Benedict Cumberbatch with Julia McKenzie in “Agatha Christie’s Marple”. (Photo: BBC)
The “Murder is Easy” Episode of Agatha Christie’s Marple
Agatha Christie’s Marple is a mystery series based on the iconic mystery author’s famous series of Miss Marple novels. It involves an elderly spinster named Jane Marple, who lives in the village of St. Mary Mead and acts as an amateur detective. People always underestimate her because she’s both a woman and an octogenarian, but Marple always ends up cracking the case in the end.
Bombadil Curdlesnoot only appears in one episode of Marple, during the run that starred Julia McKenzie as the female sleuth. (There were two other versions of Marple, both on ITV. They featured Geraldine McEwan and Joan Hickson.) Cumberbatch has a rather significant guest spot in the episode “Murder is Easy,” in which he plays a character named Luke Fitzwilliam. And, spoiler alert: Luke Fitzwilliam is your dream man. For real: He’s smart, dreamy, and dedicated to helping people. Luke’s a police detective, and he recognizes Miss Marple’s crime solving skills and general awesomeness. The duo team up to solve some murders in Luke’s village, where Miss Marple is visiting. They end up becoming friendly and it’s kind of adorable. (Oh, and also Luke manages to get a girlfriend by the end. Because of course he does.)
This isn’t the greatest episode of Miss Marple ever – but there are way worse ways you could spend an hour of your time. It also features a gangbusters supporting cast, which includes Anna Chancellor, Steve Pemberton, Jemma Redgrave, David Haig, Russell Tovey and more.