Agatha Raisin

           Okay, as much as I like Agatha Raisin, someone really needs to tell Agatha off.  Far too much she thinks the world revolves around her and her alone.  If she has something going on, and even sometimes when she doesn’t, nothing in anyone else’s life can have any importance.  It’s all about her.

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                Until she decides it’s not.  It’s only then Agatha comes around and sees where she may have treated someone badly.  But it can take a while for her to get there, which is why someone needs to confront Agatha about her behavior so it happens much less often.

                With that said, let’s get on to the show I look forward to watching every season.  It’s season three and there have been changes in Agatha Raisin’s (Ashley Jensen) life.  Not only has she and James (Jamie Glover) decided to live together, Agatha has opened a private detective agency.  With an investigative license in hand, she can now officially look into cases, instead of investigating on her own and getting into trouble.

                Not that having a license is going to keep Agatha out of trouble.  She still does things which will lead to that, such as taking evidence and keeping it from the police.  Only now she can say she was working in an official capacity for a client.

                The problem with this excuse is Agatha’s clients don’t always stay alive.  Some of them end up dead, but it doesn’t stop her from investigating.  When it comes to murder, Agatha always wants to know what is going on.

                Helping Agatha investigate is Toni (Jodie Tyack).  She first meets Agatha when she stands in for her cousin Gemma (Katy Wix) as Agatha’s house cleaner.  The house cleaning does not go well, but in the process, Agatha discovers Toni has an incredible memory.  A useful skill for a detective agency.      

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                Agatha’s good friend Roy (Mathew Horne) also helps when he is in town.  He often teams up with Sir Charles (Jason Merrells), a ladies’ man who is not having much luck with the ladies.  Roy and Charles are absolutely hysterical together, as they are two very different people and always will be.

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                When Charles is not working with Roy, he’s usually with Sarah (Lucy Liemann).  A vicar’s wife, Sarah’s husband is away on missionary work, and has been for quite some time now.  She has responsibilities around town and can only help Agatha so much.  That does not keep her and Charles from becoming friends, though, to the point Charles finds himself attracted to Sarah, and Agatha worries he might make a move.

                James only helps with the cases some of the times, as well.  He’s writing a book, and when he’s done, he goes on a book tour.  Still, despite things going on in his life, James feels left out as Agatha does her own thing and leaves him in the background, even when he helped solve the case.  The help he gives is not remembered, and very unappreciated.  In so many ways, James and Agatha are not a good match, which is why I’m not surprised their relationship goes in the direction it does.     

        

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             The people who are a good match are Toni and DC (later DS) Bill Wong (Matt McCooey).  Bill takes most of Agatha’s abuse (she can be downright mean to him), especially when he has something going on in his life that’s not about her.  Or when he has to actually follow the rules of his job.  Fortunately, this season, Toni is there to help him through things.  Or at least she is when Charles and Roy aren’t meddling in their relationship.      

               As good as Toni and Bill are as a couple, I have to wonder if it’s also awkward being together.  Not only did Bill know Toni as a kid, he recently dated her cousin, Gemma.

               There is one person in the village I can understand why Agatha is not the friendliest to.  That is DCI Denzel Wilkes (Jason Barnett).  He is a very bumbling detective, getting things completely wrong all the time, forcing Bill to clean up his messes.  Agatha is always in his sights of being guilty of something, no matter how outlandish, again, making Bill clean up the mess left behind.

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                The thing is, when it comes to non-police matters, Wilkes is very knowledgeable.  He shocked everyone with his ability to tango, learned from only watching videos.  He’s also part of reenactments, where he is full of facts and details.  Even TV mystery shows he has an incredible storage of knowledge.  It’s actual police work Wilkes has a problem with.

                At the end of this four-episode season, everyone seems to be in a good place in their lives.  Maybe not perfect, but good.  (If you don’t want to know more, skip over this next paragraph.)

                Roy has a serious love interest.  Charles may have figured out a woman with depth is more what he needs than the type of woman he usually pursues.  Sarah decides to become a vicar.  Bill is moving forward with his career and his relationship with Toni.  Toni is thinking of new possibilities in her life.  And Agatha is finding peace with her life after James.

                If the series were to end here, it would be a good ending, but I hope that is not the case.  Despite Agatha needing a good telling off at times, I love this show.  It’s hilarious and fun, and I would love to see it continue.      

                Oh!  There is one more character I have to mention.  That’s Mrs. Boggle (Marcia Warren).  If you think Mrs. Marlowe (Elizabeth McRae) from The Brokenwood Mysteries is a busybody, wait until you meet Mrs. Boggle.

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