The Brokenwood Mysteries Season 4

DVD Wholesale Quick Overview:

I have always thought that there are three keys to success when it comes to writing mysteries, whether you’re writing for print or film.
They are (a) compelling characters, (b) situations that the average reader or viewer can relate to, and (c) crimes with a twist.
The writers of the “Brokenwood Mysteries” have consistently employed all three and, in so doing, have fashioned yet another great season set in a small New Zealand town. I am especially impressed by the fact that the writers have chosen in the past to make even secondary characters interesting people and they have continued to do so in this fourth season.
The four main characters in the show are an interesting mix. Senior Sergeant Mike Shepherd is an often-married, somewhat older veteran who is never going to appear on the cover of GQ for his fashion sense. He’s a country music fan and relies on his intuitive knowledge of people when investigating a crime. His partner Detective Kristin Sims is more by-the-book in her approach to crime solving but she’s also willing to “go with her gut” when assessing a suspect. Detective Constable Sam Breen is a wise ass, young, and willing to do the grunt work that has to be done to bring a case to a conclusion, even if he’s not always thrilled about his assignments. Finally, Dr. Gina Kadinsky, a Russian emigre, brings an off-beat sense of humor and charm to her role as the Brokenwood Medical Examiner.
But they aren’t the only interesting characters that appear in this show. The victims range from an eccentric woman who dresses in 19th Century clothes, a skydiver with a narcissistic personality disorder, a crooked businessman, and a farmer struggling to make a living. The villains are not run-of-the-mill characters either, and written in such a way that the viewer can feel a degree of sympathy for them. I also like the fact that the writers have populated the fictional Brokenwood community with a diverse group of people: A gay mayor, Maori men and women, and senior citizens add to the relatability of the scripts.
The crimes may be a little bizarre in some instances, but the situations are realistic enough that we can almost picture them occurring in our own cities and towns.
Finally, the writers are always careful to include enough red herrings to keep the audience guessing, and that makes watching these mysteries unfold.
The cast – featuring Neill Rea, Fern Sutherland, and Nic Sampson as the detectives – has settled into their roles nicely, as you would expect when people have worked together for a number of years. Some reviewers do not like that fact, apparently, but I find that it adds a sense of authenticity to the show.
In the end, it comes down to this simple fact: “Brokenwood Mysteries” is one of the finest mystery shows available today and this fourth season is just one more example of what a very good cast can do with great scripts.

– Mike Billington

Another great season of following the Brokenwood C.I.D., including Detective Mike Shepherd, D.S. Kristin Sims and D.C. Sam Breen. The Russian-born pathologist, Gina Kadinsky, is always fun. She’s confident, capable, and confuses Mike with her different sense of humor. I miss Jared, Mike’s personable Maori friend (played by Pana Hema-Taylor). His distant cousin, Kahu, turns up, but he doesn’t have Jared’s charisma.

There are two recurring comic themes: Mike’s love of country music played on cassette tapes in his old Kingswood sedan; and Mike’s age, as in “what is it?” Throughout, there are touches of humor that leaven the high death rate in Brokenwood.

…1… “Fall From Grace” Gina invites work friends to a picnic celebrating her birthday. While they’re eating, two skydivers jump above them, behind them a third. Except the 3rd’s parachute never opens. Mike to Gina: “They say you die of a heart attack before you, you know…”
Gina: “Hit the ground?.. Myth. He would have been fully conscious.”
…2… “Stone Cold Dead” Just outside of town is the Brokenwood Historic Village, where re-enactors play characters circa 1861. Mrs. Charity Highmore-Browne, owner & manager, is on her morning rounds, checking things out before the customers arrive. In the school house, someone has written “Thou shalt not kill” on the blackboard. Charity notices this right before someone does.
Trivia: They didn’t have to build sets for the historic village. They used a real one!
…3… “The Scarecrow” Two young brothers, playing with their BB guns, take pot-shots at the grotesque scarecrow protecting the neighbor’s grapevines. Except when they get closer, it is a real person.
…4… “As if Nothing Had Happened” Mitch Waterson hears a noise outside in the night. He grabs a bat and goes out to find nothing but a gym bag with a note, “Give It Back.” Mitch rages at the night, “Come on! Come here! Show your face!” Be careful what you ask for.

Season 4’s episodes total 370 minutes of viewing, more than 90 minutes each. That’s almost movie-length, and makes for really good involved plotting. English subtitles are available on the episode and the single Bonus Feature.
…A… “Behind the Scenes” (3 minutes). Commentators are Fern Sutherland (plays Sims), Nic Sampson (plays Sam), Cristine Ionda (plays Gina) and Neil Rea (plays Mike). Sutherland says, “There’s enough sort of these little quirks throughout the show that hopefully keep people coming back.”

Absolutely! And I’m one of them.

-Happy Reader

I love this series, and other reviewers have described it in detail. The only reason I gave it four stars instead of five is because one of my favorite characters–Jared Morehu, who has been in all the other seasons–was not in this season. I don’t know if the actor wanted out, and the character is mentioned from time to time, but he does not appear. I like all the characters–the main ones as well as secondary–and I like how the secondary characters show up in multiple episodes. There are enough possibilities as to who committed each crime to keep the viewer guessing, and I have enjoyed watching the episodes more than once (which is not the case with some other mysteries). Also, the music is great, and not anyone people in the United States have heard of before. The New Zealand setting adds a lot, and the accents are fun.

– Jan P.

DVD Wholesale Main Features :   

Actors: Neill Rea, Fern Sutherland, Nic Sampson
Directors: Helena Brooks, Murray Keane, Josh Frizzell, Mark Beesley
Format: Box set, Color, NTSC, Widescreen
Language: English
Region: Region 1
Number of discs: 4
Rated: NR Not Rated
Studio: ACORN MEDIA
DVD Release Date: March 27, 2018
Run Time: 378 minutes
ASIN: B077VB1RX9