Customer Reviews

No Remorse!
I am so happy that the "Inspector Lewis" mysteries have been continued after the pilot. The mysteries represent a happy complement to the original series. Kevin Whately as Lewis may be older but he is also wiser, and, because of the untimely death of his wife, sadder. Nevertheless, he has stepped gamely into the role of his old mentor Inspector Morse, and he is ably assisted by Sergeant Hathaway (Laurence Fox), a Cambridge-educated student of theology. Thus the tables have been turned from the Morse mysteries. Lewis is now the curmudgeon with a pint of beer and Hathaway, the voice of reason.

The Thames Valley police force is a very different institution than it was in Morse's day. A woman is now Chief Inspector, and she is no pushover. The mysteries, nevertheless, remain intriguing and are laced with elegance, intelligence, and wit. And, there is always a reminder of our old friend Morse lurking somewhere in the background.

Lewis
The duo Lewis & Hathaway is brilliant. So pleased that they are heading for further series. Script/plot great and Oxford backdrop is terrific, Don't know how many times I've watched "Life born of Fire" but I never tire of the whole thing. Kevin Whately and Laurence Fox bounce off each other really, really well...more, more please.

"...I Knew Him Well!"
This is Hamlet without the Prince of Denmark. Here we have Lewis, promoted to Inspector and fresh (if such be the bon mot) from a few years on secondment to the British Virgin Islands. His wife has been killed in a car smash some years ago and his face looks well and truly lived in! He has lost most if not all of his former charm as Sergeant Lewis, but of course I believe that's called Character Development (or increasing age lol!) and is true to the ongoing story, which started, in effect, with the incomparable Inspector Morse. Lewis is notably short-tempered here. And Lewis now takes on some of the characteristics of the deceased Morse: drinking real ale, knowing about poetry and history and even listening on occasion to Wagner!

Oxford is Oxford and (with much of the modern city's commercialized mess excluded) is beautiful. The fact that the most of the same people created this as were responsible for Morse, makes "Lewis" superbly located and filmed, with title music by Barrington Pheloung (as also in "Morse").

Lewis (the series) is a lot more politically correct than Inspector Morse (the series), but that, again, mirrors the continuing development (decay?) of society in the UK, perhaps. The police headquarters is all energy-saving dull strip lights, horrible blue decor and (probably poorly functioning) air-conditioning; the boss is a woman (who interferes far more than did the old Det. Chief Superintendent Strange in "Morse"); there are endless computer terminals about and a lack of fresh air, seemingly. Lewis has a sergeant assistant of his own, now, one Hathaway, a former theological student and trainee C of E cleric. Hathaway is very much the metrosexual cold fish who is probably terminally "pc" in more ways than one, but, again, that may be true to life as it is now...

For me, nothing can equal Morse, but this is a good, even very good, attempt to keep the ball rolling. I especially loved the end scene with the Rottweillers!