The New Recruit

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"The New Recruit"
Season	18
Episode	1801
Airdate	September 30, 2024
Writer	Peter Mitchell
Director	Craig Wallace
Recurring	Terrence Meyers
Previous	For the Greater Good
Next	Only Murdoch in the Building

"The New Recruit" is the first episode of the eighteenth season of Murdoch Mysteries and the two hundred eighty-eighth episode of the series (not including the three stand-alone holiday specials). It first aired on September 30, 2024 on CBC Gem and this season premiere aired simultaneously on October 7, 2024 on both CBC and Ovation TV for the first time.

Summary

Murdoch and Crabtree enjoy a war re-enactment, until a fellow pretend soldier is murdered.

Murdoch is grateful to George for inviting him to the War of 1812 re-enactment of the Battle of Queenston Heights, as George knew his friend needed a distraction from being at loose ends in an empty home and needing a break from work.

Then, in the middle of the ‘battlefield’, a real dead body is discovered. A neophyte participant Jacob Diamont, an American from Amherst, New York, was killed by a single stab to the heart. George quickly finds the first of a handful of suspects by the name of Samuel Baker who was seen arguing with Diamont, quite violently the previous night. In addition, they meet another participant who knows so much about them but is caught rifling through the victim’s belongings by Murdoch, prompting his arrest to which he only gives his pretend name: Sergeant Albert Lee under the command of Major General Jacob Brown, annoying the Detective. Then, there is the mystery participant playing General Brock – who turns out to be a dummy.

Meanwhile, at the Station House, shortly after making Watts acting-inspector to cover Murdoch’s absence, Chief Constable Brackenreid is called to the scene of the crime at the play-acting war. He tells Watts, “An American killed on Canadian soil. Things could get messy.”

Character Revelations

• William Murdoch declines being the new inspector at Station House Four and being stuck behind a desk.
• Murdoch and Crabtree meet their new boss after arresting and restraining him.
• Thomas Brackenreid sports a new haircut and is clean-shaven: no moustache.
• Detective Watts has a new interest in horticulture and is reading the Communist Manifesto by Marx and Engels.
• Effie Crabtree is a little worried about George, "He's got the case of the morbs".

Continuity

• Murdoch is at "loose ends" without Julia and Susannah and wants to keep busy.
• George uses kung fu moves he learned from Wu Chang (ep.716).
• George meets a fan of his first book The Curse of the Pharaohs.
• Crown Attorney Crabtree is working on a trial case with Chief Constable Brackenreid (ep.1723, 1802).
• The Black Hand returns with a new boss and a mole inside the Constabulary (ep.1724).
• Constable Tucker threatens Starbright Club, Watts, and Station House Four.
• Brackenreid references seeing "pigs fly" (ep.601), offering to tell the story later to Choi over a scotch.

Historical References

• This episode takes place in Toronto 13 October 1912 – 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.
• It is the 100 year anniversary of the War of 1812. The War of 1812 began with the United States' declaration of war against Great Britain (from whom the American colonies had won their independence in 1783) on June 18, 1812 over Britain's effort to control the world’s oceans. With only 16 warships, the U.S. could not directly challenge the Royal Navy, which had 500 ships in service by 1812. Instead, the fledgling nation invaded Canada, hoping to use the conquest of British territory as a bargaining chip to win concessions on the maritime and trade issues. Most Americans assumed that the conquest of Canada would be, in the words of former president Thomas Jefferson, “a mere matter of marching”, falsely believing that U.S. troops would be welcomed as liberators.
• One of the most famous battles of the war, the Battle of Queenston Heights (13 October 1812) was the struggle for a portion of the Niagara escarpment overlooking Queenston, where more than 1,000 American soldiers crossed into Upper Canada. General Isaac Brock (1769 –1812), one of the most respected British military leaders of his day, was killed leading a counter-attack. Mohawk (Kanyen'kehà:ka) chiefs John Norton and John Brant and about 80 Haudenosaunee and Delaware warriors held back the Americans for hours — long enough for reinforcements to arrive so that the British could retain the crucial outpost.
• Before Canada became a country, Britain's military alliances with First Nations were a key part of the defensive network of British North America; Thousands of First Nations warriors and Métis fighters fought beside British troops and Canadian settler militias during the War of 1812.
• The Communist Manifesto was originally a political pamphlet written by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, commissioned by the Communist League and originally published in London in 1848.
• A case of the morbs or "Got the morbs" was a Victorian era slang expression meaning to suffer temporarily from melancholy, to be sad or depressed.

Trivia

• This season premiere introduces a brand new shorter opening intro and credits (without main cast), marking the first time change since the series' inception.
• Portions of this episode were filmed on location in the Dundas Valley Conservation Area, part of the Hamilton Conservation Authority, located on the Niagara Escarpment in Dundas, Ontario, Canada.
• Previous "Battle Scene" was seen in Margaret's fireplace vision (ep.1712): war theme continues. Begs the storyline question: Will Julia be in London, England when World War I (1914 – 1918) begins?
• About the new scheduling, show-runner Peter Mitchell acknowledges that "It’s going to be complicated this season with Gem being a week ahead. But thank all of you for still live tweeting," during the CBC airtime. Back when Season 3 debuted, as part of the production deal the third season premièred exclusively on Alibi in the U.K. before airing in Canada, followed by the fourth and fifth seasons; Season 6 premièred on CBC for the first time.
• Non-credited singer Adaline sings "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out", a possible homage riff (altered lyrics) to the Prohibition era classic written by Jimmy Cox in 1922 and recorded by Bessie Smith in 1929.

Notable Quote

George Crabtree to Detective Murdoch:"Sir, it seems everywhere we go, there's murder and mayhem. No matter where we go, what we do, no matter how purely intentioned. Malice. Death. It's as if we were born under a bad sign – or under a hex, sir. It's like we were hexed by the Devil himself."

Inspector Choi to Station House No. 4: "It is a pleasure to meet you all. It is possible that more than a few of you are surprised to see that a man like me will be leading you, but rest assured I am more than capable of running this station. And you'll learn I'm not like many people. You're going to be introduced to a new world."

Cast

Original Main Cast

Yannick Bisson as Detective William Murdoch
Thomas Craig as Chief Constable Thomas Brackenreid
Jonny Harris as Constable George Crabtree

Recurring Cast

Paul Sun-Hyung Lee as Inspector Albert Choi
Daniel Maslany as Detective Llewellyn Watts
Shanice Banton as Violet Hart
Clare McConnell as Effie Crabtree
Lachlan Murdoch as Constable Henry Higgins-Newsome
Peter Keleghan as Terrence Meyers
Kenzie Delo as Constable Tucker
Luis Fernandes as Tony Petrucci

Guest Cast

Dan Mousseau as Franklin
Dan Swatton as Samuel Baker
Bill Turnbull as Byron
Flint Eagle as Joseph
Robert Blake as Re-Enactor

Non-Credited Cast

Nathan Hoppe as Constable McNabb
Paul Irving as Constable Paul

Gallery

The new team