Dance with the Dead is the first episode of the tenth series of Midsomer Murders and was originally aired on 12th November 2006.
DCI Tom Barnaby and DS Ben Jones investigate the death of Simon Bright who is found dead inside an old World War II vintage Humber car parked at an abandoned airfield. From all appearances, the death appears to be a suicide, but the pathologist determines that the man suffered a severe blow to the head and may in fact have been unconscious when he died of carbon monoxide poisoning. Simon Bright's girlfriend, Laura Sharp, is nowhere to be found, but the death of the ageing village Lothario and the attempted murder of another of her friends narrows the list of possible murderers somewhat. Barnaby is convinced that one of Laura's ex-lovers is responsible but, given her rather active life, the question becomes which one?
Tropes:
- Artistic License – History: They have the incorrect version of the Canadian Flag in the 40s dance sequence. During the war, it was mostly red, with the Union Jack in the corner.
- Decade-Themed Party: The village of Morton Fendle is obsessed with the now disused WWII airfield based there. They hold a 1940s-themed dance that the Barnabys and Jones attend.
- Depraved Bisexual: Laura Sharp had half the village wrapped around her little finger, charming people of both sexes in order to ensure that she could maintain her comfortable, "free spirited" lifestyle without having to deal with unpleasant things like morals or responsibility. While Barnaby supposes that she used sexual favours to get her own way, most of her targets seemed to be genuinely smitten and protective of her, rather than lusting after her.
- Incompatible Orientation: Marissa was in love with Laura. The murderer couldn’t stand the sight of the murder victim being someone else, especially someone of the opposite sex. Unable to handle the heartbreak, the murderer attempted to carry out the opening murder by knocking the couple out, placing them in the car, and suffocate them with toxic fumes. She reveals as Tom is interrogating her that she brought Laura’s body back to her house and buried it so that they were still together.
- Never Suicide: The episode begins with what appears to be a Suicide Pact gone wrong. Of course, being Midsomer, it is never suicide.
