The Return of Sherlock Holmes: The Musgrave Ritual

 "And the singular affair of the aluminium crutch."

We have another splendid episode here- a delightful little gothic puzzle which provides us with some entertainment as the mystery is solved yet, for the unfortunate and proud Mr Brunton, his death, amidst a subtext of class (the butler is cleverer than his master by far yet must not be seen to go "above his station") and sexual passion (he's been a naughty boy).

There is a major change from the original Conan Doyle short story in that the whole thing take place in the mid-1890s of the present day, with Watson very much part of the story, although Holmes' early tease of the glorious titles of some of his early cases hint at the story's origins- a nice touch. It's also pleasing to see that, correctly, the servants and the inspector (Ian Marter, shortly before his awful death) speak in a West Country-type accent which we would not usually today associate with Sussex but once (with variations) spread all the way from Cornwall to Kent- although I'm in no way fit to judge the specific accuracy of the accents here. But the fact the Sussex accent is now extinct shows, sadly, how little respect the "Home Counties" have for their own regional culture and heritage. We in the Midlands ought to take note, me duck.

The cast is strong and the tale is a satisfying one both intellectually- I love how Holmes decodes the ritual- and in terms of character. And the final revelation, with the fireplace behind, is quite masterful.