Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries: episode guide

Series 1 | Series 2 | Series 3

Cocaine Blues

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Episode 1.01
Fri, Feb 24, 2012 (8:30)
992,000 viewers (4th)
Screenplay by Deb Cox
Directed by Tony Tilse

The Honourable Miss Phryne Fisher disembarks the Orient at Victoria Dock, returning to Melbourne after years abroad. Almost as soon as she checks into the Windsor Hotel, Phryne is embroiled in mystery: poisoned husbands, cocaine smuggling rings and illegal abortionists — not to mention erotic encounters with a handsome Russian dancer. Her adventure reaches its steamy end in the Turkish Bath Palace off Little Lonsdale Street.

Starring: Essie Davis as Phryne Fisher, Nathan Page as Detective Inspector Jack Robinson, Hugo Johnstone-Burt as Constable Hugh Collins, Ashleigh Cummings as Dot Williams

With: Miriam Margoyles as Aunt Prudence, Miranda Otto as Lydia Andrews, Tammy Macintosh as Dr Mac, Nicholas Bell as Murdoch Foyle, Travis McMahon as Bert, Anthony Sharpe as Cec

Guest Cast: Laura Wheelwright as Alice, Kristof Piechocki as Sasha, Maria Mercedes as Madame Breda, Marc Lawrence as Cokey Billings, Nathaniel Kelly as The Bull, Matthew Crosby as Butcher George, Lucia Emmerichs as Young Phryne, Zoe Gousmett as Young Janey, Kier Saltmarsh as Nuggety Man, Peter Taranto as Warden, Brendan Parry Kaufmann as John Andrews, Fleur Dean as Nursing Sister, Arch Galloway as Chemist

Murder On The Ballarat Train

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Episode 1.02
Fri, March 02, 2012
868,000 viewers (7th)
Screenplay by Elizabeth Coleman & Deb Cox
Directed by Kate Dennis

The glamorous Phryne Fisher, accompanied by her maid Dot, decides to travel to the country by train to collect her new Hispano-Suiza motor car.

The charm of rail travel soon evaporates though, when Phryne unexpectedly has to use her trusty pearl-handled pistol to save a young woman's life and solve the disappearance of her fellow passenger's mother.

When her train trip is derailed by a gruesome murder, Phryne speeds home in her Hispano-Suiza to her new abode in St Kilda where she works through the clues until she discovers her unassuming murderer.

With: Maeve Dermody as Eunice Henderson, Travis McMahon as Bert, Anthony Sharpe as Cec, Richard Bligh as Mr Butler, Ruby Rees-Wemyss as Jane

Guest Cast: Jacek Koman as Mr Menton, Abbe Holmes as Mrs Henderson, Victoria Eagger as Miss Gay, Dale March as Lindsay, David Barry as Alastair, Mike McLeish as Alexander Cotton, Brett Cousins as Police Sergeant Brent, Lucia Emmerichs as Young Phyrne, Zoe Gousmett as Young Janey, Lara Robinson as Ruth, Julian Mineo as Eddy Cotton, Graham Murray as Train Guard

The Green Mill Murderer

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Episode 1.03
Fri, March 09, 2012
934,000 viewers (4th)
Screenplay by Michael Miller
Directed by Kate Dennis

Phryne, gorgeous in her sparkling evening gown, had thought she would dance the night away at the hottest dancehall in town, the Green Mill. That was before death spoiled the evening.

In jazz-mad 1920s Melbourne, Phryne finds there are hidden perils lurking in the smoky shadows — like a mystery man from her past — and it takes all her ingenuity, and her rusty flying skills, to unravel the trail of blackmail and murder.

With: Wendy Hughes as Adele Freeman, Rohan Nichol as Vic Freeman, Toby Schmitz as Charles Freeman, Deni Hines as Noreen Rodgers, Arthur Angel as Ben Rodgers, Travis McMahon as Bert, Anthony Sharpe as Cec, Richard Bligh as Mr Butler

Guest Cast: Simon Lyndon as Tintagel Stone, Adrian Auld as Bobby Sullivan, Lauren Clair as Pansy Shore, Stephen Whittaker as Leonard Stevens, John Arnold as Dr Johnson, Jules Pascoe as Band Member — Pieface, Rory MacDougall as Band Member — Jem, Darcy McNulty as Band Member — Clarence

Death at Victoria Dock

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Episode 1.04
Fri, March 16, 2012
951,000 viewers (4th)
Screenplay by Shelley Birse
Directed by Tony Tilse

A young man with a blue tattoo lies cradled in Phryne's arms. Sadly, it's not another scene of glorious seduction. This time it's murder.

Outraged by this brutal slaughter, Phryne promises to find out who is responsible. But Phryne doesn't yet know how deeply into the mire she'll have to go — bank robbery, anarchists, and the kidnap of her beloved maid Dot. Her investigations lead her into the arms of the delicious yet dangerous anarchist, Peter the Painter.

With: Miriam Margoyles as Aunt Prudence, Travis McMahon as Bert, Anthony Sharpe as Cec, Richard Bligh as Mr Butler, Ruby Rees-Wemyss as Jane, Robert Grubb as Gerald Waddington, Jack Finsterer as Peter the Painter, Penne Hackforth-Jones as Reverend Mother

Guest Cast: Renai Caruso as Mrs Waddington, Sam Clark as Paul Waddington, Isabella Clark as Lila Waddington, Karlis Zaid as Cassimir, Vlady T as Yourka, Clayton Bitaks as Max, Talia Zucker as Nina, Dean Cunningham as Dr. Honeycombe, Tim Clarke as Morgue Attendant, David Smith as Security Guard, Ilya Kerig as Wounded Soldier, Jeff Nikitin as Balalaika Player

Raisins and Almonds

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Episode 1.05
Fri, March 23, 2012
905,000 viewers (7th)
Screenplay by Michael Miller
Directed by David Caesar

When a young man is found dead in a bookshop at the Eastern Market, Phryne Fisher is plunged into the diverse worlds of Jewish politics, alchemy and poison.

She works her way through the mystery with help from the old faithfuls — Bert, Cec, Dot, Dr Mac and Detective Inspector Jack Robinson. Ultimately, though, it's her stealth and wit that solve the crime — and all for the price of a song...

With: Kat Stewart as Miss Lee, Travis McMahon as Bert, Anthony Sharpe as Cec, Richard Bligh as Mr Butler, Tim Draxl as Simon Abrahams, Tammy Macintosh as Dr Mac

Guest Cast: Brian Lipson as Ben Abrahams, Adrian Mulraney as Chaim Abrahams, Adam Schmirl as Yossi Stein, Don Bridges as Archie Davies, Laura Wheelwright as Alice, Ben Davidson as Saul Michaels, Atilla Kuti as Isaac Kaplan, Keith Gordon as Digger #1, Chris Palframan as Nasty Digger

Ruddy Gore

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Episode 1.06
Fri, March 30, 2012
803,000 viewers (5th)
Screenplay by Liz Doran
Directed by David Caesar

During a night out to see a gala performance of Gilbert and Sullivan's Ruddigore, Phryne Fisher meets the gorgeous Lin Chung who has rescued the theatre's leading man from some thugs in a dark alley in Chinatown.

The evening begins however with an unexpected and bizarre death onstage. What links can Phryne find between the Chinese community of Little Bourke St, the illicit opium trade and the actors treading the boards of His Majesty's Theatre? Phryne must solve an old murder, find a new murderer, and banish the theatre's ghost who seems likely to kill again.

With: Bille Brown as Bart Tarrant, Peter Cousens as Walter Copland, Christie Whelan as Leila Esperance, Alex Rathgeber as Gwilym Evans, Phillipe Sung as Lin Chung, Ross Thompson as Bradford, Richard Bligh as Mr Butler

Guest Cast: James Pratt as Hansen, Debra Lawrance as Mrs Mobbs, Amanda Ma as Granny Lin, Ri-Jie Kwok as Chinese Thug #1, Yasushi Asaya as Chinese Thug #2

Murder in Montparnasse

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Episode 1.07
Fri, April 06, 2012
856,000 viewers (6th)
Screenplay by Ysabelle Dean
Directed by Clayton Jacobson
Additional directing by Tony Tilse

As a young woman in Paris after the war, Phryne posed for the famous artist Pierre Sarcelle. Now, ten years later, Sarcelle's widow arrives in Melbourne asking for her late husband's paintings.

When the widow suddenly disappears, Phryne discovers the connection between Mme Sarcelle and the death of an Australian war veteran who witnessed the 'accidental' death of Sarcelle at Montparnasse train station.

As Phryne delves into this investigation, she remembers her own days in Paris and her first love. The two worlds collide as Phryne tracks down the murderer — but Jack is the man who gives her the courage to confront her past.

With: Vince Colosimo as Hector Chambers, Peter O'Brien as René Dubois, Linda Cropper as Véronique Sarcelle, Travis McMahon as Bert, Anthony Sharpe as Cec, Richard Bligh as Mr Butler

Guest Cast: Nick Carrafa as Pierre Sarcelle, Ben Prendergast as Ronnie Cliff, Renaud Jadin as Anatole, Chris Davis as Thommo Birmingham, David Rock as Alf Johnson

Away with the Fairies

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Episode 1.08
Fri, April 13, 2012
835,000 viewers (5th)
Screenplay by Kelly Lefever & Ysabelle Dean
Directed by Emma Freeman

Phryne enters the publishing world when she investigates the puzzling death of a magazine columnist and author of fairy stories. To get to the truth, she must unearth the deceptions and rampant rivalries of the magazine's thoroughly modern working women — and dig into the past of their token male employee. Meanwhile, Phryne rekindles her affair with the sensuous Lin Chung — whose arranged marriage has stalled in a mire of family politics and intrigue.

With: Deborah Kennedy as Regina Charlesworth, Anna McGahan as Miss Prout, Roz Hammond as Mrs Opie, Philippe Sung as Lin Chung, Travis McMahon as Bert, Anthony Sharpe as Cec, Richard Bligh as Mr Butler

Guest Cast: Amanda Ma as Granny Lin, Jim Russell as Mr Opie, Peter Stefanou as Mr Bell, HaiHa Le as Camellia Lu, Frank Magree as Robert Greene, Anton Berezin as Franco, Heather Bolton as Miss Lavender

Queen of the Flowers

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Episode 1.09
Fri, April 20, 2012
848,000 viewers (7th)
Screenplay by Jo Martino & Deb Cox
Directed by Clayton Jacobson
Additional Directing by Tony Tilse

The Honourable Miss Phryne Fisher has been chosen to refine a group of delinquent flower maidens for the annual flower parade. When the body of one of her charges washes up on the beach, though, she begins to question the worth of table manners and dancing lessons. In the midst of her investigation, Jane's mother unexpectedly resurfaces and Phryne has to face her fears about losing her ward.

With: Danielle Cormack as Anna Ross, Terry Norris as Franklin D. Weston, Andrew S Gilbert as Lionel Phillips, Richard Bligh as Mr Butler, Ruby Rees-Wemyss as Jane

Guest Cast: Taylor Ferguson as Rose Weston, Eva Lazzaro as Marie Wild, Zoe Wilson as Kitty Pace, Ben Schumann as Derek Phillips, Kevin Hopkins as James Murray

Death by Miss Adventure

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Episode 1.10
Fri, April 27, 2012
829,000 viewers (7th)
Screenplay by Liz Doran & Chris Corbett
Directed by Daina Reid

Phryne investigates the death of a young female worker in a factory 'accident' and soon learns that the woman's death might not be the misadventure the police think it is. Faced with a wall of secrecy and lies, Phryne sends her trusty maid, Dot, undercover into the factory to investigate. When a second suspicious death occurs, Phryne fights desperately to save one of her closest friends from the gallows.

With: Miriam Margolyes as Aunt Prudence, Tammy Macintosh as Dr Mac, Nicholas Bell as Murdoch Foyle, Alison Whyte as Joyce Gaskin, Caroline Brazier as Hetty, Travis McMahon as Bert, Anthony Sharpe as Cec, Richard Bligh as Mr Butler

Guest Cast: Andrew Blackman as Roderick Gaskin, Neil Pigot as Ted Coglan, Joanne Trentini as Lorna Fulton, Maria Coviello as Daisy Murphy, Lauren Bailey as Gladys

Blood and Circuses

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Episode 1.11
Fri, May 04, 2012
877,000 viewers (6th)
Screenplay by Shelley Birse
Directed by Emma Freeman

The circus is in town and when one of the sideshow acts is murdered, Phryne poses as a magician's assistant to investigate.

The heady atmosphere of the carnival takes Phryne on a bittersweet trip down memory lane — to the days when she and her sister, Janey, would sneak into the big top, until one night Janey disappeared.

Her pain is reignited when she discovers that Murdoch Foyle — the man accused of murdering her sister — was the mastermind behind an elaborate prison escape plan. Any chance of discovering the truth about her sister's fate is dashed though, when she learns that Foyle has died and been cremated.

With: Aaron Jeffery as Samson, John Wood as Mr Jones, Gillian Jones as Elsie, Joel Tobeck as Snr Sgt Grossmith, Nicholas Bell as Murdoch Foyle, Richard Bligh as Mr Butler, Ruby Rees-Wemyss as Jane

Guest Cast: Victoria Thaine as Miss Parkes, Maude Davey as Doreen, Greg Stone as Mr Sheridan, Moira Finucane as Miss Christopher, Brendan McCallum as Matthew, Lucia Emmerichs as Young Phyrne, Zoe Gousmett as Young Janey

Murder in the Dark

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Episode 1.12
Fri, May 11, 2012
857,000 viewers (7th)
Screenplay by Ysabelle Dean
Directed by Daina Reid

Phryne's cousins and Aunt Prudence's entire household come under suspicion when a young girl is found drowned in her aunt's fountain on the eve of a lavish fancy dress party.

Phryne and her aunt work together to investigate — until Phryne begins to doubt her own detecting skills. Was Murdoch Foyle really the man responsible for her sister's death or was it someone much closer to Phryne — someone who was also there the day Janey disappeared from the circus all those years ago.

When Foyle finally shows his hand, Phryne recovers her confidence — only to have it replaced by terror when she fears Foyle now has Jane in his sights.

With: Miriam Margolyes as Aunt Prudence, Travis McMahon as Bert, Anthony Sharpe as Cec, Richard Bligh as Mr Butler, Ruby Rees-Wemyss as Jane, Nicholas Bell as Murdoch Foyle, Felix Williamson as Guy Stanley, Kate Jenkinson as Isabella, John Lloyd Fillingham as Arthur Stanley

Guest Cast: Ken Radley as Herbert Brown, Lucia Emmerichs as Young Phyrne, Andrea Swifte as Mrs Truebody, Anthony Littlechild as Young Arthur, Philli Anderson as Marigold Brown, Jonathan Dyer as Crematorium Manager

King Memses' Curse

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Episode 1.13
Fri, May 18, 2012
903,000 viewers (6th)
Screenplay by Deb Cox & Elizabeth Coleman
Directed by Daina Reid

Murdoch Foyle is at large and has been connected with the mysterious death of Albert Monkton, antique dealer. In investigating the murder, Phryne discovers Murdoch Foyle's involvement in a bizarre reincarnation cult, inspired by Ancient Egypt.

Phryne's hunt for the madman leads her on a disturbing trail of death and despair before she realises her own significance in Foyle's grand plan. Can she overcome her nemesis and finally solve the mystery regarding the fate of her sister, Janey, or will her own death be the price she has to pay to discover the truth.

With: Miriam Margolyes as Aunt Prudence, Travis McMahon as Bert, Anthony Sharpe as Cec, Richard Bligh as Mr Butler, Ruby Rees-Wemyss as Jane, Matt Day as Henry Rhodes, Nicholas Bell as Murdoch Foyle, Tammy Macintosh as Dr Mac, Nicole Nabout as Theresa Cavalli

Guest Cast: Dennis Coard as Father O'Leary, Cassandra Magrath as Myrtle Hill, Isabella Woodlock as Young Myrtle Hill, John Arnold as Coroner (Mr Johnson), Nick Backstrom as Albert Monkton