewellyn Watts
Shanice Banton as Violet Hart
Arwen Humphreys as Margaret Brackenreid
Clare McConnell as Effie Crabtree
Bea Santos as Louise Cherry
Laurie Murdoch as Melvin Banks
Kenzie Delo as Constable Tucker
Paul Irving as Constable Paul

Guest Cast

Sorcha Cusack as Hilda Fanshaw
Juan Chioran as Atticus Jones
Paul Popowich as Captain Roberts
Geri Hall as Fiona
Russell Yuen as Jonathan Edwards
Larry Day as Charlie Griffith
Meher Pavri as Caroline
Kenton Blythe as Rochester Cop
Tracia Black as Penny
Kyle Mac as Trevor
Francis Melling as Anarchist
Stacy Smith as Julie LePage
Sean Ban Beaton as Solicitor William Harwell