The Cutprice Guignol

Yes, I know this show is more than a decade old, and yes, I know I should have watched it ages ago – but forgive me, dear friends, for waiting so long to rhapsodise about Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries by joining me for a little natter about it now, alright?

The series (which broadcast between 2012 and 2015 and returned briefly for a film in 2020) centres around Miss Phryne Fisher, an unmarried lady detective living in Melbourne and solving various crimes affecting the city’s various unfortunates, as adapted by Deb Cox and Fiona Eagger from a series of novels by Kerry Greenwood. And, look, the clue is in the name here when it comes to the major appeal of this show, in the form of Phryne herself, as played by the outrageously brilliant Essie Davis. I could (and have) watch Essie Davis in just about anything, but this might just be her crowning glory – this performance truly sparkles as the centrepiece of these mysteries, charming and deft, as much as romantic and a risk-taker as a woman of logic and reason. In terms of great TV detectives, she’s up there with the best of them, and she’s got a pearl-handled revolver to boot.

In an era where female-led media has been subject to almost endless handwringing about whether it reaches appropriately feminist credentials or falls into problematic tropes, it’s such a breath of fresh air to see a show like this, which puts an unabashedly nuanced lead at its heart without reducing its appeal to her rejection of contemporary societal norms. Fisher is truly one of those characters I could watch do just about anything – there’s a lightness of touch to her that never leaves her feeling more a symbol than a character, and her deft navigation of every situation she’s dropped into never feels strained. And, not that it has anything to do with anything, but every single outfit she wears in this show is so good it feels like a cold-clock straight to the jaw when she enters the frame, so there’s that, too.

The mysteries themselves are solid enough, even if they occasionally feel a bit concerteined to fit into the forty-five minute runtime – but it’s the world that Cox and Eagger create that makes this so moreish. The fabulous ensemble and filling-out of Melbourne’s social scene that gives the show a properly lively feel to it – Ashleigh Cummings as Phryne’s reserved maid Dot is impossibly sweet (and it’s almost unbelievable to me that she put in such an incredible and totally distinct performance in Hounds of Love so soon after it), and Miriam Margoyles is a predictable scene-stealer as Phryne’s aunt, very much from the Jeeves and Wooster school of niece-and-nephew terrorizing. And I would be doing the show a terrible disservice if I didn’t mention Nathan Page as Inspector Jack Robinson, Phryne’s occasionally-reluctant police contact and love interest. Their relationship has shades of the screwball comedy to it, and their chemistry will have you over-analyzing a thumb brush like the Voynich manuscript.

I think what really stands out to me about Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, though, is how it differs from other major detective shows that were coming out around this time – think Sherlock, for example, where the central detective figure is solitary, cold, and whose only social connections come almost entirely in the form of those foisted upon him. For Phryne, this couldn’t be further from the truth; her large social circle and genuine affection for people lies at the heart of her skill. From Jane, a young girl she adopts who gives her the inside scoop on what’s going on in local schools, to Mac, an old friend and doctor and love of my fucking life who offers forensic insight into the various crimes at the heart of these stories, it’s Phryne’s ability to connect with people – and to do so joyfully, constantly, and deeply – that really gives the show its spark.

Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries is one of those shows I always knew I would love, but I wasn’t quite prepared for how much I’ve come to adore it. Witty, warm, and utterly wonderful, it’s a joy from start to finish – and I am urgently in need of people to talk about it with, so drop your favourite episodes, moments, and stories in the comments below!

If you liked this post and you’d like to support my blog, please consider supporting me by buying my books or dropping me a tip via my Support page!

(header image via Oh! What a Lovely Podcast)