By Chrissi DiMartino ’18
Staff Writer
Miss Fisher: “If a tree falls in a forest…”
Inspector Robinson: “You were very likely somewhere close by wielding the axe.”
Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries is a smart, sexy, Australian series based on books by Kerry Greenwood. The fabulous, honorable Miss Phyrne Fisher (Essie Davis, who you may know from The Babbadook) solves crimes in 1920’s Melbourne with the help of her very religious ladies: maid Dot (Ashleigh Cummings), her English butler Mr. Butler (Richard Bligh), two Communist cab drivers (Travis McMahon and Anthony J. Sharpe), and her witty friend, Dr. Mac (Tammy Macintosh). Miss Fisher has an outfit for every occasion, whether it be a social gathering with her conservative Aunt Prudence (Miriam Margolyes), a visit to the morgue, or midnight crime scene investigations. And she’s never without her pearl-handled pistol.
The series begins with Miss Fisher returning to Melbourne for the first time since before World War II. Her main purpose is to confront the man who, on her testimony, is in prison without the chance of parole for the abduction and presumed murder of her sister, Janey, when they were children. Murdoch Folye continues to insist on his innocence, and Janey’s body has never been found, but Miss Fisher is determined to get the truth out of him. However, her plans are derailed her very first day when her friend’s husband is murdered, and Miss Fisher takes it upon herself to solve the crime. Her success leads to her decision to become a lady detective, much to the dismay of Detective Inspector Jack Robinson (Nathan Page) and Constable Hugh Collins (Hugo Johnstone-Burt).
Every episode has a different murder for Miss Fisher and the Inspector to solve, and they start to grow on each other until the romantic tension is thick enough to cut with a knife. Miss Fisher and company’s wild adventures are perfect for anyone who likes a good mystery, especially when it comes with a side of romance, conspiracies, and too many good quotes to choose from. After watching this series, you’ll want to live your life by one principle: what would Miss Fisher do?
Fun Fact: Jack tells Miss Fisher that his boyhood dream was to participate in the Tour de France. Nathan Page, who plays Jack, used to be a professional cyclist and actually rode in the Tour de France with Lance Armstrong.
