The Brokenwood Mysteries: Series 4 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		4.0

The Brokenwood Mysteries: Series 4 Blu-ray Movie Review

Frodo and Friends

Reviewed by Michael Reuben April 20, 2018

The Brokenwood Mysteries has become one of New Zealand's most popular exports since Peter Jackson. The show's distinctive mix of deadpan humor, homicidal mania and country music has won it an international following that includes the U.S., the U.K., Australia, France, Denmark, Finland, Italy and Bulgaria. Even as Series 4 appears on Blu-ray in Region A, work on the fifth series is already underway.

The four episodes of Series 4 provide a whole new set of murderous conundrums for the constabulary of the fictional Kiwi country town, which consists of Det. Senior Sergeant Mike Shepherd (Neill Rea), Det. Kristin Sims (Fern Sutherland) and Constable Sam Breen (Nic Sampson). Superintendent Hughes (Colin Moy) provides occasional oversight from his distant office in the nearest (unnamed) city, and in one episode he even pays his Brokenwood officers a visit. Medical examiner Dr. Gina Kadinsky (Cristina Ionda) contributes invaluable forensic insight, while continuing to probe Mike Shepherd for the slightest hint of romantic interest. When Dr. Gina has to deal with an officer other than Shepherd, she reverts to the sardonic tone familiar from earlier seasons. "Mike would have noticed that", she tells Sims dismissively, after pointing out a peculiarity in a victim's remains.

Missing this season is Shepherd's Maori friend, gardener and jack-of-all-trades, Jared Morehu (Pana Hema Taylor), but he has been replaced by a plumber named Kahu (Rawiri Jobe), who pops up in the least likely places. Then again, Brokenwood is a small town, and Series 4 is filled with familiar faces from prior seasons, including slippery attorney Dennis Buchanan (Shane Cortese) and the town gossip, Mrs. Marlowe (Elizabeth McRae), whose encyclopedic knowledge of local secrets proves to be an invaluable resource. Pharmacist Neil Bloom (Phil Peleton) is now the town's mayor, and publican Ray Neilson (Jason Hoyte) has temporarily closed his establishment, the Frog & Cheetah, for renovation, directing patrons to his sister Trudy's (Tracy Lee Gray) pub, the Toad & Lion. The town's ne'er-do-well, Frankie Oades (Karl Willetts), who is generally known by the nickname "Frodo", shows up with a different job in every episode. "Why is it", Mike finally asks, "that, whenever there is trouble, Frankie Oades finds himself close to it?" It's a fair question, but it could equally apply to any number of the town's citizens. In Brokenwood, trouble is never far away. "If you lived in Brokenwood", says actor Nic Sampson, "my advice would be: Look at moving!"

The following episode summaries have been adapted (with edits and additions) from Brokenwood's official website:


Fall from Grace (disc 1) Oct. 29, 2017

When Sims, Breen, and Gina celebrate Mike's birthday with a picnic in Brokenwood Domain, they are witness to a fatal skydiving accident. To make matters worse, Sims knows the victim—entrepreneur Andre Barrington (Matthew Arbuckle), an ex-boyfriend, who moved on to another woman, Grace Turner (Esther Stephens), a fellow skydiver and adrenalin junkie.

As the investigation unfolds, an unsettling truth is revealed. Andre's parachute was never going to open, because the cords were severed and the backup was disabled. Was it an elaborate suicide or was Grace having second thoughts about Andre?

Then again, Andre's older brother Felix (Kelson Henderson), was tired of living in his shadow, and the love of his mother, Lorraine (Louise Wallace), verged on the sinister. Both family members participated in the jump that killed Andre. And what about the dead man's business partner, Dean Young (Daniel Sing), who was less than impressed by Andre's work ethic?

Stone Cold Dead (disc 1) Nov. 5, 2017

Charity Highmore-Browne (Jacqueline Nairn) is the owner and curator of Brokenwood's Historic Village. A stickler for all things Victorian, Charity lives in a time warp. Her sudden death by an arrow brings Mike and his team into the realm of New Zealand's colonial past, as they deal with a blacksmith, a missionary and the local postmaster. Not to be overlooked is Charity's estranged sister, Debra (Sally Stockwell), a champion archer who once represented New Zealand at the Olympics.

As the investigation raises questions about Charity's oversight of the village and the mysterious disappearance of her husband seven years earlier, the team are faced with the possibility that Brokenwood may have its first serial killer. Complications arise when Mike is forced out of the office due to health issues and Kristin must take charge of the case. But can Mike truly hand over the reins?

The Scarecrow (disc 2) Nov. 12, 2017

Philip Henderson (Mike Edward) is an organic farmer and a beekeeper who proudly markets his apiary's product as 100% organic—a claim disputed by his competitors in the local market for New Zealand's prized manuka honey. As the episode opens, Philip stands next to an impressive scarecrow amidst a field of damaged vegetation. Angered and distraught, he confronts his neighbor (and honey competitor), the cantankerous Doug Randall (Peter Tait), accusing him of spray drift from pesticides. An ugly altercation ensues.

The following day Philip is discovered dead in his field, the victim of an obscure poison. Suspicion immediately falls on Doug and also on his wife, Trudy Neilson (Tracy Lee Gray), who had ongoing tensions with Philip over an unpaid tab at her pub, the Toad & Lion. But as Mike and the team dig further, more suspects emerge. Philip's other neighbor is Tamati Taylor (Mark Ruka), who is less than forthcoming. It also transpires that Philip had a twin brother. Why does he seem remarkably unmoved by the death of his sibling? And what's the story behind the entrepreneur (Adam Gardiner) who is buying up all the land around Philip's farm?

Kristin's attention turns to an organic café in town called the Sage Locust, which is owned by her friend, Dahlia Freyberg (Tai Berdinner-Blades), who was Philip's girlfriend. But what was the state of their relationship? What exactly was in the salad Philip ate when he last visited the Sage Locust? And why do the bees of Philip's competitors keep dying or disappearing?

As If Nothing Happened (disc 2) Nov. 20, 2017

Sunset Manor is a rest home in Brokenwood for the aged and bewildered. The new resident is Edward Alderston (Ken Blackburn). Following his wife's death, his family has decided Sunset Manor is the best place for him, especially now that Alzheimer's is taking hold.

Mrs. Marlowe is a regular visitor, offering sing-alongs at the piano for the residents. But Edward is hoping for more of an ally than that. He's planning an escape. In fact he's been practicing. The only problem is he can't remember the plan.

But when a man is found with a samurai sword through his back floating in his swimming pool in the neighboring street, Edward's exact whereabouts become a matter of real importance. The victim is Mitch Waterson (Christian Hodge), a fast-talking investment professional who, after promising fabulous returns, lost the life savings of many elderly people, including most of Sunset Manor's residents. Mitch was never held accountable, but it appears that someone has exacted their own form of justice.

So when Mike, Kristin and Breen begin searching for motive, they need look no further than Sunset Manor. But even if one of the residents had the gumption and opportunity to murder Mitch Waterson, can he or she remember doing it?

The Brokenwood Mysteries: Series 4 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Brokenwood Mysteries continues to be shot digitally by the same pair of cinematographers responsible for Series 1, 2, and 3, Marty Smith and Rewa Harre. Acorn Media's two 1080p, AVC-encoded Blu-rays for the fourth series are comparable to the previous discs, with a clean and noiseless image, sharp focus and plenty of fine detail. The show continues to take advantage of the verdant New Zealand countryside, balancing apparently pristine open spaces with the intrusions of civilization.

Dr. Gina's morgue has retained the more clinical, less ghoulish lighting established in Series 2. Night scenes occur infrequently in Series 4, but when they appear, they continue to feature deep blacks. The bitrate on these four episodes has returned to the higher average seen in Series 2, specifically 27.99 Mbps. Overall, Acorn Media has maintained the superlative video quality that has characterized its Brokenwood discs from the outset.

The Brokenwood Mysteries: Series 4 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The soundtrack for Series 4 of Brokenwood Mysteries continues the show's love affair with country music, with each episode featuring multiple credits for songs by New Zealand singer-songwriter Delaney Davidson, Canadian transplant Tami Neilson and assorted other artists. Composer Joel Haines continues his scoring duties from Series 1 and 3. All of the gentle country sounds are soulfully rendered in lossless DTS-HD MA 2.0. The remainder of the sound mix is comparable to that of previous series. The dialogue is always clear, but for American ears the native New Zealand intonation may be a challenge. Use the optional subtitles as needed.

The Brokenwood Mysteries: Series 4 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Behind the Scenes Featurette (disc 2) (1080p; 1.78:1; 2:46): This collection of interview snippets includes all of the principal cast.



• Trailers: At startup, disc 1 plays trailers for Acorn TV, Loch Ness and Newton's Law.

The Brokenwood Mysteries: Series 4 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Acorn TV subscribers have had access to Series 4 for some time now, but Acorn's streaming versions, as good as they are, can't match the quality of this Blu-ray presentation. Fans who haven't yet seen the series can buy with confidence that the discs are excellent and the series has lost none of the uniquely appealing qualities that have garnered it a global audience. Highly recommended.