Envisioning how the storyline for this episode came together, the pitch to the writer’s room must have gone something like this: ‘It’s The Pink Panther meets Night at the Museum, and let’s throw in some Murdoch Mysteries – The Curse of the Lost Pharaohs as well.’ However it came about, The Star of Mandalay is a delightful, lighthearted, comic book-style romp.

As soon as I saw Simon McNabb’s name in the writer credits (along with newcomer Nick West), I knew we were in for a zany comedy adventure. As the writer of (among many other episodes) Murdoch and the Tramp, The Spy Who Loved Murdoch, My Big Fat Mimico Wedding, and Journey to the Centre of Toronto, he’s an old hand at mixing the suave with the bumbling, the mystery with the history, and the slapstick with the whimsical.

To Catch A Thief

Set at the University of Toronto during the announcement of the future Royal Ontario Museum, master thief ‘The Panther’ is planning the theft of the largest ruby in the world, ‘The Star of Mandalay.’ For once, no one dies; instead, Station House 4 gets to play an engaging cat-and-mouse game with the thief in a classic clash of wits. Well, I say ‘wits,’ but much like in The Pink Panther, we have a bumbling policeman on the case. Not Detective Murdoch (Yannick Bisson), of course; he is busy guarding the ruby, using his latest invention, the ‘burglar annunciator,’ a state-of-the-art silent alarm system. No, when the script calls for a bumbling investigator, who better than Henry Higgins (Lachlan Murdoch)?

In an episode filled to the brim with funny moments and funny people, Higgins stands out as he is told not to touch anything and immediately proceeds to dance with a bear wearing a constable’s hat, ride on a priceless wooden horse, play with a couple of armored suits, and open a sarcophagus, from which a mummy, arms outstretched, attacks him. Still, by doing so—and with a lot of help—he ultimately catches the thief; he was also right all along when he said, Just can’t shake the feeling that we’re being watched by someone. This is excellent writing, amplified by director Laurie Lynd’s many visual treats.

Character Comedy

In most other episodes, Higgins being a big kid in a totally over-the-top scene would be comic relief enough. This time, though, all the recurring cast get to play it for laughs. I especially enjoyed Margaret Brackenreid (Arwen Humphreys), as she continues to enjoy the perks of her husband climbing the social ladder. That must have been the most awkward curtsy of all time! Also hilarious is Effie Crabtree (Clare McConnell) going undercover as a femme fatale—by the way, who knew Murdoch could be so slick?—and only pulling that off because of the hapless man at the other end of her seductive banter. Clare McConnell is absolutely fearless; she’s not afraid to make a fool of herself and is always willing to ham it up for comic effect. I loved how she seemed stuck on the idea of a Scandinavian buffet.

To me, the funniest scenes are those that are deeply rooted in the characters as we know them. Consider this perfect bit of dialogue:

Watts: The British separated this jewel from its country of origin, and now they house it in a vault to prevent others from separating it from them. Isn’t it ironic? Don’t you think?
Murdoch: I really don’t think that it’s irony.
Higgins: Sir, if it were to be stolen, exactly how much would a ruby like this be worth?
Murdoch: Oh, the Star of Mandalay, a one-of-a-kind gem on loan from the British Crown. Priceless.
Higgins: Explains why we’re getting overtime.
Watts: I don’t believe overtime pay is involved.
Murdoch: You see, now, that might be irony.

This is exactly what these characters would say, while also finally providing the answer to Alanis Morissette’s question—and vindicating everyone (ahem, me) who has always said, “No, it’s not,” whenever they heard her song…

Amazing Alliterations

While Yannick Bisson mostly gets to play the straight man to the other characters, perhaps the most in-character funny of them all is Detective Watts (Daniel Maslany). It makes total sense that he should give his friends and colleagues a migraine headache as he drones on about Marxism, the replacement of workers with machines, Thoreau’s warning of enterprises that require a change of clothing, and how conformity crushes the individual. As Margaret says, What are you on about? Daniel Maslany skillfully pairs his usual physical comedy (dropping loose notes, taking off and putting back on his shoes, wheeling back when Henry’s contact dermatitis might be contagious, and backing away from an explosive in total sync with Higgins) with some wonderful alliterations like That comely coquette, Cleopatra and A curious conundrum. Watts is nothing if not a quick thinker, successfully distracting people whenever needed. Well, most of the time anyway: Uh, police. Crime scene. Uh, evidence.

The Star of Mandalay is so chockful of funny lines and situations that a reviewer might be tempted to quote it endlessly. However, I’ll resist that temptation and simply urge you to watch this episode if you haven’t already. I don’t use a rating system, but if I did, I would give this episode 4.5 Mandalay stars out of 5. The half star is for poor George Crabtree, who missed out on all of the mummy-related hilarity.