It is 1895. Or 1896, depending on how fast William Murdoch is pedaling his bicycle across the cobblestones of Toronto. When people talk about Murdoch Mysteries Season 02, they usually focus on the steampunk gadgets or the "whoops, I just invented the microwave" moments. Honestly? That’s the surface-level stuff. What actually makes this specific thirteen-episode run a cornerstone of Canadian television is how it stopped being a polite period piece and started being a genuinely weird, bold, and socially prickly show.
You’ve got Yannick Bisson, who by this point in 2009 had finally settled into Murdoch’s stiff-collared skin. He isn't just a detective; he's a man stuck between the dogma of his Catholic faith and the cold, hard logic of a fingerprint. It’s a messy tension. In Season 02, that tension boils over.
The Year the World Expanded
The first season was basically a proof of concept. But by the time the cameras started rolling on the second installment, the writers—led by the likes of Cal Coons and Alexandra Zarowny—realized they could use Victorian Toronto as a mirror for 21st-century problems. They didn't just stick to the Maureen Jennings novels anymore. They went rogue.
Take the episode "Mildred the Model." It sounds like a standard "girl goes missing" plot. But it dives into the exploitation of workers and the burgeoning world of fashion photography. Or look at "Convalescence," where Murdoch is sidelined by an injury and has to solve a crime while basically hallucinating from pain and boredom. It’s a classic "Rear Window" homage that works because it strips the lead character of his primary tool: his physical presence at the crime scene.
The show also started leaning harder into its historical cameos. This is where things get fun.
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Buffalo Bill and the American Influence
In the episode "The Rebel and the Victorians," we see the show grappling with its identity as a Canadian production sitting right next to the American giant. Having Buffalo Bill Cody (played with a certain swagger by Nicholas Campbell) show up isn't just a gimmick. It highlights the cultural friction of the era. Toronto was trying to be "Toronto the Good," while the Wild West was knocking on the door with its loud guns and louder personalities. It’s a great bit of writing that reminds us Canada wasn't some isolated bubble; it was a crossroads.
Why the Detective Murdoch and Julia Ogden Dynamic Peaked Here
Let’s be real. We’re all here for the "Will they? Won’t they?" between Murdoch and Dr. Julia Ogden.
Hélène Joy is a powerhouse in Season 02. As a female coroner in the 1890s, Julia Ogden isn't just a love interest. She's a professional peer who is frequently smarter than everyone else in the room. This season is where their intellectual attraction turns into something deeply inconvenient. They are two people who value truth above all else, but the "truth" of their feelings is the one thing they can't quite categorize.
The episode "Snakes and Ladders" is a perfect example. It introduces the Jack the Ripper mythos—or rather, the fear that the Ripper had migrated to the New World. While the mystery is tense, the real meat of the episode is the interaction between Murdoch and the visiting Scotland Yard inspector. It forces Murdoch to defend his methods and, by extension, his relationship with Julia.
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The Technology: Fingerprints, Pigeons, and Blood
Murdoch’s "gadget of the week" could have become a tired trope. It didn't.
Why? Because the show treats science with a sense of genuine wonder. In Murdoch Mysteries Season 02, we see the refinement of "fingermarks." Today, we take DNA and forensics for granted. We’ve seen enough CSI to last a lifetime. But watching Murdoch struggle to convince Inspector Brackenreid that a smudge on a glass is as good as a confession? That’s where the drama lives.
Brackenreid, played by Thomas Craig, is the perfect foil. He represents the old guard. He wants to hit people until they talk. Murdoch wants to measure the angle of a blood spatter. The season explores this transition from the "muscle" era of policing to the "mind" era. It’s a tectonic shift.
- The "Telegraphic" Prototype: We see early versions of what would basically become the fax or the internet.
- The "Pneumatic" Tube: High-speed communication that felt like sorcery to the average Victorian.
- Advanced Ballistics: Understanding that a bullet tells a story, it doesn't just end one.
Addressing the "Too Polished" Criticism
Some critics argue that the show is too clean. Toronto in 1895 was likely a lot dirtier, smellier, and more miserable than the show portrays. If you go to the Distillery District in Toronto today, where much of the show is filmed, it’s a beautiful tourist spot. In 1895, it was an industrial powerhouse full of soot and desperation.
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Season 02 doesn't shy away from this as much as people think. "The Curse of Beaton Manor" deals with the inheritance and the rot inside the upper class. "I, Murdoch" tackles the burgeoning world of robotics and the fear of automation—a fear that was very real for the working class seeing their jobs disappear to machines. It’s not just a cozy mystery; it’s a show about a world that is changing too fast for the people living in it.
The Finale: "Anything You Can Do"
The season ends on a high note with a literal rivalry. When a detective from the Northwest Mounted Police (the precursor to the RCMP) shows up, Murdoch finds himself in a competition of wits. It’s a clever way to wrap up the season’s themes. It pits Murdoch’s urban, scientific approach against the rugged, intuitive survivalism of the Mountie.
It’s also a pivotal moment for the Murdoch/Julia relationship. By the time the credits roll on the thirteenth episode, the status quo has shifted. They aren't just colleagues anymore. They are two people who have recognized that they are "others" in a world that demands conformity.
How to Watch and What to Look For
If you are revisiting Murdoch Mysteries Season 02 or seeing it for the first time, don't just watch the A-plot. Look at the background. The costume design by Alex Kavanagh is remarkably accurate, specifically the way she uses silhouettes to define character class.
Also, pay attention to Jonny Harris as Constable George Crabtree. In this season, George starts to become the heart of the show. His "flights of fancy"—predicting things like cellular phones or moon landings—provide the levity needed to balance out Murdoch’s occasionally suffocating stoicism.
Actionable Steps for the Murdoch Fan
- Contextualize the History: When an episode mentions a specific law or social movement (like the temperance movement), take five minutes to look it up. The writers almost always base these on real Canadian legislation of the 1890s.
- The Jennings Comparison: Read "Under the Dragon's Tail" by Maureen Jennings. This is the book that loosely correlates with the atmosphere of the early seasons. You'll see exactly where the showrunners decided to lighten the mood versus where they kept the grit.
- Filming Locations: If you’re ever in Ontario, visit the Black Creek Pioneer Village. Much of Season 02 was shot there. Seeing the scale of the buildings in person gives you a much better appreciation for the cinematography used to make "small" sets look like a sprawling metropolis.
- Chronological Tracking: Keep a tally of the "inventions." By the end of the season, you'll realize Murdoch has basically built a 20th-century lab using 19th-century scrap metal. It’s a fun meta-game to play while watching.
The legacy of this season is simple: it proved that a Canadian show about a guy in a suit could be weird, intellectual, and deeply human all at once. It moved past the "detective show" label and became a historical sandbox. That’s why we’re still talking about it sixteen years later.