[Spoiler alert! Do not continue reading until you have watched “Code M for Murdoch”]
It’s simply not a season of Murdoch Mysteries until Terrence Meyers appears in at least one episode. Following his debut way back in Season 1, a visit from Meyers (played by Peter Keleghan) means a storyline jam-packed with intrigue and backstabbing (both literal and figurative).
Monday’s latest instalment also featured fan favourite James Pendrick (Peter Stebbings) and that dastardly Allen Clegg (Matthew Bennett). We spoke, via email, to Paul Aitken, the episode’s writer.
Congratulations on Season 14. Can you believe Murdoch Mysteries has gone on this long?
Paul Aitken: When we were starting Season 2, we had a phone conversation with the network (Citytv at that time). They told us they loved the show and joked that they wanted it on for 15 seasons. We laughed. They laughed. And here we are.
Is it a Murdoch Mysteries rule that there be one Terrence Meyers episode per season?
PA: I don’t know if it’s a hard and fast rule but it’s become a very ingrained habit. It’s like every Beatle album had a Ringo song.
How did the main spy-themed storyline come about? Is it inspired by any particular part of history or film?
PA: It all started with a dream I had about Murdoch getting a message saying “Murdoch Find JP.†We then combined that with a Terrence Meyers plague story we had knocking around for a few years.
Was the rabies sub-plot inspired by the current pandemic?
PA: No. We had this cooking for a few years in various forms.
I always love it when Peter Stebbings has time to reprise his role as James Pendrick. I’m surprised you were able to schedule him around his directing duties.
PA: It took a couple of years. I guess we can thank COVID for his availability.
The fans love James Pendrick. Did you have any idea, at the time he was first introduced, that he would be a hit?
PA: No. He was introduced in Season 3 as part of a season long storyline that was ultimately resolved. We brought him back in Season 5 as the inventor of an electric car that ended up being crushed by big oil. It was then that we realized the potential for the character.
Do you have a favourite recurring guest character to write for or is that an unfair question?
PA: It’s like asking a parent who their favourite child is. There are many I love of course. Terrence Meyers, Ralph Fellows, James Gillies, Roger/Rupert Newsome, etc. If I have to choose I’ll go with Pendrick. He’s such a ridiculously magnificent man. A saner, nobler Elon Musk. He gets his dreams crushed in every episode, yet rises again with an even BIGGER plan. I wish I was James Pendrick.
The first three episodes in Season 14 have featured many funny or lighthearted moments. Is that a theme this year or will things get darker as we move on?
PA: I think we’ve always had a mix, both between episodes and within episodes. I don’t think this season is any different. It’s a grab bag. You never know what you’re going to get.
Murdoch Mysteries airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on CBC.
Image courtesy of Shaftesbury.
short and to the point. if only he was that way in the writing room.
Mr, Aitken is my favourite writer on Murdoch. His episodes are what I love best about the show – and always a good mystery! Unfortunately I’m usually disappointed by most of the other writers from the more recent seasons, they always go too soapy or try to be too dark and gritty, but I keep watching knowing Mr. Aiken will write another one.
LOVE the episodes about Canadian Secret Agent Meyers and that dastardly American Allen Clegg being foiled yet again, the inscrutable James Pendrick , and Murdoch’s inventions saving the Nation, those episodes are my favourites.
Wish I didn’t have to be negative, but the latest Agent Myers / Allen Clegg episode, is jump the shark foolish & disappointing , compared to the usual, Murdoch Mysteries quality. Will make sure to avoid this episode in reruns or online. Waiting for Freddie Pink to return again, someday soon. The Gem CBC website, is a superior feature, to watch all the episodes of Murdoch Mysteries.