Unlucky In Love

"Unlucky In Love"
Season	9
Episode	12
Airdate	February 1, 2016
Writer	Lori Spring
Director	Cal Coons
Previous	A Case of The Yips
Next	Colour Blinded

"Unlucky In Love" is the twelfth episode of ninth season of the Murdoch Mysteries and the e one hundred twenty-sixth episode of the series. It first aired on February 1, 2016.

Summary

The electrocution of an elderly groom on his wedding day leads Murdoch to suspect the bride, whose four previous husbands died under suspicious circumstances – a black widow? Meanwhile, things don't seem to be going well for Crabtree as he teaches his first writing course, until an energetic young Lucy Maud Montgomery from Prince Edward Island joins the class.

Elizabeth, née Drabble, married the first time to Paul Durrell who died in a fall off of a bridge. Husband number two, Lucas Gibson died in a hunting accident. Third husband Thomas McEwan's charred remains were found in a fishing lodge that burned down. Her most recent last name came from Bernard Cummersworth who died after a piano that was being moved fell on top of him. And now, number five, Oliver Pym, by electrocution. Elizabeth Pym is either the unluckiest woman in the world or one very competent murderess. Murdoch suspects the latter.

Character Revelations

• George Crabtree teaches a writing class for the first time.
• For all their knowledge, William and Julia have no idea when "children are supposed to walk."
• Margaret Brackenreid launches a wedding planning business.
• George was found on the church steps "in a carpetbag with all his possessions."
• George Crabtree and Anne of Green Gables are much alike: a spunky orphan, found in a carpetbag, prone to flights of fancy.

Continuity

• Margaret had planned William and Julia's wedding in Holy Matrimony, Murdoch!
• Little Roland continues to go to work with his parents, being "watched" by members of the team when duty calls the Detective and the Doctor. During his turn, Inspector Brackenreid asks the little fella, "Promise me you won't grow up to be like those two."
• Murdoch performs a mental "Bertillon" comparison (ep 807) of the man in the photo and the florist he met and a hi-res fingerprint match.

Historical References

• Lucy Maud Montgomery OBE (November 30, 1874 – April 24, 1942), publicly known as L. M. Montgomery, was a Canadian author best known for a series of novels beginning in 1908 with Anne of Green Gables. George's story suggestions for Maud's novel: add dead bodies, ghosts and change the title to "Dan of Green Gables".
• Lucy Maud Montgomery hails from Cavendish, "...the most beautiful town in all of Prince Edward Island".
• The term photo-macrograph was proposed in 1899 by W. H. Walmsley for close-up images with less than 10 diameters magnification, to distinguish from true photo-micrographs.

Trivia

• Filmed on location at Chedoke Estate in Hamilton, Ontario.
• Crabtree's critique points out valid reasons why some have found Anne of Green Gables rather dull in school, including some MM writers.
• The scenes which George shares with Maud Montgomery feature a score unique from the rest of the episode. This score is similar to the scores used in the 1985 film Anne of Green Gables and the television series Road to Avonlea, both based on the works of Lucy Maud Montgomery, and both of which originally aired on the CBC.
• Additionally, actress Mag Ruffman appears in the episode as a student in George's class. Ruffman portrayed Alice Lawson in the 1985 Anne of Green Gables film and its 1987 sequel Anne of Avonlea but is best known for her role as Olivia King Dale on Road to Avonlea.
• End title card: Despite the story you have just seen there is no evidence to suggest that Lucy Maud Montgomery met Constable George Crabtree or that her work was influenced by him. (He's not real).
• Actress Leslie Hope, who plays Mrs. Elizabeth Pym, directed Dial M for Murdoch back in Season 4 and is the director of the next episode Colour Blinded.
• Actress Mimi Kuzyk is the mother of Arwen Humphreys' agent's assistant Kali, who by the way is the best according to Arwen.
• MM Designer Alexander Reda is nominated for the 2017 Canadian Screen Awards' Best Costume Design for Unlucky In Love.
• Yannick Bisson was considered for the role of Gilbert Blythe in the 1985 miniseries Anne of Green Gables after having recently played opposite Megan Follows in the movie Hockey Night'.

Errors

• The wedding vows to the bride were, "Will you love him, honour him, and keep him in sickness and in health...", whereas at the turn of the last century, the bride's vows were always "Love, honour and obey". To change the words and omit "obey" would have been scandalous at the time.

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
Arwen Humphreys as Margaret Brackenreid

Guest Cast

Leslie Hope as Elizabeth Cummersworth (Pym)
Alison Louder as Lucy Maud Montgomery
Mimi Kuzyk as Judith Baxter
Mag Ruffman as Eunice
Richard Stewart as Samuel Birkett
W. Joseph Matheson as Fergus Dexter
Dan Abramovici as Mr. Power
Tim Walker as Mr. Jarvis
Ian Matheson as Minister
Andy Pogson as Howard
Thom Vernon as Raymond
Dennis Cutts as Oliver Pym
Sochi Fried as Doris Pym

Gallery

Mrs. B is back!

George's ad for writing glass

Thomas supporting Margaret

Wedding Crime Scene

Time to plan for a funeral

Wired to Kill

Writing class

Going over the list of husbands

Thimble of scotch?

Proof

George and Maud's last evening