Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries "Blood at the Wheel" #2.7 (2013)

I'm going against conventional wisdom - it's not one of my favorites, 27 May 2017

Phryne is backing an all-woman race team. When the team's driver is killed in a seemingly simple crash just days before the big race, Phryne suspects foul play. Jack, not realizing the driver wasn't Phryne, is horribly grief stricken - more so than he likes. He decides that his relationship with Phryne has to change.

Earlier today when writing about the film Checkpoint (coincidentally, another race themed film), I wrote that I considered it underrated. I feel the opposite about Blood at the Wheel. To me, this fan-favorite is overrated. I have a number of problems (Dot's impersonating a Russian driver, an unrealistic looking race, and the annoying women vs men theme) but the biggest issue to me is the manner in which the final reveal is handled. I hate it when a murderer, with very little prompting or reason, just starts spilling their guts and confesses to everything. Who does that? It feels so unnatural and lets the detectives off the hook without actually having to solve anything. It bothers me in books, TV shows, and movies. It's a huge cheat I cannot stomach. And to me, it really hurts the episode.

As for the developments in the Jack - Phryne relationship. I'll just say it's all heartbreaking. While I can certainly understand some of where Jack is coming from, it seems little like overkill. Hopefully, he (and the writers) will have a change of heart.

6/10