IMDB ranks the top rated episodes for different television series. For episodic shows like Midsomer Murders, it's really useful to get passed the clutter and onto the good stuff. Two episodes in particular have been scary good. Season 1 Episode 1: The Killing at Badger's Drift and Season 2 Episode 1: Death's Shadow.

There are other good episodes, but these so far are only ones that struck me as really shocking and having very tight writing.

The Killing of Badger's Drift

Spoilers. It's incest and I was already aware of it before the episode, but yeah it still is freaky. Throughout the episode, I was already pretty sure the opening scene had to do with bonking, but the twists and turns this thing takes is wild. Some of the acting in that first episode is hammy, but it sets the tone for the rest of the series. The show always has this dry oddball humor despite the murders.

Death's Shadow

I like this one slightly more than Badger's Drift. Funny enough it loosely connects to that first episode. The death of the killer's son in the flashback and the revenge spurned on by the confession is some really high quality writing. What makes this episode so amazing is that the events wouldn't have unfolded if the stars weren't aligned.

My theory as to why these episodes are so good is firstly that earlier seasons of series tend to be fresher as the creators are still practicing with the novelty of their concept. After awhile any formula gets tired, but usually the best a series has to offer happens early. The other thing is that the reveals are really emotionally visceral. Not many things will get stuck in your head than seeing two siblings screwing or a child getting hanged. Man, this show can be very dark sometimes.

I guess those are my thoughts. I enjoy this show. Not all the episodes are fantastic, but the quality is usually pretty stable.