Murdoch Mysteries (2008– ) 🔍⚙️ Review

⚠️ Content Warning:
Because this show takes place in late 19th/early 20th-century Toronto, there’s a heavy emphasis on period-accurate sexism, racism, and homophobia. You’ll see women dismissed, progressive voices silenced, and prejudice normalized. It’s true to the time — but as a modern viewer, it can get exhausting. After a while, you’re just like: “Yes, I get it. Humans sucked.” Keep that in mind going in.

Here’s the theme song to set the mood:

—

Non-Spoiler Rundown

“Murdoch Mysteries” follows Detective William Murdoch — an earnest, devoutly Catholic, and scientifically minded Toronto detective who solves crimes with inventions ahead of his time. Think CSI: 1900. He’s surrounded by a colorful team: Julia Ogden (doctor and love interest), Inspector Brackenreid (gruff boss with a hidden soft heart), George Crabtree (hilarious constable and wannabe novelist), and a revolving door of medical assistants — including fan favorite Emily Grace.

The tone blends mystery, humor, romance, and social commentary. The gimmick? Murdoch invents things we know today (lie detectors, sonar, even crude versions of computers), but he and others assume these ideas will never catch on. Meanwhile, he runs into famous historical figures — Nikola Tesla, Winston Churchill, Mark Twain, H.G. Wells — in fun, pulpy episodes.

It’s smart, funny, sometimes deeply sad, and very much a Canadian gem.


—

Characters & Performances

William Murdoch (Yannick Bisson) – Our main man. Brilliant detective, soft-spoken, but also a wet sponge at times. Murdoch can be lovable and admirable for his brain… but boy does he absorb all the fun out of a room. He’s rigid, prissy, and often judgmental. One look at his uptight sister and you go, “Well, no wonder he turned out this way.”

Dr. Julia Ogden (Hélène Joy) – Murdoch’s love interest and eventual partner. Independent, progressive, and often the voice pushing Murdoch to open his worldview.

Inspector Brackenreid (Thomas Craig) – The grumpy, whisky-loving inspector. A man’s man who enjoys boxing and painting. Brackenreid starts as a traditionalist but evolves, and his banter with Crabtree is one of the show’s funniest dynamics.

George Crabtree (Jonny Harris) – The comic heart of the series. Endlessly curious, accident-prone, and always dreaming up wacky theories. His bickering with Brackenreid is gold. He also gets some sweet romances along the way, showing he’s more than just comic relief.

Emily Grace (Georgina Reilly) – Julia’s assistant and my personal favorite. She enters as a bold, no-nonsense suffragette type who doesn’t care for authority and often challenges Murdoch’s rigidity. Emily is also one of the few openly queer characters, revealed as a lesbian later on. Her arc is powerful… until the writers shove her out.

Detective Llewellyn Watts (Daniel Maslany) – Introduced later as a quirky, eccentric detective. He’s Jewish, socially odd, and eventually comes out as gay. His presence continues the progressive streak that Emily began — but unlike Emily, the writers protect him.



—

Final Thoughts & Rating

“Murdoch Mysteries” is equal parts inventive and infuriating. It gives us progressive characters like Emily Grace and Detective Watts, only to highlight how brutally unfair the world is to them. It makes us laugh with Crabtree and Brackenreid’s banter, then breaks our hearts with arcs that end in tragedy. Murdoch himself? Lovable at times, but often a sanctimonious wet blanket.

Still, the mix of mystery, humor, social commentary, and historical Easter eggs makes it incredibly unique. It’s fun, it’s smart, it’s frustrating — and it sticks with you.

Rating: 9/10.


—

Spoilers (Full Context, No Bullet Points)

Emily Grace begins as Julia’s assistant but quickly steals the spotlight with her bold, progressive ideals. She fights for women’s rights, challenges her colleagues, and doesn’t shrink away from confrontation. Eventually, she realizes she’s a lesbian and develops a relationship with another woman — a huge deal for a show set in this period. Unfortunately, this is where the cracks show. Emily faces constant resistance, not just from society but from within the station itself. The most heartbreaking betrayal comes from Brackenreid, who sits her down and tells her bluntly: “Playtime’s over. Get serious.” It’s a soul-crushing moment. Instead of supporting her, he undermines her passion, and Emily eventually leaves. That was the turning point of the show for me — when the spark dimmed.

The frustration becomes even sharper when later, Detective Watts is revealed to be Jewish and eventually comes out as gay. The board wants him gone, but this time Brackenreid stands his ground. He says firmly, “We made this mistake before. Never again.” He defends Watts fiercely. It’s triumphant… but also frustrating, because it highlights how Emily was let down when she needed him most.

Emily’s replacements in the morgue, especially Violet Hart, never carried the same spark. Violet is written more like a schemer than a progressive — ambitious, sly, and sometimes outright manipulative. While Georgina Reilly gave Emily a warmth and bite that felt fresh, the replacements often felt like plot devices rather than people. Violet in particular was divisive because instead of continuing Emily’s fight for justice, she felt like the embodiment of opportunism, and the morgue became colder without Emily’s energy.

Meanwhile, Murdoch’s “Moriarty,” James Gillies, provides one of the show’s darkest arcs. Gillies starts as a brilliant student who takes a criminal path. In his second appearance, while being transported by train, he makes a daring escape by diving into the water — but slams into a rock, leaving a permanent dent in his head. When he returns later, scarred and even more twisted, he threatens Murdoch and Julia’s adopted baby. His manipulations escalate until he is finally caught and executed by hanging, but not before cementing himself as Murdoch’s deadliest foe.

Other side arcs add flavor too. Crabtree’s romances humanize him beyond his comic relief role. Brackenreid’s home life adds warmth. Even the lazier constables get their moments, with girlfriends and growth that flesh out the precinct.

And yes, Murdoch and Julia adopt a baby for a time, only to lose him when the biological father reclaims him. It’s a brutal arc that leaves Julia crushed and Murdoch grimly resigned.

The show also leans heavily on historical cameos. Murdoch meets Tesla, Twain, Wells, and more. The gag of him inventing things we recognize — sonar, surveillance tech, early polygraphs — and dismissing them as impractical is both clever and bittersweet. Spoiler alert, they all became essential.

Murdoch himself remains divisive. He’s brilliant, devout, and at times endearing — but he’s also the ultimate wet sponge. He often kills the fun in scenes, his rigidity making him hard to root for compared to the lively Brackenreid or hilarious Crabtree. When his equally uptight sister shows up, it all makes sense.

By the later seasons, Detective Watts becomes a central progressive character. His eccentricities make him memorable, but his struggles with identity and prejudice give him weight. The show makes sure to let Brackenreid stand by him when it matters, a sharp contrast to how Emily was handled.

The villains are equally varied. Some like James Gillies stand out, others feel undercooked (the Ventriloquist was particularly underwhelming, coming and going in a blink). And the revolving door of new villains often meant no one stayed dead. Characters “died” only to reappear again, making death feel cheapened after a while.

All in all, “Murdoch Mysteries” is a unique ride — a mix of clever period science, heartfelt tragedy, and frustrating missteps. Emily’s departure remains its most painful mistake, and Violet Hart never filled the void. Watts’ rise helps, but it’s bittersweet. And Murdoch himself? Brilliant, but sometimes the fun-sucking sponge of his own show.