Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries "Unnatural Habits" #2.12 (2013)

Phryne vs the Catholic Church, 8 June 2017

Unnatural Habits started off a bit slow for my liking, but ended up being a real winner. In the episode, Phryne and Jack are investigating the death of a young runaway from a Catholic girl's school. Their investigation leads to a cargo ship that's about ready to set sail. Their investigation also runs into trouble with the Catholic Church. Jack's former father-in-law pulls him off the case and threatens his job if he doesn't back-off. There's a whole lot more going on, but I'd hate to spoil it for anyone.

Unnatural Habits is a rock solid episode. The plot is as dark and depressing as any I've seen in Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries. The fate of the missing girls is heartbreaking. Because of that, the ending is especially satisfying. More so than in most of the episodes, I really enjoyed seeing the bad guys get what was coming to them. Real nasty pieces of work. Another bonus is the way Unnatural Habits cranks up the tension. I was quite literally on the edge of my seat. There's atmosphere and danger to spare – always welcome in a mystery. And, as you'd expect, Phryne runs headfirst into it all. Very nicely written and directed. I also enjoyed the fact that most of the regular and semi-regular characters have parts to play. Aunt Prudence, Bert, Cec, Jack's ex- wife, her father-in-law, and her fiancé – they're all here. The acting is quite good. I suppose my favorite had to be Joan Sydney as Mother Aloysius in a very believable and memorable performance. In the end, I've got really nothing to complain about. A very strong 8/10 from me.

8/10