As a literature nerd, my heart always skips a beat when one of my favourite tv shows ‘does’ Shakespeare; I will happily spend hours chasing down the references, going from one rabbit hole to the next. But don’t worry if the works of The Bard are not as you like it: writer Maureen Jennings has also filled this episode to the brim with assorted Murdochian delights. Like Shakespeare’s beard, this episode possesses magical powers that will transport you to a different world of words, storytelling, and performance.

Jennings leaves an early calling card with Detective Murdoch (Yannick Bisson) and Chief Constable Brackenreid (Thomas Craig) attending Selections from Shakespeare by Tooley’s Troubadours, a somewhat floundering theatre troupe. Brackenreid explains that they are getting the best bits from Shakespeare, and that is exactly what we get: a potpourri of quotes, themes, and storylines from various plays and poems. Well, that’s what the Murdoch Mysteries audience gets, anyway; the Tooley’s audience’s enjoyment is quickly ruined when one of the actors dies on stage.

MURDOCH’S HAT
(aside)
*I can think of at least 10 episodes where somebody died when a member of Station House 4 attended the theatre, so no surprise there.*

Hamlet Squared

Donald Tooley (Ralph Small) dies while playing a scene from Hamlet, or to be precise, from The Mousetrap, the famous play within the play where the murder is meant to mirror the real-life murder of King Hamlet by Claudius, as Hamlet is trying to confirm whether Claudius is guilty of the crime. In the scene, Lucianus pours poison into Gonzago’s ear, causing his death, just as Hamlet believes Claudius did to his father. In the Murdoch universe, Lucianus is played by Tooley’s stepson Allen Courtland (Andrew Chown), who, thinking it’s water, pours henbane in his stepfather’s ear. If this play within the play within the play is giving you a headache, you probably won’t want to hear that it’s even more complicated: this is Hamlet squared, moving from Murdoch Mysteries to Selections from Shakespeare to The Mousetrap to Hamlet.

One could argue that Hamlet is a murder mystery avant la lettre. The play revolves around the mysterious circumstances surrounding King Hamlet’s death; the play-within-a-play serves as an investigative tool; the multi-dimensional characters each have their own motives and secrets; and it explores themes of betrayal and psychological complexity. No wonder, then, that Shakespeare’s Beard opens with the most famous of Shakespeare’s works.

Theatrical Magic

Thematically, however, The Tempest is more important to this episode. It is a play about storytelling itself. Prospero, the central figure, is both a magician and a dramatist, and magic is a metaphor for theatre itself, where what seems real is only temporary and where mere words can shape reality and influence perception. In a rare occurrence, Murdoch Mysteries adopts some of the blurring of magic and reality that is central to The Tempest. Putting on the beard from The Chamberlain’s Men property box—it is said it confers magical powers when used by an actor—really does instill a sense of theatrical magic in people and transforms even the bumbling and stumbling Henry Higgins (Lachlan Murdoch) into an eloquent thespian.

Like William Murdoch says, albeit in a different context, Thank the Lord for small mercies. Without the beard, Higgins gets to butcher Sonnet 18: Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day, The Tempest, and Romeo and Juliet. His acting efforts are hilarious, if soul-crushingly cringeworthy, made even funnier by both Constable Roberts (Kataem O’Connor), who, unlike Higgins, has no problem using his facial expressions to convey to the audience what he is thinking, and by Detective Watts (Daniel Maslany), who, as it turns out, is an excellent Juliet—almost-burps notwithstanding.

MURDOCH’S HAT
(aside)
* It’s not easy to act as if you can’t act when you’re actually a good actor.*

In addition, Murdoch Mysteries of course has its own Shakespeare expert in Brackenreid. Like Allen Courtland, he spends most of this episode either quoting The Bard directly or speaking in theatrical sentences that sound Shakespearean. The Chief Constable is useful in pointing out and explaining some of the references to the audience. His return to active investigative duty—which makes no sense character-arc-wise—is aptly explained through the clever use of language: Sound the trumpet, Murdoch! The old war horse is back in business. ‘Warhorse’ has a double meaning: it can refer to an old and experienced person, but it is also a term for a piece of work that has often been performed and is very famous, like Hamlet or Henry VI (whence Sound the trumpet).

Murdochian Delights

Now, I realize not everyone shares my and Brackenreid’s love for The Bard. Fortunately, Shakespeare’s Beard can be enjoyed on multiple levels. While I think it’s more fun if you get the references, there’s also the classic murder mystery and a lot of Murdochian delights. The plot is intriguing and entertaining in its own right, with Murdoch following the trail of clues from one suspect to the next. Composer Robert Carli delivers some very Shakespearean music, with lute-like guitar parts and Renaissance-style flourishes. The guest actors are suitably theatrical (apparently not tending much more toward naturalism). And while I’m sure the simple sets and, shall we say, low-key special effects are mainly due to budgetary constraints, director Gary Harvey also makes a creative choice that fits with the theme of the magic of the theatre, where words and actors can conjure an entire world out of thin air.

And even if you’re just here for the Easter eggs and nods, you’re sure to have a wonderful time. From Murdoch and Brackenreid’s banter—We’re off duty, Murdoch. No need to be smart—to finding Watts’s hat in yet another odd location; from Higgins wanting to become an actor because only he gets to do the intimate things with his wife, to showrunner Peter Mitchell and director Gary Harvey apparently being involved in Ruth Newsome’s new project (which promptly gets killed by the studio because no one will want to watch the adventures of a married couple); and from everybody bumping into Brackenreid to poking some fun at the fans—Reminds me of why I got rid of the old ginger growler, magic powers or not, and What have you, Roberts?—there’s a lot of great comedy to go around.

A Complete Transformation

Then, in the last scene of all, which ends this strange, eventful story—to quote from As You Like It—we get an ending that elevates a good episode to excellence. As William Murdoch puts on the false beard, the Station House is transformed into a theatre, and he becomes an actor, delivering these lines from The Tempest:

Our revels now are ended.
These our actors,
As I foretold you, were all spirits and
Are melted into air, into thin air…

It’s a complete transformation; everything about Murdoch changes: his voice, his stance, the way he walks, his hair. This is Yannick Bisson looking as unlike Murdoch as we have ever seen him, wearing an earring, leather pants, several rings on his fingers, an open blouse, and a long necklace.

MURDOCH’S HAT
(aside)
* 😍 🤩 *

It’s an electrifying performance, and my only complaint is that it could have been longer. Even if you don’t care about Shakespeare or the mystery, even if you’re only here for the leather pants, this ending is wonderful. Brackenreid may say, Oi! Enough of the bad Shakespeare. Knock it off, but I think this episode will be enjoyed tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow.