Masterpiece Mystery: Miss Marple (The Pale Horse)

It's too bad there's only one episode in this latest season (Series 6) of Miss Marple--because I loved "The Pale Horse," and I'm ready for more!

In 2010 PBS Masterpiece won me over during the Classics season with shows like Jane Austen's Emma, Northanger Abbey, and the action-packed The 39 Steps. And then later that year the new, modern version of Sherlock was an absolute treat for me, and I became intrigued by the Mystery season. I ended up watching a couple of older Miss Marple episodes with my aunt and uncle while visiting some family in Texas over Thanksgiving break, and I really enjoyed them.

When I discovered that JJ Feild was playing a role in this latest episode of Miss Marple, I was even more convinced that I had to see it! JJ Feild was Henry Tilney in Northanger Abbey, and he did a splendid job, in my opinion. ;) Gotta love a hero with a sense of humor and a great smile!

Anyway, overall I found "The Pale Horse" to be a wonderful episode! (And just to clarify, "episodes" for PBS Masterpiece are movie-length--about 90 minutes, generally.) With plenty of interesting suspects, a creepy setting, and the ever-lovable (and quite insightful!) Miss Marple, you get the perfect mix for a "keep-you-guessing" mystery.

When Miss Marple receives a letter with a list of names from a dear friend (Father Gorman), and then later discovers that Gorman has been murdered, she sets off to seek justice for her friend and follow the clue that he gave his life to protect. "Teaming up" with an inspector (who doesn't really appreciate her meddling ways at first), she tracks down leads and eventually ends up at the Pale Horse Inn, where she encounters "witches," secretive guests, and a complex and dangerous scheme.

I like the array of characters, as well as the twists and turns along the way. As for the ending, well, let's just say I didn't see it coming--which is a good thing when it comes to mysteries, right? I loved the surprises, and Miss Marple is a heroine to admire!

I haven't read any of the Miss Marple books, but I've enjoyed the episodes I've seen, and The Pale Horse was a pleasure to watch! My family watched it with me, and they all seemed to really like it, too--from my grandparents, to my parents, to my younger sister (who came in part way through). This episode is a great way to spend the evening if you're a fan of "cozy" mysteries!

• Want to learn more? Visit the episode's page on the PBS Masterpiece website.
  

• Between now and August 10th you can watch "The Pale Horse" for free online!

Discussion:

If you watched "The Pale Horse," I'd love to hear your thoughts! If you haven't yet watched it, feel free to click the link above to watch it online and then come back. Just be sure to watch the episode before you join the discussion because there will be some spoilers!

Here are some questions to get us started:

• Do you admire Miss Marple? If so, what do you admire most about her?
  

• What do you think about the setting of this episode? Do you find The Pale Horse Inn to be intriguing, spooky, disturbing, historically interesting, or something else?

• What are your thoughts on the ending? Did it surprise you?
  

• If you've read or seen other Miss Marple mysteries, how do you feel this one compares?

And don't forget...

Tomorrow we're discussing Death on the Nile (A Hercule Poirot Mystery) by Agatha Christie!