Bad Tidings is the second episode of the seventh series of Midsomer Murders and was originally aired on 4th January 2004.
After a quarrel with her husband at the Midsomer Mallow residents association's Spanish Evening, Fiona Thompson sets off to walk home, but never arrives. She is found the next morning in Chaney's Field. Barnaby investigates with his new Detective Sergeant, Dan Scott, in tow. Cully Barnaby meanwhile organizes a get-together with some old school friends, one of whom is the dead woman's neighbour. She finds that her friends have changed and that they now have little in common.
Tropes:
- Calling Card: The killer leaves something on the body of all of their victims: planting a rose in the teeth of Fiona Thompson, an apple in the mouth of Charles Rust, and a doll is placed next to Jacob Stokes and burnt. During their Motive Rant the killer explains that this was was their idea of a joke and thought it was funny.
- For Doom the Bell Tolls: Charles Rust is stabbed several times with a long kitchen knife from behind while sitting at his desk, and has an apple put in his mouth. Then has his blackboard cleaned and on it written "AWARDS DAY" and the bell from his house rang to draw attention.
- Gold Digger: Even at high school, Cully's friend Lynn said she wanted to marry someone rich. Now, ten years later, she is married to Matthew Spearman; a wealthy businessman much older than she is.
- Grievous Bottley Harm: During the climax, Lynn pulls out the knife and tries to stab Cully. Rachel comes up from behind and clobbers her in the head with a wine bottle, knocking her out.
- Joggers Find Death: Mary Pearce is walking her dog, Monty, through Chaney's Field. Eventually she looks down and sees a shoe; unknown to her, it is Fiona's. This then leads to the discovery of Fiona's body.
- Schoolyard Bully All Grown Up: Cully asks Joyce if she remembers any of her old "friends" from school - Cassie Woods and her brother Noel, Lynn Spearman, and Rachel Rose. She does not remember any of them except Lynn - "didn't she used to bully you?" Cully shrugs it off, saying she was just "oversensitive." Cully is organizing a reunion with all of her old "friends" as they had made a promise to meet up in 10 years and celebrate. At the endof the spisode, Lynn is revealed as the killer and it is shown that she hasn't really changed at all:Remember when I used to hurt you when we were small? It was because you used to tell on me. And nobody does that, not to me. So now...I'm going to hurt you again.
- Skewed Priorities: After Fiona Thompson's murder, Charles Rust wants to push through and continue planning Garden Day. Mary then asks Charles if he still wants it to happen as normal because he wants to win the top award for the third year in a row.
- Stigmatic Pregnancy Euphemism: Noel and Lynn are Lily's biological parents. They fooled around while Matthew was away about three years ago, and she became pregnant. Cassie and the group decided "to close ranks; act out a lie." Lynn disappeared from the village to "visit her mother in New Zealand"; at the same time, Rachel "went to London to give birth to her baby," so that they could cover up the pregnancy and birth. Rachel keeps Lily secluded at her house so no one sees that they don't look anything alike.
- You Can't Go Home Again: Cully Barnaby organizes a get-together with some old school friends, one of whom is the dead woman's neighbour. She finds that her friends have changed and that they now have little in common.
