Judgement Day is the third episode of the third series of Midsomer Murders and originally aired on 29th January 2000.
The village of Midsomer Mallow is in competition for the title of the "perfect village". Joyce Barnaby has already won her own competition and is now one of the "perfect village" judges. Meanwhile; Barnaby and Troy are investigating a series of break-ins in the area. When the thief, Peter Drinkwater, is found murdered, there is no end of suspects: a jealous husband; a spurned girlfriend and her irate parents; one of the robbery victims who is not being entirely truthful with the police; and finally several members of the village committee whose only concern is how the death will affect their chances in the perfect village competition. In the end, Barnaby must establish the link between these most recent events and a murder some years earlier.
Tropes:
- The Alcoholic: Samantha Johnstone, one of the judges of the Perfect Village Competition, drinks heavily in most of her scenes.
- Body Horror: Jane Rochelle's burns are not a pretty sight, especially her hand.
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: A minor example. When gardening expert Frank Mannon is shown filming his TV show, the crew in the background are actually the real Midsomer Murders production crew, including the director hunching over his monitor.
- Diegetic Soundtrack Usage: Midsomer Mallow's youth orchestra is doing their best to actually play the Midsomer Murders theme.
- Enfant Terrible: The prologue has a 7 year old girl stabbing the housekeeper to death just because she didn't like her.
- Gardening-Variety Weapon: Peter Drinkwater is done in by a pitchfork to the chest. Within the first 10 minutes.
- Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: Peter Drinkwater is done in by a pitchfork to the chest. Within the first 10 minutes.
- Madwoman in the Attic: Jane Rochelle. Because of horrible burn scars over her face, she has been living in seclusion in the house of her husband Edward Allardice, with most people in the village being unaware she exists. The secret of her existence almost leads Barnaby to conclude Allardice is the murderer.
- Murder by Mistake: The second Victim of the Week dies after drinking poisoned wine meant for another person.
- Tempting Fate: Barnaby and Troy are searching the farm where Peter Drinkwater is staying for stolen property and promptly find a ton of evidence, at which point Barnaby comments "I wish they were all this easy". Not five minutes later, they find Drinkwater with a pitchfork through his chest and the case becomes vastly more complicated.
- Vorpal Pillow: Barnaby and Troy run up to Bella's bedroom. She is dead. Marcus says that he didn't want Bella to be put back in the loony bin. It would have destroyed her. So he gave her sleeping pills and then... A pillow.
- Who Murdered the Asshole: Peter Drinkwater was sleeping with at least three different women (one of whom was paying him for it) until he got pitchforked through the chest in the first five minutes. He was also a petty thief and a vandal with a serious attitude problem, so there are plenty of suspects.
