Based on the Australian Phryne Fisher Mysteries novel series by Kerry Greenwood, show creators Deb Cox and Fiona Eagger unveil the utterly scandalous, sensational, and smart Lady Private Detective Phryne Fisher in the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries. The first season of the series introduces us to a very fashionable, beautiful, and conveniently wealthy jack-of-all trades, who makes it her business to know everyone’s business as she navigates the murders of Melbourne in the early 1920’s.

Essie Davis portrays Phryne’s flamboyant character, while Ashley Cummings plays her demure seamstress, companion, and confidante, Dot Williams. Nathan Page gives a good show as the reluctant and honorable Detective Inspector Jack Robinson, and Hugo Burt portrays the slightly aloof, good-hearted Constable Collins.

Season one picks up where Phryne has just moved back to Australia after inheriting a fortune from a deceased relative as the world is picking its pieces back up after the onslaught of WWI. Her reason for coming back: to find her sister’s killer. Since childhood she has blamed herself for the kidnapping and presumed murder of her sister and vows to see justice done and find closure. After picking up Inspector Robinson, Dot, and Constable Collins in the first episode, “Cocaine Blues,” Phryne involves herself to effectively (but not necessarily legally) find the scoundrel behind each killing, whether the others want her to or not.

Throughout the first season, the expected romantic entanglement forms between D.I. Robinson and Miss Fisher as tension rises in their mutual desire to lead, while Dot, a devout Catholic, humorously contrasts Phryne’s wild tendencies, giving the character scheme some balance. Beneath her confident personality, ABC writers give Phryne a heart of gold as she adopts orphans, aids the poor, and seemingly empathizes with everyone involved in a murder.

Between fan dancing, circus performing, exercising mastery of multiple languages, modeling for French painters, breaking up cult rituals, attending communist meetings in disguise, tantalizing Inspector Robinson, and sleeping with every good-looking man on the show (except Inspector Robinson), Phryne tracks the trail of her sister’s murderer, often endangering her own life and using her sharp wits and Hispano-Suiza to escape.

With that said, the show can get a little kitschy with tropes and plot turns, but makes up for it in humor and fantastic characters and costuming. Each episode is roughly 50 minutes, has minimal swearing, but does have sexual themes, and alcohol and drug use. Naturally, it does have violence, since it is a murder mystery show. Overall, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries is a fun, feel-good one, almost always ending with what would be considered “just” ending and keeps watchers hanging on with a good bit of action and the perpetually-almost-in-love Jack Robinson/Phryne relationship.

Seasons 1-3 are available on Netflix for streaming.

What did you think of the show?

– Kelly Gatewood

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