S1·E1 The Killings at Badger's Drift

Episode recap

The opening of the series’ first instalment, “The Killings at Badger’s Drift,” introduces the fictional county of Midsomer as a seemingly tranquil rural community. The calm is broken when an elderly woman is discovered dead in her cottage at Badger’s Drift. The circumstances of the discovery prompt DCI Tom Barnaby, the senior police detective of the county, to question the assumption that the death resulted from natural causes. Barnaby’s conviction that foul play is involved launches a formal investigation that moves beyond the isolated scene.

Barnaby, accompanied by his police partner, begins to examine the cottage and the surrounding village, treating the case as the first of many that will reveal the hidden capacity for violence within Midsomer’s picturesque villages. The investigation proceeds methodically, with the detectives gathering evidence, interviewing residents, and probing the relationships that bind the community together. Their inquiry uncovers that the outward peace of the village masks underlying tensions and secrets, a theme that the series repeatedly explores.

Throughout the episode, the contrast between the bucolic setting and the seriousness of the crime underscores the series’ premise that “the peacefulness of the Midsomer community is shattered by violent crime.” The detectives’ work demonstrates the procedural approach that defines the show: careful observation, logical deduction, and a willingness to look beyond appearances. By the episode’s conclusion, the initial suspicion of natural causes has been replaced by a clear determination that the death was a homicide, setting the tone for future investigations across the county.

“The Killings at Badger’s Drift” therefore serves as both an introduction to the fictional world of Midsomer and a template for the series’ ongoing focus on murder cases that arise in small country villages, examined through the efforts of DCI Barnaby and his partner. The episode establishes the pattern of a seemingly quiet community being disrupted by a concealed, lethal reality.