"Things Left Behind" is the seventeenth episode of the thirteenth season of the Murdoch Mysteries and the two hundred third episode of the series (not including the three stand-alone holiday specials). It first aired on February 24, 2020.
Summary
Murdoch suspects Violet Hart has ties to a conman’s murder, Ogden flirts with danger, and a team member is abducted.
After an evening out with Walker, Detective Watts reports the body found in the alley to the Station House. No witnesses and no identification. Upon further examination, the well-dressed victim’s clothes have the maker's mark, but the shop isn't in Toronto. Higgins arrives at the crime scene shortly after Detective Murdoch to report a robbery at a wealthy house a few blocks away, but there is no reason to suspect a connection between the two new cases. Watts is assigned the robbery while Murdoch investigates the murder.
The next day at the Station House, Margaret informs Thomas of her sister’s financial crisis. At the same time, Crabtree’s book tour ends as his book has sold-out and upon his return he is met by a purposeful fan with a gun. Meanwhile at Toronto Mercy Hospital, Ogden is offered an opportunity to lead a seminar at London Medical College with Dr. Dixon – for a week.
Simultaneously, Higgins has gathered information from the victim’s tailor: the dead man in the alley was a Walter Kingman who had a reputation in Boston as a confidence man and memorable man, apparently. The tailor made two-dozen suits for him as samples to start a mail order business across New England. Kingman took the suits, leaving the tailor with a phony cheque. This tailor was not his only victim as there's no shortage of people who may have wanted Mr. Kingman dead. He could have bilked someone here or his past has caught up to him in Toronto.
On his way to the Station House, Special Constable Robert Parker takes into custody a Pittsburgh con man for previous theft and fraud, but the Inspector informs Parker that the arrest has to by the book, end of story — but the fateful release of John Lincoln unleashes grave consequences.
Character Revelations
- Robert Parker is arrested by Station House No. 5's constables and then fired from Station House No. 4.
- Violet Hart's past is revealed with rippling repercussions.
- George Crabtree has been on his book tour. In his book, "A Man Alone", he has a character named Rhoda - Aunt Rhododendron; He informs his intense fan, Amelia, that Aunt Rhoda isn't real.
- Julia lies to William to meet Dr. Dixon for drinks instead of going to the hospital for work.
- Dr. Ogden and Dr. Dixon have a significant opportunity – to run a seminar together at London Medical College, where Andrew tells Julia that he has been offered the head of surgery at a hospital in British Columbia.
- Dr. Dixon sings – "Let Me Call You Sweetheart" with a particular, if not peculiar, effect. Later, inappropriately, he visits Julia in her room.
Continuity
- Watts and Jack relationship continues with a kiss and the discovery of a dead body.
- Julia accuses William of being a little obsessed with Violet Hart and he counters with "One could say the same of you and Dr. Dixon."
- Returning from his successful book tour (ep.1313), George is abducted by book fan.
- Dr. Ogden and Dr. Dixon are together again in surgery and both are given an opportunity to lead a seminar for a week in London, Ontario...where they revisit what was started previously. (ep.1302)
- At last, Murdoch informs Brackenreid on how Miss Hart tampered with evidence that had helped frame his son John for murder. (ep.1217)
- This time in his office, William Murdoch reprimands Miss Hart again (ep.1303) as a ruse to identify her as the last known person to see Robert Parker alive.
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.
- Henry James (1843-1916) is an American novelist and critic, a renowned figure in the transatlantic culture. His theme on the innocence and exuberance of the New World clashing with the corruption and wisdom of the Old as illustrated in Daisy Miller (1879), The Portrait of a Lady (1881), The Bostonians (1886), and The Ambassadors (1903).
- The Western University of London, Ontario (1878–1923), now the University of Western Ontario (UWO), incorporated Huron College and its first four faculties were Arts, Divinity, Law, and Medicine – London Medical College.
- Phenol, also known under an older name of carbolic acid, has antiseptic properties and was used by Sir Joseph Lister (1827-1912) in his pioneering technique of antiseptic surgery. Injections of phenol have occasionally been used as a means of rapid execution; In particular, phenol was used by the Nazis during the Second World War as a means of extermination.
- The Jardin des Plantes, in Paris, first called Le Jardin Royal des Herbs Médicales, (Jardin du Roi), the 28 hectares of botanical gardens were originally purchased from the neighboring Abbaye de Saint Victor in 1626 by King Louis XIII, who subsequently granted permission to two of his physicians, Jean Hérouand and Guy de la Brosse, to create a royal medicinal herb garden. A school of botany was added and the gardens officially opened to the public in 1640.
Trivia
- Recast actor Ryan Hollyman played Harold Richmond in All That Glitters.
- The Crabtree storyline in this episode is an allusion to "Misery" an American psychological horror thriller novel written by Stephen King (1987), also made into a film.
- Disappointed Murdochians have shared that Ogden had her version of the 'Brackenreid with Verna' epiphanic moment (ep.1213) with Dixon and failed – saved by a phone call from William instead; Julia has some explaining to do for MM fans.
- After the finale, MM showrunner Peter Mitchell about Julia's little first base action, "...I don’t think it makes her cruel. I mean I’ve already stated my case that I don’t think it makes her evil or unredeemable...And I think if the fans were honest with themselves, I think they would admit to certain urges in their lives they may have had."
Notable Quotes
- Murdoch to Parker: "I have more than one suit, you know. They just look similar.
- Thomas Brackenreid to Margret Brackenreid: "Family is Family Margaret, it will stretch us but we will manage."
Errors
- "Let Me Call You Sweetheart", music by Leo Friedman and lyrics by Beth Slater Whitson, was published in 1910, three years after the time of this episode, along with the rise of the early crooner style (Jolson to Vallee) a decade later.
- Percy Emerson mentions a second printing of George's book but in Kill Thy Neighbour, Effie states that a second printing is already underway before the book tour. So the printing referenced here would be the third edition.
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
Daniel Maslany as Detective Llewellyn Watts
Shanice Banton as Violet Hart
Arwen Humphreys as Margaret Brackenreid
Marc Senior as Robert Parker
Sebastian Pigott as Dr. Dixon
James McGowan as Dr. Forbes
Jesse LaVercombe as Jack Walker
Jeremy Legat as Aldous Germaine
Alex Hatz as Percival Emerson
Guest Cast
Ben Sanders as Detective Edwards
Ryan Hollyman as Lincoln
Sarah Swire as Amelia
Ken Hall as Derek Ferdinand
Caitlin Driscoll as Stella Davenport
Ric Reid as Chief Constable
Andrew Perun as Station House #5 Constable
Joel Rinzler as Hotel Bar Owner
Nick Biskupek as Gibson
Sherry Schell as Nurse Sherry
Aiden Altow and Mehron Haliysky as Medical Seminar Students
Maddy Foley as Piano Player
Charlie Ebbs as Bar Patron
Non-credited Cast
Nathan Hoppe as Constable McNabb
Jennifer Krukowski as Aunt Rhoda
Gallery
| Murdoch Mysteries Season 13 |
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| Troublemakers • Bad Pennies • Forever Young • Prodigal Father • Murdoch and the Cursed Caves • The Philately Fatality • Toronto the Bad • The Final Curtain • The Killing Dose • Parker in the Rye • Staring Blindly into the Future • Fox Hunt • Kill Thy Neighbour • Rigid Silence • The Trial of Terrence Meyers • In the Company of Women • Things Left Behind • The Future is Unwritten
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