The Killing Dose

"The Killing Dose"
Season	13
Episode	1309
Airdate	November 25, 2019
Writer	Mary Pedersen
Director	Mina Shum
Guests	Sofia Banzhaf as Bella Cooper Jeff Meadows as Oliver Cooper John Fleming as Dr. Gettler
Previous	The Final Curtain
Next	Parker in the Rye

"The Killing Dose" is the ninth episode of the thirteenth season of the Murdoch Mysteries and the one hundred ninety-fifth of the series. It first aired on November 25, 2019.

Summary

After a young woman is critically injured from a fall, Murdoch and Ogden suspect her family is complicit.

Character Revelations

• Effie Newsome and Jack Walker rent rooms at the same residence.
• It is revealed that Nurse Sullivan's first name is Kate.
• Julia does try to talk to William about what she is struggling with - without implicating him - a decision she alone can make in the end.
• As Julia's husband, Murdoch recuses himself, handing that part of the investigation to Inspector Brackenreid.
• Taking her hand, Thomas shares with Julia: During the war, he came across a young lad who was gut shot with no chance of making it. The lad begged to be ..."He didn't have much time left in any case. Sometimes we don't know what we'll do until the moment arrives and, even then – doesn't make it any easier."
• Brackenreid asks Miss Hart for a favor involving her post-mortem report.

Continuity

• George Crabtree's book "A Man Alone" is published by Watson-Cook Publishing and being read.
• Julia Ogden recalls her dying father calling her (ep.718), "I didn't make it in time". Whereupon William points out, "This is different; He was your father. She's a patient and you are here for her."
• Once again, the proverbial conflict between Murdoch's faith and Julia's altruism tests their marriage.
• Dr. Julia Ogden is arrested, for the fourth time (ep.507, 801) – the second time for murder (ep.612), this time by a gentle and understanding Inspector Brackenreid.

Historical References

• This episode takes place in Toronto 1907 – 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.
• Chloral hydrate, first synthesized in 1832, is a widely used sedative agent, also called a hypnotic; It slows the activity of your central nervous system. Both Marilyn Monroe and Anna Nicole Smith had chloral hydrate in their system at the time of their deaths; It was one of the ingredients in the famous ‘kool-aid’ used in the mass suicide of Jonestown.
• Opium has been known for millennia to relieve pain and its use has been recorded for several centuries. In the early 1800s, sciences developed and the German pharmacist Sertürner isolated morphine from opium and was the founder of alkaloid research. Doctors will often prescribe morphine to help maintain the patient’s comfort throughout a terminal illness and up to the time of death; The person declines because of the illness with or without the morphine.
• The word euthanasia, originated in Greece meaning a good death.  The debate to help someone who has a terminal illness to end their life cuts across complex and dynamic aspects such as, legal, ethical, human rights, health, religious, economic, spiritual, social and cultural aspects of the civilised society. Euthanasia encompasses a wide range from active (introducing something to cause death) to passive (withholding treatment or supportive measures); voluntary (consent) to involuntary (consent from guardian) and physician assisted (where physician's prescribe the medicine and patient or the third party administers the medication to cause death). In the 1900s, there were no hospice care focusing on palliation of the terminally ill.
• Cookies (or biscuits) have their origins in 7th century AD shortly after the use of sugar became relatively commonplace,  evolving centuries later into the 'sugar cookies' –  when rolled in sugar and cinnamon become – snickerdoodles.

Trivia

• MM Writer Mary Pedersen who also wrote Shadows Are Falling and is called "the writer of doom" in the Writers' Room – has struck at the trust in William and Julia's relationship again in this mid-season finale which begins the series' holiday hiatus that ends January 6, 2020.

Notable Quote

Dr. Ogden about Dr. Gettler: "Well, that man is an arrogant nitwit."

Julia to William: "I needed my husband. And when he found out, his first reaction was to treat me like a criminal."

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
Shanice Banton as Violet Hart
Clare McConnell as Effie Newsome
Marc Senior as Robert Parker
Stephanie Belding as Nurse Sullivan
Sebastian Pigott as Dr. Dixon
James McGowan as Dr. Forbes
Jesse Lavercombe as Jack Walker

Guest Cast

Sofia Banzhaf as Bella Cooper
Jeff Meadows as Oliver Cooper
Heather Anne Fee as Jane Cooper
John Fleming as Dr. Gettler
Jajube Mandiela as Rose
Timm Zemanek as Mr. Vickers
Russell Ferrier as Robert Kerr
Andrew Locke as Man Reading Book

Gallery

At the Station House

Jane's sister Bella and their father Mr. Cooper talk with Det. Murdoch.

Meanwhile at the City Morgue

Brackenreid talks with the good doctor

Murdoch is disappointed with Ogden...

The Inspector asks Miss Hart for a favor