Destroying Angel is the second episode of the fourth series of Midsomer Murders and first aired 26th August 2001.
DCI Barnaby and DS Troy investigate the murder of Gregory Chambers who was killed when out in the woods mushrooming. He was one of four people who had recently inherited a portion of his employer's estate, principally a local hotel. With his death, his one-quarter share now passes to his wife, Suzanna, who has been having an affair with Tristan Goodfellow. It would also appear that Gregory was having an affair with Annie Tyson, who is four months pregnant. When Tristan is poisoned with a type of mushroom known as Destroying Angel and the other inheritors of the estate are put at risk, Barnaby looks to find a common connection.
Tropes:
- Affably Evil: Evelyn Pope is genuinely sweet and pleasant....and also engineers the death of three criminals and the mental breaking of a fourth.
- Amateur Sleuth: Evelyn Pope, to Great Detective levels. Not only does she orchestrate the deaths and exposure of Gregory Chambers and Karl Wainwright's murderers, but this comes after she meticulously deduces the truth of the crime by investigating what seem to be vague clues and minor inconsistencies in the murderers' behavior. Her investigation even happens during the plot: her confession at the end of the episode doubles as The Summation, as she explains all the moments through which she uncovered the murder plot within scenes from the beginning of the episode before Barnaby hit the scene, explaining her conclusions step by step.
- Asshole Victim: The members of the conspiracy murdered an elderly man, murdered the only servant who wasn't in on the scheme, and then planned to frame a pregnant woman to cover their own rears. Frankly, you're rooting for Evelyn to kill them all.
- Deer in the Headlights: Kenneth Gooders sees his drink cabinet wobbling but instead of moving he is completely frozen and thus get crushed as a result.
- Guilt-Ridden Accomplice: Julia Gooders, who confesses to everything after all the other conspirators are dead.
- Let's You and Him Fight: Evelyn manipulates Julia Gooders to kill Suzanna Chambers by calling Suzanna and pretending to be Julia cracking under the pressure, thus getting Suzanna to get a knife and try killing Julia. Evelyn then called Julia and told her she's next, so Julia armed herself with a shotgun and shot Suzanna without knowing who she was.
- Mama's Baby, Papa's Maybe: In the end it's revealed that Annie Tyson's real father was Karl Wainwright.
- Naked Apron: Barnaby arrives to question Colin Salter, a middle-aged, male suspect, only to find him doing a spot of baking wearing nothing but an apron.
- Proper Lady: Evelyn Pope.
- Vigilante Man: Evelyn organized the murders to avenge the death of the hotel's previous owner.
- Voice Changeling: Evelyn.
- Vorpal Pillow: Karl Wainwright gets suffocated by a pillow.
