Murdoch at the End of the World

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"Murdoch at the End of the World"
Season	16
Episode	1614
Airdate	January 16, 2023
Writer	Paul Aitken
Director	Jayson Clute
Guests	Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield
Previous	Vengeance Makes the Man
Next	Breaking Ranks

"Murdoch at the End of the World” is the fourteenth episode of the sixteenth season of Murdoch Mysteries and the two hundred fifty-third episode of the series (not including the three stand-alone holiday specials). It first airs on January 16, 2023.

Summary

The pending arrival of Halley's Comet forces the constabulary to contend with hysterical citizens convinced it portends the world's end. A doomsayer is stabbed, and the investigation leads to James Pendrick, who plans to save the best and brightest.

Continuity

• James Pendrick returns and is under suspicion again.

Historical References

• 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.
• In May 1910, Halley's Comet approached the world's skies and scared the dickens out of people with superstitious folk spreading omens and myths. Halley's Comet, arguably the most famous comet in history, as a "periodic" comet returns to Earth's vicinity about every 75 years, making it possible for a person to see it twice in their lifetime. The comet's pass in 1910 was particularly spectacular, as the comet flew by about 13.9 million miles (22.4 million kilometers) from Earth, which is about one-fifteenth the distance between Earth and the sun. On that occasion, Halley's Comet was captured on camera for the first time.

Trivia

• Filmed on the Scottish Rite rooftop in Hamilton for Pendrick Enterprises.
• Halley's Comet was last seen in 1986 and it is projected to return in 2061.
• Canadian astronaut and musician Chris Hadfield was talking to MM composer Robert Carli who said "Hey, we’ve had a couple other people on who aren’t normally actors, and if you’re interested, maybe we could get you into the Murdoch Mysteries,’” Hadfield explained in a clip posted by the CBC, and added “Who would ever say no to that?” Hadfield is the author of The Apollo Murders.
• According to MM showrunner, "Paul Aitken, the writer of the episode and one who has been on the show since day one plays the jug in the band featured" adding that the director Jayson Clute is a long time camera man and "all around good guy".

Errors

• There is a timeline discrepancy as Halley's Comet approached Earth in May of 1910 (and was believed to have killed England’s King Edward VII along with other offenses) but his successor King George V was introduced in an earlier episode (ep.1609).

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
Shanice Banton as Violet Hart
Clare McConnell as Effie Newsome
Peter Stebbings as James Pendrick

Guest Cast

Daniel Beirne as Ian Vagle
Steffi Didomenicantonio as Melody Struthers
Rod Wilson as Mason Bartman
Chris Hadfield as Chris Hadfield
Hannah Spear as Ernestine Sandford
Sean Rey as Kenvyn Wiley
Alison Smiley as Amateur Astronomer

Gallery