Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.5

Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries: Series 3 Blu-ray Movie Review

By Popular Demand

Reviewed by Michael Reuben November 20, 2015

Warning: The following review assumes that the reader is familiar with all prior series of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries and contains spoilers for anyone who is not. If you are new to the world of Miss Fisher, consult the Series 1 review for a spoiler-free introduction.

Despite the continued success of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, Australia's ABC network hesitated over a third series, following Series 2's conclusion with a Christmas special on December 22, 2013. With its period costumes and locations, Miss Fisher is an expensive show to produce, and ABC had funding concerns. After a social media campaign by fans, ABC agreed to an additional eight-episode season (five episodes shorter than the previous two), which aired from May 8 through June 26, 2015. Viewership was even higher than for previous series.

Miss Fisher creators and producers Deb Cox and Fiona Eagger used the additional time between Series 2 and 3 to rethink the show's narratives and concentrate on the elements that worked best in televised drama. As a result, Series 3 may have fewer episodes, but each of them is consistently excellent and, taken as a whole, they make up the best series of Miss Fisher to date.

Episode 1, "Death Defying Acts", introduces a new character from Phryne Fisher's (Essie Davis) past. His name is Baron Henry (Pip Miller), and Phryne is surprised and less than pleased to find him at her door in Melbourne, when he is supposed to be at home in England. The reasons for Baron Henry's presence in Australia remain obscure as he disappears and reappears throughout the series, since telling truth is not his strong suit. Not until the final episode will all be revealed (or most of it).

Phryne's other preoccupation in Series 3 is her romantic chemistry with Det. Inspector Jack Robinson (Nathan Page), which neither of them any longer tries to conceal. A running joke throughout the series is the regularity with which their efforts to find a private moment together are interrupted by something, be it trivial (like the Baron's arrival) or major (such as news of a murder requiring their immediate attention). No longer does Jack attempt to bar the lady investigator from crime scenes, which, as he has learned, is a futile pursuit. Instead, he invites her participation with alacrity, not only for her keen insight but also to enjoy her company. Phryne Fisher's independent streak is still a challenge for Jack, as he is all too frequently reminded, especially when a handsome rival appears, like RAAF Capt. Lyle Compton (Roger Corser), a former flame whose base is the site of an investigation in Episode 2, "Murder and the Maiden".

An additional continuing plot in Series 3 is the wedding plans of Phryne's loyal assistant, Dot Williams (Ashleigh Cummings), to Inspector Jack's second-in-command, Constable Hugh Collins (Hugo Johnstone-Burt, recently seen on the big screen in San Andreas). The engagement turns out to be just as rocky as the wooing. First, there are religious differences, since Dot is a devout Catholic, while Hugh is an occasional Protestant. Then there are lifestyle choices; Hugh wants a traditional stay-at-home wife, whereas Dot announces that she intends to continue working for Miss Fisher. Hugh perks up during his instruction in Catholicism when Dot's priest, Father O'Leary (Dennis Coard), informs him that church doctrine requires a wife to obey her husband. Dot's response to the situation demonstrates just how much she's learned while working for Miss Fisher, as she skillfully navigates around this apparent stumbling block. Late in the series, Hugh finds himself experiencing the confusion familiar to many bridegrooms and departs for an extended "fishing trip" to reflect on his future.

As these extended arcs play out, Phryne Fisher continues her investigations with the able support of her usual crew, which includes Dot, cab drivers Bert and Cec (Travis McMahon and Anthony Sharpe), Dr. "Mac" Macmillan (Tammy MacIntosh), who has now conveniently taken a position as Melbourne's coroner, and the unflappable Mr. Butler (Richard Bligh), who keeps the Fisher household humming along in good order, with champagne perpetually chilled. Perhaps because Phryne is such an unconventional woman for her time, many of her cases reveal aspects of the 1920s that have been downplayed by history.

For example, in Episode 5, "Death and Hysteria", Phryne is stunned to discover that her respectably conservative Aunt Prudence (Miriam Margoyles) has allowed her home to be transformed into a sanatorium by Dr. Hayden Samuels (Philip Quast), who specializes in treating certain female "problems". Dr. Samuels' methods, which are already controversial, are subjected to even greater scrutiny when one of his patients is murdered, and it is up to Phryne to solve the mystery and disentangle her aunt from scandal. In Episode 7, "Game, Set and Murder", Phryne hosts a women's tennis tournament to support the careers of budding female champions. But the unexpected death of a practice partner threatens to halt the whole affair, especially since the intended target appears to have been a leading contender for the title. And when a woman's body is found just outside the fence of an RAAF base, Phryne is appalled that her old friend, the base captain, shows so little apparent interest in identifying the lady who was obviously there to see one of his officers. The reasons for the captain's attitude turn out to be far more complex than the detective can imagine.

As always, despite her glamorous wardrobe and impeccable hair and makeup, Miss Fisher remains a woman of action, ready to leap into the fray at a moment's notice. If there is a fast vehicle in sight, be it an airplane or an automobile, she will surely end up behind the wheel (or in the cockpit, as the case may be). If a feared Sicilian mobster appears on the scene, she will not hesitate to draw her pearl-handled pistol (Episode 3, "Murder and Mozzarella"). If solving the case of a murdered magician's assistant requires volunteering to take her place and perform a nearly impossible escape from a watery grave (similar to Houdini's "water torture" illusion), then Phryne will do it (Episode 1, "Death Defying Feats"). Miss Fisher has always been a sharp-eyed detective, but as the eight episodes of Series 3 make clear, she is also, in the words of the show's creators, an action hero.

Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries: Series 3 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Cinematographer Roger Lanser returned for Series 3 of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, which continues to be shot with the Sony CineAlta HD camera. As with Series 2, the eight episodes of Series 3 have been formatted at 1080p. They occupy two AVC-encoded BD-50s, and the image is comparable to those of the previous series: sharp, clear and detailed, with good black levels and nicely balanced contrast. The distinctive credit sequence in which drips of water (or blood) expand into delicate watercolors of the main characters has been retained, but with new images taken from Series 3. The digital color grading for the main program continues with the darker, more saturated and less faded, historical look that was adopted in Series 2. If the production had to economize to accommodate ABC TV's funding concerns, it certainly didn't skimp on wardrobe or period set design, both of which remain as lavish and eye-catching as in prior series of Miss Fisher.

Acorn has authored Series 3 of Miss Fisher with an average bitrate of 18.02 Mbps, which is comparable to Series 2 and has produced comparable results.

Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries: Series 3 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The original stereo mix for Series 3, presented here in lossless DTS-HD MA 2.0, is similar to that of Series 1 and 2, with one notable difference—the absence of original tunes from the 1920s, which used to be standard over the closing titles. One suspects that this may have been an easy area in which to achieve economy by using Greg Walker's original score instead of paying licensing fees. Walker has so effectively caught the era's jazzy tone that one barely notices the difference. Dialogue remains clear and centered, and the accents are mild. There is occasional gunplay in Series 3, and a few of the action sequences have sound effects that are relatively loud for Miss Fisher, but most of the cues are environmental in nature, and the soundtrack handles them capably and gracefully.

Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries: Series 3 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Mr. Butler's Drink of the Week (1080p; 1.78:1): In each of these short promos, Mr. Butler suggests a suitable cocktail to accompany that week's episode and provides the recipe.
• Disc 1
• Ep. 1: Old-Fashioned (1:17)
• Ep. 2: Sidecar (0:57)
• Ep. 3: Champagne Punch (1:21)
• Ep. 4: Sherry Cobbler (1:07)
• Disc 2
• Ep. 5: Martini (1:20)
• Ep. 6: Fallen Angel (0:45)
• Ep. 7: Maiden's Prayer (0:47)
• Ep. 8: Negroni (0:52)



• Behind-the-Scenes Featurettes (disc 2) (1080p; 1.78:1; 36:27): As indicated by the titles, these brief clips allow various cast and crew to discuss their roles in Miss Fisher. Most speak on the set of (or while working on) a particular episode. A "play all" function is included.
• Tony Tilse (Director)
• Robert Perkins (Production Designer)
• Greg J. Walker (Composer)
• Anna Karpinski (Make Up & Hair Designer)
• Miriam Margoyles (Aunt Prudence)
• Robert Lanser (Director of Photography)
• Marion Boyce (Costume Designer)
• Death Do Us Part: A behind-the-scenes featurette.
• Phryne: The Action Hero: Interviews with Kerry Greenwood, Essie Davis, Deb Cox and Fiona Eagger.



• Character Clips (disc 2) (1080p; 1.78:1; 5:25): Each of these promotional clips features one or more actors in character referring to an upcoming episode. A "play all" function is included.
• Bert & Cec
• Aunt Prudence
• Dot Williams
• Hugh Collins
• Jack Robinson
• Baron Henry
• Dot Williams (Final episode)



• Behind-the-Scenes Photo Gallery (disc 2) (1080p; various; 1:19): A slide show.



• Bonus Trailers: At startup, disc 1 plays trailers for Acorn Media, The Brokenwood Mysteries and Anzac Girls, which can be skipped with the chapter forward button and are not otherwise available once the disc loads.

Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries: Series 3 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

As of this writing, there is no word on a Series 4 for Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries. Should the show conclude here, it has gone out on a high note and the writers have left all of the main characters at a comfortable resting point. Still, one hopes that ABC orders another series. Miss Fisher's creative team remains at the top of their game, and they have perfected the formula for a 55-minute episode in which every second is used to best advantage. The cast inhabit their roles as if born to them. Highly recommended.