"The .38 Murdoch Special" is the ninth episode of fourteenth season of the Murdoch Mysteries and the two hundred thirteenth episode of the series (not including the three stand-alone holiday specials). It first aired March 1, 2021.
Summary
Murdoch's investigation of a murder at an opium den intersects with Brackenreid's pursuit of Nomi's missing friend.
Upon arriving at the fire scene that destroyed a pawnshop in the Ward, Murdoch is informed that only a single body was caught in the blaze and he notices Miss Hart's wedding band while examining the body. Several opium lamps along with one tin of Blue Dragon opium were retrieved from a burned out back room. The Detective surmises it was an opium den where the victim was smoking, then knocked over the lamp as he fell asleep. But Miss Hart tells Murdoch he may want to reconsider the cause of death revealing George Lai had been shot in the back of the head. No murder weapon is found at the scene of the crime, so the killer is likely still armed.
Later at the City Morgue, Miss Hart has found a rail cargo manifest in Mr. Lai's waistcoat, seems the wool shielded it from the fire. Why would a pawnshop order a large shipment of camera lenses? Murdoch confers with Brackenreid that it was a shipment of opium and stealing that opium might have led to the murder. The Inspector blames the new Opium Law as it has forced the entire trade underground while the bureaucrats just want the revenue from the citations.
Concurrently, Nomi tries to enlist her father in a search for her missing friend, but after Brackenreid reads Mamadu "Momo" Shadd's rap sheet, he is dubious. Nomi does her own reconnaissance and events escalate quickly, endangering Nomi and threatening Brackenreid's future as Inspector.
Character Revelations
- Miss Hart has gotten married and is now Mrs. Carmichael, her wedding was not attended by her colleagues (nor is it shown on screen).
- Watts goes to Dr. Ogden seeking a “cure” for his heartbreak via hypnosis.
Continuity
- Thomas Brackenreid owns up in public proudly revealing Nomi is his daughter, possibly putting his career in danger.
Historical References
- This episode takes place in Toronto 1908 – Edward VII (Albert Edward;1841-1910) is King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of the British Dominions beyond the Seas.
- Vancouver anti-Asian race riots of 1907
- Canada was one of the first countries to ban opium for personal, non-medicinal use, starting with the Opium Act of 1908, which made it an offence to import, manufacture, possess or sell opium for non-medical reasons.
- Born in Holborn in 1875 to an English mother and a father originally from Sierra Leone, composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875-1912) liked to be identified as Anglo-African – and was later referred to by white New York musicians as ‘Black Mahler’, owing to his musical success.
- Mayonnaise has been around since the 1700s but it wasn’t jarred and sold until 1907. "So we thought it would be fun if Murdoch and Ogden tried it for the first time on the show," according to new MM writer Caleigh Bacchus.
- The first referenced use of a psychologist called upon to testify in a court of law was Dr Albert Von Schrenk-Notzing (Germany, 1862-1929) who, in 1896, drew upon his studies of suggestibility and memory recall to testify in a murder trial. He is also known for the use of hypnosis in Psychopathia Sexualis, with special reference to contrary sexual instinct.
Trivia
- Part of this episode was filmed in Cambridge.
- George Crabtree (Jonny Harris) does not appear in this episode.
- Recasted actress Jane Luk played the Apothecary in Pipe Dreamzzz.
- Recasted actor Scott Hilton played Dr. Lennox's Assistant in The Canadian Patient.
- According to MM writer Caleigh Bacchus, the idea for the main storyline started in Summer of 2020 "...while the BLM protests were happening worldwide and we thought that it was important to join in on that conversation of racial injustice. Upon researching the topic, we discovered the Vancouver anti-Asian race riots of 1907 and the Opium Act of 1908 which was also seen as an anti-Asian law. It was a great opportunity to highlight this bit of history so we decided to focus the story there".
- New MM writer Caleigh Bacchus started as the script coordinator in 2020, after she had unsuccessfully interviewed for the Writers Room position in 2019.
- Every so often MM casts stage stars known to theatre fans in cameo appearances like Second City's Karen Parker and Broadway/Opera bass-baritone Marcus Nance.
Error
- The October 16, 1908 date on the Samuel Coleridge-Taylor poster is fictional as there is proof that the composer was in Liverpool, England on the 18th.
Notable Quote
- Miss Hart to Nomi: "Don't change yourself to be who they want you to be. They will always only see you as one thing. Take what you deserve. Protect your heart and don't trust any of them. No matter what we do, we will always be vilified."
- Detective Watts to Brackenreid: "We work for a system that builds laws to ensure that those who fit what society wants are rewarded, while those who do not are left to suffer."
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
Daniel Maslany as Detective Llewellyn Watts
Lachlan Murdoch as Constable Henry Higgins
Shanice Banton as Violet Hart
James Graham as Arthur Carmichael
Shailene Garnett as Nomi Johnston
Guest Cast
Obssa Ahmed as Mamadu "Momo" Shadd
Jane Luk as Soo Sing
Brendan Wall as Inspector Decker
Matt Wells as Constable Carl Gracie
Brian MacDonald as Constable Walter Buck
Cameron Knetemans as Constable Winchester
Scott Hilton as Mr. Davidson
Elijah Headley as Ward kid #1
Jazman Headley as Ward kid #2
George Krissa as Rosedale Constable
Karen Parker as Rosedale Woman
Marcus Nance as Priest
Johan Denora as Theatre Host
Gallery
| Murdoch Mysteries Season 14 |
|---|
| Murdoch and the Tramp • Rough and Tumble • Code M for Murdoch • Shock Value • Murder Checks In • The Ministry of Virtue • Murdoch Escape Room • The Dominion of New South Mimico • The .38 Murdoch Special • Everything is Broken Part 1 • Everything is Broken Part 2
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