Lewis & Hathaway are BACK!

Remember those dark days when we all thought that Inspector Lewis was ending, never to return to our television screens? Well, my friends, that long dark night of my Lewis and Hathaway-loving soul is ending THIS WEEKEND! Sunday on Masterpiece, Lewis (Kevin Whately) and Hathaway (Laurence Fox) return for three BRAND-NEW episodes! Behold the amazing previews:

Laurence Fox's EP now available!

People, Hathaway...I mean Laurence Fox has an album out! :) You can download his brand-new EP, Sorry for My Words, here via iTunes.

Inspector Lewis: The Indelible Stain

Inspector Lewis concluded its fifth series-run on Masterpiece Mystery in fine form last Sunday with The Indelible Stain. (Side note: How is this slate of new episodes over ALREADY? Let the Hathaway withdrawals commence...) This episode was chock-full of family secrets, lost love, and prejudices -- in other words, Lewis at its best. :) To get us started here's the episode summary from the PBS website:

"No platform for racists!" shouts a crowd of protesters, interrupting the controversial lecture of American academic Paul Yelland (David Soul), a guest of Oxford's Department of Criminology. An anti-racist extremist hurls a threat at the professor, and later that night, Yelland is discovered strangled to death with a noose made from his own tie. The investigation draws Inspector Lewis (Kevin Whately) and Hathaway (Laurence Fox) into a criminology department rife with murder suspects, many of them already guilty of lesser crimes. Star student Nina Clement is having an affair with the husband of the coldly ambitious department head Anne Rand, who brought Yelland to Oxford solely to generate attention for her department. Now, with the papers headlined "Lynched," she relishes the publicity. But in an atmosphere of racial tension made worse by Yelland's "theory of dangerousness," which asserts that evil can be located in genetics, Lewis and Hathaway must move quickly to find the killer. Genetics have no place in their investigation; it's motive — whether politics, ambition, or vengeance — that will reveal the indelible stain of murder. David Calder (Bramwell) co-stars. (90 minutes; TV-14)

The episode opens with brief, rare glimpses of Lewis (Kevin Whately) and Hathaway (Laurence Fox) off the clock. Lewis is enjoying a pint while watching a sports match at a local pub, interrupted only by an obviously painful tooth. One guess as to how long he's been letting himself suffer with that problem. *wink* Hathaway is in JEANS and a SWEATSHIRT PULLOVER, curled up in a chair looking pensive with a stack of books by his side. Just to be clear, the show could've stopped at this point and I would've been very happy. I love him. :)

Meanwhile as is the Oxford norm, trouble is brewing at the lecture of a visiting and very controversial American academic, Paul Yelland (David Soul). Yelland espouses a new, genetics-based way of looking at the "Theory of Dangerousness" -- essentially profiling, a way of looking at crime that oft-times finds its strongest advocates among those who espouse racist views. (Way to represent the US badly, Yelland, yeesh.) Yelland's controversial theory meets with some vocal protests, but he's so tipsy and tired he hardly seems to notice. He's escorted back to his quarters by Professor Frazer (Patrick Baladi), husband to Anne Rand (Nancy Carroll), the professor responsible for bringing Yelland to Oxford, and a student he's *ahem* very close to -- Nina Clemens (Pippa Bennett-Warner). Later that evening two of Nina's roommates -- Will (Richard Southgate) and Emily (Harret Madeley), notice Yelland's lifeless body hanging in the window on their way home. Was he so troubled he took his own life, or could his ideas have earned him enemies who wanted him silenced?

Chief Superintendent Innocent (Rebecca Front) wants the case solved and closed quickly. The case is extraordinarily high profile -- not only because Yelland was a visiting lecturer, but because his ideas have brought racial tensions in the area to a boiling point. The pool of suspects Lewis and Hathaway must wade through is endless. There are the vocal, anti-racists extremists who turned up to protest Yelland's talk. There's Anne Rand, the head of the Criminology Department, who seems to relish the publicity Yelland's ideas and death have brought to her department. And then there is Nina, whose vocal opposition to Yelland's ideas suggest she may have had motive to act -- but when she starts to receive racist, threatening text messages, it raises the question of whether or not Yelland's ideas have galvanized those with racists beliefs to act out.

As the investigation proceeds two main story threads come into play that end up colliding in a deliciously unexpected way. First up there is Nina, the whip-smart student whose vocal opposition to Yelland's ideas raise suspicion that she could have a stake in silencing the professor. But she's having an affair with a very married professor whose wife just happens to be the head of the Criminology Department -- and that woman will do anything to keep her husband in line and further her own career ambitions. On top of that mess, Nina is in the middle of a love triangle that she doesn't even know exists since her roommate Will is in love with her and their other roommate Emily is in love with him. That would be enough of a twisty story, no? But this show being what it is, the script delivers more... :)

While there weren't many familiar faces guest starring in this episode, there was one I was interested to see again -- Nina Sosanya as the quiet Criminology Department assistant Lilian Hunter. Sosanya has appeared in Doctor Who as well as my favorite episode of ShakespeaRe-Told, the modern adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing. Lilian's story is a fascinating one, as it's revealed that Yelland was actually her father -- and she'd hoped that during his trip to Oxford she'd be able to confront him about abandoning her & her mother years earlier. A prof who espouses racially-charged views has a half-black child? Yelland, you were a mess.

As if Yelland's unknown daughter wasn't enough of a potential motive for murder, it turns out that her mother was in the middle of her own love triangle years earlier -- where the other man was Andrew Lipton (David Calder), who just happens to be Nina's tutor. Insane, right? Oh what a tangled web. (Side note: Add this film to the list of productions that has referenced/featured A Tale of Two Cities this year...go Dickens!) Calder has appeared in Inspector Lynley, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, Miss Marple, and the recent Titanic miniseries. I loved how the story of Lipton's past played out -- Calder has a quiet, grandfatherly demeanor, and watching the painful layers of his past come to light, watching him come undone -- it probably ranks as one of my favorite "twist" endings in the show's history.

This episode was extraordinarily well-scripted, delivering a satisfying, twisty drama -- and more than that, some unexpectedly comic moments for Lewis and Hathaway fans to treasure. Lewis's dentist phobia is about as broadly comic as this series is ever going to get and I relished it. I loved Hobson's (Clare Holman) joke about how she'd be glad to remove his bad tooth -- if he was dead! -- and then she sets him up with an appointment at her dentist which he promptly ditches after Hathaway calls with a convenient murder. :P And then Hathaway setting Lewis up with his dentist? Priceless! 

Innocent also has one of her best moments in the series, when early in the investigation into Yelland's murder she calls Lewis, Hathaway, and newbie Peterson (Jason Durr) into her office and they sit in a line-up in front of her desk like schoolboys at the principal's office. That scene had me laughing so hard!

The introduction of Peterson and his undimmed-interest in Hobson (despite a lack of reciprocal interest on her part) has brought an interesting dynamic to the will-Lewis-or-won't-he-ever-ask-her-out question. It KILLS me year after year that they are so perfect for each other, and she so obviously likes him, and this year especially he's doing NOTHING ABOUT IT. Grrrr. :P I am good grief, this entire series of films has been peppered with Hathaway of all people making sly suggestions that Lewis actually do something and ask  Hobson out. It broke my heart into a million pieces when Lewis referenced the current case as an example of how sometimes one can't change, it's simply too late -- and I may or may not have been screaming "nooooo!!!!" at my television when that happened. This show HAS to give Lewis and Hobson shippers a reason to hope next year, particularly since the way things stand right now, the show's sixth series will be its last (seventh in the UK). (In case you were wondering I'm in total denial about this show ever ending, and will live in denial until absolutely forced to believe otherwise.)

I adore this show, and this year's slate of episodes has proven to be extraordinarily strong and thoroughly enjoyable. The Lewis and Hathaway partnership has been on fire this season -- I love where they're at in their friendship, how they can now tease and needle each other, and both care very deeply about each other's life -- but being stoic and emotionally repressed, the latter only comes out in brief, priceless glimpses that fans like me absolutely treasure. :) This series I think my favorite episode is a tie between this one and Generation of Vipers -- how about yours? This show is at its best delivering twisty melodrama, and this season has gone above and beyond. Love it. :)

Inspector Lewis: Fearful Symmetry

Well wasn't this episode a twisty hot mess? :) The third brand-new episode of Inspector Lewis featured on Masterpiece Mystery this season features swingers, fetish photographs, and a PRIMATE LAB!!! I can't think of another show out there that could make that list of plot elements work except Lewis. :) Here's the episode summary from the PBS website:

Sometimes murder extends its reach even beyond the medieval walls of Oxford. So it goes when suburbanites Nick and Honey Addams return home after a night out to find their babysitter, Jessica Lake, dead, her wrists symmetrically bound to the Addams's bed. Her death pose is shocking; more so is Inspector Lewis (Kevin Whately) and DS Hathaway's (Laurence Fox) discovery of fetish photographs featuring Jessica in similar restraints. With Jessica as her muse, the provocative "Oxford type" artist, Marion Hammond, used fetish photography to explore the dual nature of passion: innocence and corruption. In the dark and varied worlds at the outskirts of Oxford, Lewis and Hathaway search for answers in an abandoned children's home, a primate lab, and the upscale home of smug venture capitalist Tom Garland. To piece together the terrifying symmetry of Jessica's murder, Lewis and Hathaway race to solve the mystery of the girl behind the muse. (90 minutes; TV-14)

The episode opens with Nick (Ciarán McMenamin) and Honey (Georgia Taylor) Addams awaiting the arrival of Jessica Lake (Abi Hardingham), a babysitter scheduled to watch their toddler-age son while they go play tennis with Nick's boss and his wife. There is obviously a great strain on the Addams marriage, and it's about to get worse as the couple returns the next day to find their toddler shrieking and their babysitter dead, tied in a symmetrical bondage position to their bed (I would SO be moving). The careful arrangement of Jessica's body suggests premeditated murder -- but since the Addams spent the night away from their home at the last minute, and Jessica was a replacement babysitter, was she the target or a "convenient" replacement?  

Lewis (Kevin Whately) and Hathaway's (Laurence Fox) investigation takes them to an animal behavior lab at Oxford, where the Addams's original babysitter, Yasmin Randall (Leila Mimmack), had been asked to work a last-minute shift. Jessica not only knew Yasmin, but she had been hired to work at the lab by primate researcher Dr. Bob Massey (Con O'Neill), who just happens to be the father of her boyfriend Gideon (Pierro Niel-Mee). As if that isn't enough of a tangled mess of associations, the investigation uncovers S&M-style photographs of Jessica, reminiscent of her death pose, that lead Lewis and Hathaway to a rather controversial, avant-garde photographer, Marion Hammond (Lucy Cohu). Marion was working on an exhibit featuring Jessica's poses entitled "Unspeakable Acts." Marion's somewhat devil-may-care attitude towards her controversial work raises the possibility that she could have been involved in Jessica's death, all in the name of her art. Or perhaps it was Silas (Bronson Webb) and Kyle (Merveille Lukeba), fellow squatters with Jessica at their now-abandoned former home for troubled teens -- the former distinctly unbalanced and determined to exact superhero-style street justice on Jessica's killer.

The Addams's marriage troubles come into play in a disturbing fashion when Lewis and Hathaway visit the home of Nick's boss to verify the couple's alibi. Tom Garland (Gary Kemp) and his wife Davina (Katrine De Candole) are wealthy, privileged, and used to getting their own way -- and their home, decorated with Marion's highly-sexualized photographs, suggest the couple explore the behaviors exhibited in Jessica's photos and death scene. In typical Lewis fashion, Marion's work has touched and connected all of the disparate individuals, from wildy varied backgrounds, that touched Jessica's life prior to her death -- the question is, who took the images displayed in the photographs too far?

This was a fantastically twisty, convoluted episode. I loved seeing Ciarán McMenamin on television again, though I'm really starting to question why I like him so much. Aside from his hit-or-miss turn as Matt on Primeval, he seems to play rather questionable (??) characters a little too well, if you know what I mean. Comes off as wishy-washy after a while, poor guy. The revelation that he pressured his wife into participating in a swingers' session with the Garlands absolutely made my skin crawl. Nevermind that the couple didn't follow through with it -- the idea in and of itself is just...ick, you know? McMenamin saves his character by the end of the episode, but barely. Speaking of the Garlands, the wife Davina may look familiar -- she played a brief role in X-Men: First Class as well as a memorable appearance in Zen.

My favorite guest star in this episode was Lucy Cohu as Marion. I think she has such a striking on-screen presence, and while I can't say I liked her occupation in this film, I loved her style. :) Cohu played Jane Austen's sister-in-law Eliza in Becoming Jane, Captain Jack's daughter in Torchwood: Children of Earth, as well as appearing in Ballet Shoes and Miss Marple. Eventually we'll see her on Masterpiece in the second series of the rebooted Upstairs Downstairs as well.

I confess the mystery in this episode kept me going until nearly the end. I love how it set up Gideon's father as a parental hero of sorts, as he is the one who stayed to raise Gideon after his mother -- the icy Stanza Massey (Anna Wilson-Jones) -- couldn't handle motherhood and left her family, doing "penance" by working with the youth home that raised Jessica and her squatter roommates. But it is Dr. Massey who, somewhere along the line, has begun a slow descent into madness. Alternately repelled and fascinated by Jessica's artfully staged photographs, he longs to recreate the work -- to the point that he does so twice, and nearly a third time (after he attacks his son!) when he confronts Marion as the creative force behind the photos. That scene was one of the series' best suspense-wise, as the chills of having a madman invade Marion's home like that was brilliantly played. I loved the fact that out of this tragic family mess, Gideon's mother steps up and realizes that her son needs her as an active presence in his life, the conclusion hinting at a more hopeful future for the tragedy-ridden family. Side note: When Chief Superintendent Innocent (Rebecca Front) turns up at Marion's apartment to oversee Dr. Massey's arrest -- am I forgetting something or does this series bring Innocent into the "field" more frequently than ever before? I'm just used to seeing her in the office, lol!

As is the norm with this series, the episode provides a slew of wonderful Lewis and Hathaway-centric character moments. From their good-natured ribbing of each other to the fantastic way they've learned to practically read each other's minds -- this duo has come so far, and I never tire of watching each tiny nuance and expression exhibited in their interactions. I was especially touched by how Jessica's death prompted Lewis to call his own daughter -- unless I'm forgetting something, she's never featured in an episode. But I love how the show reminds us again and again of just how much he loves his family. I also loved the moment when Lewis asks Hobson (Clare Holman) about her report on Jessica's death -- and she teases him good-naturedly about using the term "funny business" instead of something more direct like assault. They are SO CUTE TOGETHER.

There is also a lot of humor at poor Hathaway's expense, but I loved every second of it. There's nothing quite as satisfying as seeing the straight-laced, oft-times somber Hathaway getting a bit rattled. I loved how he goes to the Addams's home to look for their son's favorite toy stuffed giraffe, and gets positively drowned in kid-related items. And then when he realizes he saw the toy in the friggin' primate lab, and has to go into retrieve it -- but only after a severe warning about not looking "them in the eyes" OR ELSE -- oh, it was an undeniably serious moment, critical to the investigation, but seeing Hathaway so tightly wound, it cracked me up!

I thought this was one of the series' more suspenseful episodes, full of the show's trademark twists and turns. Thoughts?

Inspector Lewis: Generation of Vipers

Well, I certainly didn't intend on falling behind in my Inspector Lewis-related blogging, but at least with my recent battle with bronchitis and pneumonia I have a good excuse. *wink* Thankfully I'm well on the road to recovery, and with that behind me and the recent release of the Series 5 DVDs, I fully intend on catching up!

The second episode of Inspector Lewis's fifth season on Masterpiece Mystery features two of my favorite things -- Shakespeare and Toby Stephens (I figure by this point my passion for Lewis and Hathaway goes without saying, lol!). Here's the episode summary from the PBS website to get things started:

Elizabethan tragedy collides with 21st-century technology when a lonely feminist Shakespeare scholar, humiliated in a viral video leaked from a dating site, takes her life in despair. Miranda Thornton had numerous enemies who might have relished her downfall: a property developer, a former student, a jilted romantic hopeful, and an anonymous online gadfly. Determined to assign blame for Miranda's anguish, Inspector Lewis (Kevin Whately) begins his investigation at the scurrilous video-hosting blog, TheBarker.biz, and before long, he is convinced of Miranda's murder. But when an Oxford youth connected to the case is violently killed, Lewis and Hathaway (Laurence Fox) fall victim to TheBarker's sensational accusations. In social media stripped of identity and humanity, mirroring only loneliness, Lewis and Hathaway must cut through swathes of Internet anonymity to penetrate a Generation of Vipers. Toby Stephens (Jane Eyre) guest stars. (90 minutes; TV-14)

This episode opens with what is perhaps one of my favorite Lewis (Kevin Whately) and Hathaway (Laurence Fox) moments in the entire show's run to date. They're out in the field, on the perimeter of an operation taking down a large marijuana-growing operation led by a new-to-the-show member of the force, Detective Inspector Peterson (Jason Durr). It's an incredible treat to see Lewis and Hathaway out of their element, in the field -- and supposedly far away from the center of the action -- discussing the more "action-y" side of police work. But when a member of the drug operation makes a break for it and heads straight for their stakeout point on the perimeter, my favorite Oxford investigators really get a moment to shine -- getting in a tussle with the runaway suspect and ending up on the news! Lewis and Hathaway are generally so cerebral it was a real treat to watch them in a physical take-down. *wink*

Meanwhile, Oxford English professor Miranda Thornton (Julie Cox) is running into trouble with some of her students. Years earlier, Thornton had written a paper that gained her a certain measure of notoriety on why women don't need men. But the Shakespeare-savvy professor (whose clothing choices reveal her to be sadly stuck in something like 1992) has had a change of heart -- longing to find a romantic soulmate she filmed a dating video for the Heart & Soul website. The intensely personal video was stolen from the supposedly secure dating service site and posted on TheBarker.biz, garnering a host of cruel and thoughtless comments. After being confronted by a would-be (and very married) suitor, reporter Francis Mitchell (Alexander Hanson), and running into a professional nemesis, the wealthy David Connelly (Toby Stephens), whose plans for turning an idyllic Oxford field into cheap, affordable housing, Miranda returns home to nurse her wounded feelings -- and is discovered dead the next morning.

I thought this was a fascinating episode on multiple levels. Not only does it address the media-saturated nature of our society, where people can be bullied and humiliated online, dehumanized really behind the "safety" of a username, it also says much about the destructive nature of secrets and grudges -- and on a happier, but no-less wistful note, reveals a very human side to Lewis the investigator, as this is a case that hits very close to home for our titular hero. Everyone assumes that Miranda committed suicide, her humiliation and loneliness to heavy a burden to bear. But Lewis is sure that the professor was murdered, as he cannot fathom a woman of her intellect -- a woman willing to take a risk, willing to open herself up to the possibility of love -- would take her own life so easily without fighting back against whoever exposed her to ridicule on The Barker's website. And that, my friends, is just one of the many reasons I love Lewis -- he may be taking WAY TOO FRIGGIN' LONG to ask Hobson (Clare Holman) out on a proper date, but he has LOADS of compassion. Miranda's case makes for a solid mystery film on its own, but Lewis's response to it elevates the script and reminds us of the very human toll of "anonymous" internet cruelty and harassment.

It took me a while to place Julie Cox when she first appeared on-screen. I remember her most from an early role in an episode of the Richard E. Grant-helmed The Scarlet Pimpernel television series. Cox has also appeared in Miss Marple and more recently, an episode of Zen. She's got a youthful, almost waifish appearance, and that combined with her flowing, oversized clothing choices emphasizes her character's emotional vulnerability -- traits she conveyed heart-breakingly well during her time on-screen.

The suspects that Lewis and Hathaway uncover during the course of their investigation weave into a tangled web of red herrings and venomous grudges worthy of one of Shakespeare's plays. There's Sebastian Dromgoole (Freddie Fox), a student involved in a recording project of all of Shakespeare's plays who resents Miranda for refusing to recommend him for post-graduate work in the US. Freddie Fox is Laurence's cousin, most recently appearing in The Three Musketeers as King Louis XIII and The Mystery of Edwin Drood. The Fox family has a veritable monopoly on the acting profession. I loved the moments when Hathaway got all up in Sebastian's face when he mouthed-off or refused to answer questions -- given that they're cousins one has to think they had some fun making the smart-aleck remarks about each other that the script required. *wink*

Sebastian's girlfriend Briony is played by Roxanne McKee. Similar to how Miranda's death gets under Lewis's skin, Briony gets to Hathaway. She's an employee of The Barker, and he correctly surmises that of anyone they've encountered, she has the heart to want to help -- and when she does, she ends up dead, her death leaving Hathaway clearly guilt-stricken and rattled. She's not the only character to test my darling investigator -- Chief Superintendent Innocent (Rebecca Front) orders that he partners with Peterson late in the investigation while Lewis follows a separate line of inquiry. Peterson and Hathaway couldn't be more dissimilar -- their brief scenes together were a fun glimpse into what the world of the show would be like should Hathaway be partnered with someone who (initially, anyway) drove him up the wall. :) Peterson also expresses an interest in Hobson, something Lewis is quite unable to wrap his head around. I can only hope that someone like Peterson will finally prod Lewis into actively pursuing Hobson, because frankly it BREAKS MY HEART that they aren't an official couple. Also, is it just me or did this show really do a great job giving increased screentime to the officers that work with Lewis and Hathaway, like DC Lockhart (Kemi-Bo Jacobs)? Long overdue, IMO!

In the trademark fashion of this show, everyone Lewis and Hathaway meet who seems, at first blush, barely tangentially connected to the case, turns out to be somehow involved. One could argue it's coincidental...but personally I love how the show brings a dash of soap opera to its storylines. Almost without fail the twists and turns in each episode are smartly done, keeping readers on the edge of their seats and providing a wholly satisfying hour and a half of mystery viewing. In this case, three individuals from Miranda's past converge on her present, and her death leaves Lewis and Hathaway to sort out the tangled mess of threads her death leaves behind. First up is Kit Renton (Daniel Lapaine), owner of TheBarker.biz -- and a total jerk as he gives my beloved Lewis and Hathaway a bit of bad press on his stupid website. :P Lapaine is a Mystery vet from way back when Jericho aired, as well as making an appearance in a Poirot episode. Then there is Samantha Earnshaw (Kate Maravan), the seemingly classy owner of the Heart & Soul dating service. Appearances are incredibly deceiving sometimes, hmm? :P

The biggest draw of this episode for me was Toby Stephens as wealthy, embittered investor David Connelly -- a poor boy who made good and never quite lost the chip on his shoulder brought on by his time at Oxford with Miranda, Kit, and Samantha. Toby looked AMAZING in this episode -- those sharp suits! Excuse me while I swoon! :) And his brooding and angsty behavior...all it did was remind me of what a wonderful Rochester Stephens played -- and a reminder like that is never a bad thing. I do wish he'd played a more...um...likeable? character here, but I can't even hold that against him...it's such a treat to see him on my television. :) I LOVED how the script handled the revelation of David and Miranda's college love affair, and how tragically it fell apart -- and years worth of heartache could've been avoided, if only David's STUPID PRIDE hadn't kept him from reading Miranda's letters. *headdesk* Stupid Toby. :P

A Generation of Vipers is Lewis at its finest, serving up a deliciously twisty story full of secrets, grudges, and revenge plots years in the making. I loved how this story showcased Lewis's compassion, particularly in how he could relate to Miranda's desire for a "simpler," tech-free life. Lewis himself is anything but tech-savvy, so forcing him to navigate the murky waters of the internet was a nice touch. I also loved how this episode forced Hathaway to confront the tragic results of his choice to get a civilian, Briony, involved when their investigation seemed to stall. It was also a lot of fun to see him deal with the blunt, direct Peterson. :) A thoroughly enjoyable episode -- I'd love to discuss! :)

Hathaway sings!

Okay, so it isn't Hathaway, it's Laurence Fox. *wink* Thanks to Tasha for making me aware of this little auditory gem (and yes, I did purchase it on iTunes!).



I need a full album, ASAP.

Inspector Lewis: The Soul of Genius

Inspector Lewis at long-last returned to television screens with its fifth series of new cases to solve on Masterpiece Mystery, beginning with The Soul of Genius. This is an episode with a literary flair that reaches back in time to touch on the loss of Lewis's wife -- the tragedy that has in no small way informed the man he is today -- and in doing so examine just how far the series' titular sleuth has come. Here's the brief episode summary from the PBS website:

What is a snark? This is just one of the many unanswered questions Inspector Lewis must ask when botanist Liz Nash accidentally unearths the recently buried body of an English professor obsessed with the Lewis Carroll poem, The Hunting of the Snark. Locked in bitter rivalry with his brother, professor Murray Hawes was fixed on solving a legendary riddle hidden in Carroll's philosophical story of an impossible quest for the unknowable. The search for Murray's killer launches Lewis and Hathaway on an impossible quest of their own, taking them from Oxford's botanical gardens to the evidence wall of an interfering amateur sleuth. But when a prime suspect is killed and a secret society is exposed, Lewis and Hathaway intensify their hunt not for the unknowable, but for an all-too-real killer. Kevin Whately and Laurence Fox star alongside James Fleet (Little Dorrit) and Celia Imrie (Cranford) in The Soul of Genius. (90 minutes; TV-PG)

This series is one of the most satisfying productions Masterpiece has ever produced, with consistently high production values, smart scripts, and engaging characters. In other words, the powers that be behind this show know what works and what doesn't. :) And the biggest draw of this series for me is the manner in which the relationship between Lewis (Kevin Whately) and his sergeant Hathaway (Laurence Fox) has been developed. Over the course of this long-running production we've see Lewis and Hathaway move from barely tolerating each other (one has to wonder if Lewis ever perhaps felt that Hathaway was Morse come back to "haunt" him, as the two cerebral, classics-loving officers bear more than a  passing resemblance to each other -- though Hathaway is decidedly less grumpy) to genuine respect and appreciation for the ways in which their varied backgrounds and points-of-view complement their partnership. Last year's season saw Lewis and Hathaway reach a new level of ease in their partnership as the two men have become fast friends, freeing them to needle and annoy each other at will. The Soul of Genius makes it abundantly clear that this sense of camaraderie is still very much a vital part of what makes this show work oh so well -- Lewis and Hathaway, people, they never get old.

The Soul of Genius opens with a young botanist, Liv Nash (Nadine Lewington), leading a group of volunteers on  quest to eradicate some sort of pestilential plant. But Liv and her crew make a discovery of another, and wholly unpleasant kind, when they unearth the corpse of a murder victim -- one Oxford English professor named Murray Hawes. Hawes was a frequent visitor to the Botanical Gardens, something of an eccentric well-known for his obsession with Lewis Carroll's enigmatic poem, The Hunting of the Snark. In attempting to describe the allure of the Snark and its mysteries to Lewis, Hathaway describes the poem as an "impossible quest" with an unknown end in sight, the danger being in discovering what the unknown is -- the type of intellectual and philosophical puzzle that can drive a person mad.

Murray was survived by his brother Conor (Alex Jennings), a chaplain and tutor at Oxford's Carlyle College. The brothers apparently had a very testy relationship history, particularly since Murray was apparently the favored son, leaving Conor to fester in jealousy and insecurity. Two of Conor's pupils were seen near the Botanical Gardens when Murray's body was discovered -- self-style postmodernists Mia (Daisy May) and Vincent (Oliver Johnstone), a.k.a. the most obvious intellectual posers in the history of recent cinema (I mean hello, they took their names from friggin' Pulp Fiction). Mia and Vincent are obsessed with gaining admittance into the Wednesday Club, a legendary, secretive organization for geniuses at Oxford.

Lewis and Hathaway quickly discover a third line of inquiry when an amateur investigator, Michelle Marber (Celia Imrie), suggests that Murray's death is connected with the work of Dr. Alex Falconer (James Fleet). Falconer is a scientist with an aristocratic background who works at the Davy Institute of Clinical Medicine -- a research facility where Murray frequently participated in drug trials, earning money to support his Snark research. Jean Innocent (Rebecca Front), Lewis and Hathaway's no-nonsense boss, has a funnier-than-usual appearance when she tells the detectives to "deal" with Michelle, who she very obviously writes off as a nutter. Michelle blames Falconer for her son Stevie's death -- a brilliant student who worked as Falconer's research assistant. Falconer's possible connection to the case circles back to the Botanical Gardens, as Lewis and Hathaway discover that he's been having an affair -- never mind his sickly wife Thea (Annabel Mullion)! -- with Professor Helena Wright (Matilda Ziegler), head of the Garden and the boss of Liv the botanist who discovered Murray's body.

And with that set-up we're given what Lewis does best -- delivering twisty, multi-layered plots, laced with enough red herrings to make one's head spin. :) The modus operandi of this program might best be described by Sir Walter Scott's line "oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive," as nothing is ever as straightforward in these investigations as the down-to-earth Lewis would like. I love spotting familiar acting talent in each episode's cast. This installment features a pair of Cranford veterans -- Jennings played the Reverend Hutton throughout the series, while Imrie played Lady Glenmire in a single episode. James Fleet is another Masterpiece veteran, who memorably portrayed Frederick Dorrit in the Little Dorrit miniseries, and the delightfully flaky Hugo in The Vicar of Dibley.

This investigation is laced with some absolutely superb Hathaway/Lewis moments, a fantastic illustration of just how far this duo have come has regards their partnership and friendship. Lewis's concern for his younger partner takes on an almost fatherly tone when he sees, once again, the toll the investigation takes on Hathaway's well-being. The latter's intellect and quiet demeanor set him apart, but when Lewis encourages him to break the cycle of loneliness, I seriously cheered. For a man who has battled his own personal demons extensively over the course of the series, this episode gives Lewis a chance to mentor not only Hathaway but to also sow what he's learned through his experiences with grief and loss into the life of Michelle. Watching Lewis willingly revisit the painful loss of his wife in order to help another through their grief -- it was a fantastically well-acted, incredibly moving scene, underscoring Lewis's compassionate nature. He may not have the most patience when it comes to Oxford's intellectual elites, but having known the pain of sudden, inexplicable loss, he can understand the toll of grief.

Hathaway reminded me powerfully of Morse in this episode -- not only because the Endeavour prequel film recently aired, but because since last season of Lewis I've had the chance to immerse myself in the Morse series. Like his predecessor, Hathaway is extraordinarily smart, loves the classics -- a bit of an odd-man out when it comes to the typical pastimes of his peers, leaving him rather isolated. And -- most adorably! -- he's completely hopeless when it comes to women. This episode gives me hope that perhaps that aspect of Hathaway's life will change, as he is clearly smitten when he meets Liv the botanist but he has NO IDEA how to manage a casual conversation. I love that he is so struck by a woman who is, at first blush, his complete opposite -- suits vs. work clothes, gardening vs. classic texts. But Liv is every bit as whip-smart as Hathaway when it comes to common sense, observation skills, and a vast knowledge of the history and purpose of plants and their uses, which proves critical to the resolution of the murder investigation. I can only hope that someday she makes a return appearance for Hathaway's sake. Also, the moment when Hathaway BOWS to her? I nearly died that was so absolutely, wonderful, perfect! :)

Some spoilers ahead! For the most part I was quite pleased with how the resolution of this mystery unfolded, though I do wonder if we'll discover additional scenes on the DVD release, since I feel like the Conor/Wednesday Club storyline and their somewhat tenuous connection to Murray's death were explained in a bit of a haphazard fashion. I did, however, love how the story's love triangle was so unbelievably twisted. This show does twisty, complex personal motivations for murder oh-so-well. *wink* Not only does this script give us illegal secret drug tests, but the tests are run by a man whose mistress is helping him try to find the cure for his wife's cancer, and somehow the sick wife is OKAY WITH ALL OF THIS because she didn't want her husband to be alone after she died. NEVERMIND THAT HE WAS KILLING PEOPLE, apparently! Gotta love the crazy Lewis and Hathaway run into! :P

I'd love to hear your thoughts on Lewis and Hathaway's most welcome return to TV screens! I hope that the next few episodes will feature more of coroner Laura Hobson (Clare Holman), and perhaps a little forward momentum on her oh. so. S-L-O-W burning will-they-or-won't-they romance with Lewis. Unless I'm forgetting something (and given how this week has been going, that is HIGHLY possible), I really felt like she didn't have much screentime in this episode. That said the Hathaway moments were priceless. :)

upcoming films...

So I took the afternoon off and went to the movies this afternoon (more on that a bit later), and was pleasantly surprised by three trailers that look very promising --

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen



Ewan McGregor! Emily Blunt! SALMON! Color me intrigued. According to the IMDB, the film is slated to open in the US March 9th -- though I suspect that is a limited release date.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel



Isn't this cast amazing? Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, Penelope Wilton!? Did I mention BILL NIGHY?! According to the IMDB, this is slated to open May 4th.

W.E.



This film has been on my radar for a while now thanks to my interest in the history. But this film - James D'Arcy is playing Edward, LAURENCE FOX is playing his brother Bertie, and the rest of the cast of the historical portion of the film is equally pedigreed. I could care less about the Madonna connection...but with D'Arcy and Fox in this film I'm so there. :) According to the IMDB this one opens February 3rd, probably in limited release first.

Inspector Lewis: The Gift of Promise

Inspector Lewis concluded its fourth series on Masterpiece Mystery last night with The Gift of Promise -- an episode mostly notable, in my opinion, for a nicely colorful revelation about Hathaway's past. :) Here's the episode summary from the PBS website:

Local businesswoman and aspiring blackmailer Andrea De Ritter asks former MI5 chief Grace Orde to sign her new memoir, Lies and Secrets, to "Leon." She adds a cryptic note of her own — "Who killed Mary?" — then dispatches the book to her intended blackmail victim, Leon Suskind. But it is Andrea who becomes the victim...of murder. Deciphering Andrea's puzzling inscription and Lies and Secrets' connection to Leon is no easy task for Lewis and Hathaway, whose suspects include everyone from gifted children to gifted liars. "Some secrets stay secret," the former spy chief tells Lewis. But as the murderer strikes again and again, poisoning and stabbing in protection of a dangerous secret, Lewis is forced to take on nothing less than the British Secret Service itself. Kevin Whately, Laurence Fox and Anna Chancellor (Pride & Prejudice) star in The Gift of Promise.

Former MI-5 spymaster Grace Orde (Cherie Lunghi) is visiting Oxford signing copies of her tell-all, cleverly titled (HA) memoir Lies and Secrets. It is no surprise that the event attracts the well-read Hathaway's (Laurence Fox) interest -- what is surprising is that he reveals to Lewis that he was "talent-spotted" for MI-5 during his Cambridge days. (Hathaway, a spy? BE STILL MY HEART.) The book signing also draws the attention of local businesswoman Andrea De Ritter (Elize du Toit) who has an entirely different purpose in mind. De Ritter runs a foundation for gifted children, facilitating their entry into institutions of higher learning such as Oxford. For someone who claims to be rather philanthropic and high-minded, De Ritter has a disturbing interest in blackmail (and barely of-age students, but that's another story), sending a copy of Orde's memoir to Leon Suskin (David Westhead), her sometime business partner, with the cryptic message "Who killed Mary?" tucked inside. After having her troubled young lover Elmo Woodeson (Matt Orton) deliver the package, De Ritter turns up brutally bludgeoned to death in her home, all signs pointing to a lovers' spat. But the late businesswoman's attempts to earn some quick cash through blackmail unleashed a web of secrets decades in the making, ones that will require every ounce of Lewis (Kevin Whately) and Hathaway's investigative prowess to unravel in as the body count threatens to tick ever higher...

I am a total sucker for anything involving spies or mysteries that uncover decades-old secrets -- the potential for drama is through the roof and the stakes just seem higher somehow -- so on that score alone, The Gift of Promise delivers in spades. The revelation that Hathaway was approached during his time at Cambridge to join MI-5 made this episode ALONE, made all the more delicious by MI-5 veteran Orde's easy recognition of Hathaway's, suitability, shall we say? :) All of the unknown about Hathaway's past is what makes him such a maddeningly attractive character, and it is revelations like this that make me want to know it all. It's a Catch-22. I'm addicted to the enigma, aren't I? *wink*

Speaking of spies, it was wonderful to see Cheri Lunghi as Grace Orde. She is SUCH a classy actress, the perfect choice for my money to convey the combination of beauty and brains and overwhelming strength of will that one imagines it took to rise to Orde's position in MI-5. I first encountered Lunghi in the Horatio Hornblower episode The Duchess and the Devil, one of my favorites in that series, memorable for the fantastic way she played off a young Ioan Gruffudd. Her most recent Masterpiece appearance was in the Miss Marple episode A Murder is Announced.

While ultimately the "twist" involving Leon Suskin and his family was a bit predictable (more on that in a moment), I really enjoyed how the Suskin family -- for all appearances quite normal and ordinary, the parents excited to be blessed with an extraordinarily smart daughter -- hid such deadly secrets beneath the veneer of upper-middle class respectability. My subconscious apparently recognized David Westhead, playing Leon Suskin, from his appearances years ago in Foyle's War and Doctor Who (a stretch, I know, but my mind has done stranger things). Recognizing his on-screen wife Judith, however, was a no-brainer. Anna Chancellor has appeared in a TON of projects, but she will always and forever be Miss Bingley from "the" 1995 Pride and Prejudice. Most recently she appeared in the six-part miniseries The Hour, a drama about a newsroom in the 1950s (which I really should blog about, because I liked it!). I'm accustomed to Chancellor playing strong-willed, brassy characters, so seeing her play a character like Judith who was practically afraid of her own shadow (not without reason, given her past), was a surprisingly welcome change.

The Suskins' daughter Zoe is played by Lucy Boynton, who doesn't have many credits to her name -- yet -- but she could be one to watch. Prior to Inspector Lewis Boynton appeared in the absolutely delightful, go-rent-it-right-now-if-you've-never-seen-it film Ballet Shoes, followed by an appearance as Margaret Dashwood in the 2008 miniseries version of Sense and Sensibility. Zoe is an interesting character -- gifted with an intelligence well beyond her years, she's more than capable of Oxford academics but somewhat at a loss when it comes to relating to her older peers. The fact that she and Hathaway seem to understand each other so well (early on she pegs him as a "gifted child," which would explain A LOT about his personality *wink*) raises a TON of interesting suppositions about his own growing-up years. I really loved watching Fox and Boynton's scenes together -- I think they played off each other really well, Fox's gravity raising Boynton's maturity, and her youthfulness reminding viewers that yes, as unbelievable as it may be Hathaway was once a child. *wink*

If I could delve into spoiler-rich territory for a bit, let's discuss Lewis and Hathaway taking on MI-5 and long-buried secrets about "The Irish Troubles" from the 1980s. While I suspected that Judith Suskin had a past with Zoe's tutor Donald Voss (Mark Aiken), I little suspected how deep their connection ran. I assumed that Zoe was a product of an affair Judith was desperate to hide, when in reality Zoe was caught in the dangerous middle ground between her mother's past and present. The "disconnect," if you will, between Lewis and Hathaway trying to prevent more murders while Orde sits on vital knowledge -- and says nothing, because that is what spies do, apparently -- is maddening and really well-played by all involved. It was also quite eye-opening to watch the final confrontation play out, since I'm given to understand that Oxford police don't carry guns -- so there was an extra layer of tension in Lewis and Hathaway's face-off with Voss that isn't always present in American procedurals because of the weapons "equality" if you will.

These last four episodes of Inspector Lewis have been some of the most enjoyable of the series thus far, and set the bar extraordinarily high for future installments in the series. This is largely due to the banter between Lewis and Hathaway -- they've always had a brilliant partnership, but it feels like at long last really and truly comfortable with each other, freeing each up to give as good as they take. Lewis's relationship with Hobson (Clare Holman) has really blossomed during the last two episodes. Instead of rushing things, this series hit the re-set button, and Lewis is almost, rather adorably FLIRTATIOUS. The show has always been very honest and transparent about Lewis and Hobson's respective "baggage" -- these characters aren't going to do anything lightly, or so it seems, but the fact that each gives the other a "gleam in the eye" as the saying goes makes me so flippin' HAPPY. :)

I'm looking forward to revisiting this year's episodes on DVD -- especially since I do feel the explanation of the blackmail plot and Voss's past was somewhat...lacking or rushed, is perhaps the word (stupid broadcast edits). And I eagerly anticipate Inspector Lewis's return next year -- Lewis and Hathaway have a partnership that, as far as I'm concerned, must never die. :)

Inspector Lewis: The Mind Has Mountains

I can't believe we're already looking at the end of Inspector Lewis's fourth series run on Masterpiece Mystery next week. :-/ This year's episodes have been extraordinarily good, and for Hathaway fans (such as yours truly *wink*), last night's episode The Mind Has Mountains gave one plenty to savor -- Hathaway was on fire and the zingers just never stopped! *happiness* Here's the episode summary from the PBS website:

"Call the guinea pigs, would you," directs the brilliant psychiatrist Dr. Alex Gansa. The assorted subjects pile in to get their medication — all part of a week-long antidepressant drug trial taking place on the Oxford campus. The drug being tested is a form of ketamine — a horse tranquilizer and party circuit favorite. When trial subject Amy Katz is found dead, the drug-induced veil of contentment starts to tear. Katz was the unwitting object of obsession for several other patients, under the dubious care of the morally questionable Gansa. Lewis and Hathaway, aligned in their quiet distaste for psychiatry, uncover a number of provocative clues — condemning phone messages, notes and the remnants of a damning video diary made by the dead patient. The facts are furiously lining up. But in the mysterious realm of the human mind, sometimes certainty is deceiving. Kevin Whately and Laurence Fox star alongside Douglas Henshall (South Riding, Collision) in Inspector Lewis: The Mind Has Mountains.

From the moment this episode began, I had a suspicion that it would quickly become a favorite of the series and happily, I was not disappointed. Not only does The Mind Has Mountains feature hands-down some of the best guest star appearances in the show's history, it is a real corker of a mystery, fast-paced, tightly plotted, and with so many twists and turns and red herrings that I nearly gave myself whiplash trying to guess the outcome. And as an added bonus, the opening scenes promise some forward momentum (finally) into the tangled "mystery" of the Lewis (Kevin Whately) and Hobson will-they-or-won't-they-romance.

I loved the enclosed setting of this mystery -- yes, the location of the antidepressant drug trial is in a building on the Oxford campus, but the location is on the surface idyllic enough, and the motley collection of participants eclectic enough, that it struck me as vaguely reminscent of a "country house" mystery in the Agatha Christie vein. You know someone in the house did it, the only question is how many people will meet their end before the perpetrator is discovered. Most exciting of all for me was the fact that the doctor running this trial was played by one of my favorite actors, Douglas Henshall. Henshall came to my attention when I started watching Primeval (and goodness I have got to say that show misses Cutter!), and he's followed that up with appearances in Collision and South Riding. As Dr. Alex Gansa, Henshall is charming and charismatic -- it's quite easy to see how he might become the object of a patient's fantasy, the only question is whether or not he's the type to act on those "opportunities."

Hathaway (Laurence Fox) was just ON FIRE for this entire episode. While Hathaway maintained his usually calm and unflappable demeanor, there was this constant undercurrent of barely controlled energy -- frustration? -- that seemed to be simmering just below the surface of Fox's performance (LOVED it). From the opening scene when he witnesses Hobson (Clare Holman) on a dinner date WITH SOMEONE OTHER THAN HIS BFF LEWIS, Hathaway kicks the snark and sarcasm into overdrive. What is amazing to me about Hathaway's reaction is that you can sense so much of the snarkiness in his demeanor -- he doesn't actually have to verbalize anything (which is good, because he hardly ever does that -- however, in this episode, the man was in top verbal sparring form!). Two moments in this episode will in particular go down as series favorites. The first, when Gansa calls Hathaway "an odd policeman...I mean odd for a policeman" (Henshall's delivery of this line is pitch-perfect); the second, when Hathaway has an ACTUAL PHYSICAL CONFRONTATION with Dane (Sam Hazeldine), an ex-soldier and one of the trial's test subjects. All I could say to that was rawr. *wink* (Side note: Hazeldine looked familiar, and today I discovered he's appeared in Foyle's War, Robin Hood, and Persuasion.)

Speaking of the patients, it was great to see Thomas Brodie-Sangster as Adam Douglas, a student dangerously obsessed with the first victim. I rather feel as though I've watched Thomas grow up on-screen, as he started his career with roles in films like Nanny McPhee and The Last Legion, and progressed to a memorable turn in the two part Doctor Who story arc "Human Nature"/"Family of Blood." Adam was just one of many who had very strong reactions to the presence of Amy in the test house. Gansa's wife Claire (Christina Cole) was actually a former patient of her husband's (oh what a tangled web this show weaves!) who resented Amy's obsession with her spouse. It was really quite refreshing to see Cole play a sympathetic character -- I'm used to her more villainous/manipulative turns, such as in Jane Eyre where she played Blanche Ingram, or Emma where she played Mrs. Elton.

It was really quite interesting to watch the Lewis and Hathaway dynamic in this episode. Let me be clear -- that's always the main draw of this series -- but in this episode I felt like Whately and Fox brought a little something extra to their performances. This storyline -- both the investigation and the insights into their personal lives -- allowed both of them to cut loose a bit, to relax and really explore how comfortable the two have become since the somewhat testy early days of their professional partnership. I loved that Hathaway thought he should keep mum about Hobson's non-Lewis date, while Lewis couldn't understand why he didn't share the intelligence. Hathaway's rejoinder at the end of the episode was PRICELESS -- "I hope that you and Dr. Hobson work it out. Whatever it is, which you've got to admit, is a bit of a mystery." HA!

So, this is my theory about the Lewis and Hobson relationship. In the final episode of Series 3 (Falling Darkness), the burgeoning romance hit the rocks and its progression ground to a halt when Hobson's murky college past came to light. Lewis is SUCH a straight arrow, and such a S-L-O-W mover that I could see something like those events causing him to step back a bit. Perhaps that's why we've been getting this dance around their attraction issue for the past two episodes? Either way, it was quite funny to have the Lewis/Hobson non-relationship relationship so much at the front and center of this episode, to the point where the Chef (Rebecca Front) actually comments on how she wants to bang Lewis and Hobson's heads together. *wink*

I have to give the script a ton of credit for the whiplash pace that this mystery unfolded at, to the point where it kept me guessing until almost the finale. I really expected Henshall's character to take the fall for Katz's death and his wife's attempted murder -- so it was really a pleasant surprise when Lewis discovers that the arrogant doctor's assertion that his assistant Bethan (Lucy Lieman) is obsessed with him, bent on destroying anyone she views as a threat to their imaginary relationship. Apparently the good doctor and I were both a little slow on the uptake in that regard, because I really didn't see that coming until the final 15-20 minutes, because I SO expected Gansa to be the guilty one. (And who was expecting Lewis to get involved in a physical altercation with with Bethan???) Instead, I get surprised with HENSHALL ANGST as his character vows to stay by his coma-stricken wife until she awakens. Just goes to show you NEVER know, hmm? :P

This episode was extraordinarily well-constructed and fast-paced, definitely a favorite of mine in the Lewis canon. Fully of sparkling, sarcastic one-liners, unexpected action sequences, and some forward momentum in the Lewis/Hobson romance, and you have a winning formula all the way around. I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Inspector Lewis: Wild Justice

Inspector Lewis continued its fourth series on Masterpiece Mystery last night with a brand-new episode entitled Wild Justice, and no pun intended but what a wild ride it was! *wink* This episode provided some fantastic insight into the emotional depth of the Lewis/Hathaway partnership, and what really makes these men tick. Here's the episode summary from the PBS website:

Rabbis, nuns, mullahs, and Buddhists peacefully commingle with their friar hosts at an interfaith conference at St. Gerard's college. But when an American female bishop is found dead, poisoned by a glass of the college's own chianti, Lewis (Kevin Whately) and Hathaway (Laurence Fox) suspect that the bishop's liberal views led to her murder. That is, until a far more gruesome death occurs, mirroring a macabre murder from a Jacobean Revenge tragedy. It's a case that demands Hathaway's prodigious literary and theological knowledge and Lewis' keen and common-sense gut instinct. But are those resources dimming for the partners as one feels stirrings of his old call to seminary and the other considers his own mortality...and early retirement? They must somehow put struggles with faith aside before an obsessed killer takes another stab at wild justice. Amelia Bullmore (Endgame) guest stars.

Wild Justice was another excellent episode in Series 4, and a standout in the entire Inspector Lewis series thanks to how this case personally impacted Lewis and Hathaway and the insight it provided into each man's character and what makes their partnership tick. The episode opens with Lewis (Kevin Whately) and Hathaway (Laurence Fox) each contemplating a notice at headquarters announcing "early retirement/voluntary redundancy packages" available for consideration. Now, if this was the series finale instead of just episode two, that might raise some eyebrows of concern at the very thought (oh the HORROR!) that either Lewis or Hathaway would seriously consider leaving the police force. So, that worry aside, this case provided a fascinating lens through which we get to see our heroes examine why they do what they do, and count the cost.

Lewis and Hathaway must set aside their contemplations of the future temporarily when they are called to St. Gerard's College to investigate the death of Bishop Helen Parsons (Pamela Nomvete), a participant in the school's recently completed interfaith conference. Lewis has always been -- how shall I say this? -- apathetic when it comes to matters of faith. But Hathaway, who had studied for the priesthood, eats up the case's religious setting like nobody's business. When it is learned that Parsons was poisoned with the college's own labeled wine, and she was last seen speaking to a "hooded figure" (Hathaway relishes the chance to explain the difference between friars and monks to Lewis -- heehee!!), which brings the college staff under sharp suspicion.

Setting a mystery in one of Oxford's specifically religious colleges was a wonderful move, since faith is such an intensely personal thing -- and in Lewis & Hathaway's world, when intensely personal passions run amuck, someone usually ends up dead. The St. Gerard's setting felt so rich with history and mystery, and walked a wonderfully fine line between a place of spiritual refuge and introspection and unexpected danger, where closely guarded passions mask secrets some find worth killing to keep. I was especially interested in the school's patroness, the elderly and regal Adele Goffe (Sian Phillips). I feel like her position vis-a-vis St. Gerard's was not explored as well as one could have wished (perhaps more will be revealed on the DVD?). Phillips has enjoyed a lengthy and varied career, from playing Cassiopeia in the original Clash of the Titans to a guest turn in Poirot. Mrs. Goffe definitely had the Vice Regent Mancini (Ronald Pickup) in her pocket, a friar with an eye to securing his own legacy -- the question being, at what cost? Pickup may be a familiar face to fans of British film, having appeared episodes of Foyle's War and Lark Rise to Candleford, as well as mainstream Hollywood fare like Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.

The case grows in complexity, as these cases are so wont to do, when a candidate for Friar Mancini's post of vice regent is found murdered in a particularly gruesome, cruel fashion -- a death that mirrors one found in a Jacobean revenge play. A play that was the subject of a recent lecture by another candidate for the vice regent post, the liberally-minded Caroline Hope (Amelia Bullmore). Of course Hathaway's extensive literary background recognizes the literary death being played out in real life -- and can I just tell you how much I LOVE THAT MAN'S BRAIN??? It's a thing of beauty. Bullmore appeared in Endgame, which if memory serves aired on Masterpiece Contemporary last year, as well as in the Poirot episode Hallowe'en Party which aired on Mystery earlier this summer. The other two candidates for vice regent are the suspiciously sneaky Friar Stephen (Nicholas Sidi) and the affable Joanna Pinnock (Sorcha Cusack). Point of interest -- Sorcha is the sister of Sinead Cusack, the actress who will forever live in my mind as John Thornton's mother in North & South. :) Pinnock has a very enlightening conversation with Hathaway regarding his seminary past -- she recognizes the toll police work has taken on a kindred spirit, and prompts some very interesting moments of self-reflection for my favorite DS. :)

Side note: Caroline's boyfriend/partner is played by Paul Anderson. Wild Justice marks Anderson's second Lewis appearance, as he previously appeared in The Great and the Good, and will be seen on the big screen later this year in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.

Things start to get wonderfully weird and messy as they are prone to do in this series when it becomes apparent that the first victim, Parsons, was perhaps not the intended target of the poisoned wine -- and a seemingly unrelated retired detective (Christopher Timothy) is murdered, followed by the murder of Pinnock's son. Both deaths have literary connections, and appear to point to a gruesome power play for control of the college's future. The detective's death brings to light the long-buried and horrific past of staff member Caroline Hope -- but is she the victim here, or a perpetrator out to conceal her past at all cost? The revelations about her history serve as the impetus for some interesting dialogue between Lewis and Hathaway regarding justice and revenge.

I really don't want to give much more than that away regarding the "whodunit" as I did enjoy watching the storyline unfold on-screen, as crazy and convoluted as it was. :) However, I can't let this post end without commenting on Felix (Daniel Ryan), Adele's butler? personal assistant? Ryan played Felix with as this wonderful mix of creepy niceness, sealing the deal by having an affair with Adele's daughter (Amanda Ryan), who struck me as very emotionally immature, probably due to the influence of her apparently overwhelming and strong-willed mother. I recognized Daniel Ryan from As Time Goes By and Doctor Who (though not immediately, had to look him up). However, last night I was EXTREMELY distracted by what struck me as an uncanny resemblance to Brendan Coyle. So let me know your thoughts:

Daniel Ryan:

Brendan Coyle:

Thoughts? Maybe I just have Downton Abbey on the brain since that show started in the UK this past weekend. *wink* You can be the judge. :)

A couple of additional quick points about my boys Lewis and Hathaway -- I simply adored how this episode drove home the deep regard and respect the two have for each other, even though coming out and SAYING so would probably kill one or both. *wink* From Hathaway's snarky remark "I don't like misplaced apostrophes" (seriously WHERE WERE the Oxford grammar police???), to Lewis's later off-hand comment that he never noticed apostrophes until he met Hathaway -- seriously, what further proof does one need to show how FREAKING PERFECT they are for each other. (Potential spin-off idea -- Inspector Hathaway: Grammar Police...just thinking out loud here...) Bromance for the win! :) And while Hobson (Clare Holman) had a fairly small role in this episode, I love how she is there to remind Lewis that he needs to keep Hathaway abreast of his potential retirement plans. (So sweet!) But the best moment of the night, and perhaps one of my top ten favorite Hathaway moments in the series thus far is at the very end, when Hathaway levels with Lewis and says if Lewis retires then Hathaway's resigning, because no one else will put up with his idiosyncrasies. Yes, at that point I was begging my television for them to just hug already and get it over with! *wink*

I'm really looking forward to next week's installment. If you watched this episode, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Howlin' for Hathaway

So last month Tasha made a Zen fan video, and now she's outdone herself with A HATHAWAY ONE! This is the kind of thing one shares with the WORLD...so enjoy. :)



Excuse me while I swoon...

Inspector Lewis: Old, Unhappy, Far Off Things

Sorry this post is so late -- I was sidelined with a terrible sinus headache yesterday (yes, that is an awesome way to spend a DAY OFF, but I digress...).

Inspector Lewis began its long-awaited Series IV debut Sunday with the episode Old, Unhappy, Far Off Things. I absolutely loved this return to Lewis & Hathaway's world -- the series regulars were in fine form, there were a couple of great guest stars, and Hathaway was deliciously cranky and wore a trench coat for nearly the entire episode. The ENTIRE episode -- be still my heart. :) Here's the episode summary:

Luminary graduates from Oxford's last surviving all-female college are on campus to honor beloved professor Diana Ellerby (Juliet Stevenson, Place of Execution). There is the confident lingerie CEO, the provocative newspaper columnist — and then there's the passive aggressive Poppy Toynton. Poppy never quite blossomed intellectually like her peers. When Poppy is found dead on the stairs, her seething rage against her fellow graduates exposed, Lewis and Hathaway step into the esteemed circle of women to investigate. But Lewis is haunted by memories of 15-year-old Chloe Brooks, attacked at the college ten years earlier. Lewis's work on that case interrupted by the death of his wife, now his deepening obsession with it threatens to derail the Toynton investigation. Is it unresolved grief or detective's intuition? Lewis and Hathaway get a dizzying education in the scandals and secrets of Lady Matilda's College, as well as a lesson or two in feminism, as they untangle a new case and bring a far off one back into terrifying focus. Kevin Whately, Laurence Fox and Hattie Morahan (Sense and Sensibility) star in Old, Unhappy, Far Off Things.

Lady Matilda's, the last all-female college at Oxford, is readying itself for change -- there was a recent vote to open to male students, and one of the college's most famous professors, Diana Ellerby (Juliet Stevenson), is leaving for Princeton. A party celebrating Diana's accomplishments brings her best and brightest students back to Oxford, including Freya Carlisle (Zoe Telford), a newspaper columnist, and Lakshmi Eyre (Stephanie Street), a retail executive. On the fringes of this glittering circle are Poppy Toynton (Kathryn O'Reilly), whose inclusion in Diana's "circle of trust" has always baffled the more successful members, and Ruth Brooks (Hattie Morahan), a nurse whose career stalled when her sister was attacked and left comatose at an Oxford party ten years prior -- a case Lewis investigated, that coincided with his wife's hit-and-run related death. (I realize Ruth's character doesn't show up until the second party, but I'm trying to condense things here.) Past and present collide as Lewis discovers that this latest case will force him to revisit some of his pasts most painful memories.

I've always rather felt that Inspector Lewis's strongest episodes are those that delve into the pasts of our beloved main characters -- Lewis (Kevin Whately), Hathaway (Laurence Fox), Hobson (Clare Holman), etc. -- and provide some glimmers of insight into the events that made them into the team that exists on our TV screens today. It's been almost two years since we really revisited the shattering event of Lewis's loss of his wife -- her death informs so much of his character, especially the reticent man he was early on in the show that it would be easy to surmise that the writers have exhausted (or forgotten) the event entirely. Since discovering who was responsible for his wife's death in the Series II episode The Quality of Mercy, we've seen a gradually more relaxed (marginally -- he's still delightfully set in his ways) Lewis, open even to the previously unthinkable possibility of dating again. Forcing Lewis to revisit a place that he associates with his greatest heartbreak turned out to be a highly effective way of revealing how such pain never really goes away, and the scar can be ripped open when one least expects it.

Hathaway makes my world go 'round, when it comes to this show, and watching the friendship and trust grow and develop between Lewis and Hathaway is one of the show's greatest joys. Seriously, I could write an ODE to those moments (that would quickly fall apart into incoherent fangirl babbling, but it's the thought that counts, right?). This episode was just chock-full of Hathaway-related goodness. By far the highlight was witnessing his concern over Lewis's reaction to revisiting an unfinished case, circa the time of his wife's death. Fox doesn't have to say much -- his character really is a man of very few words -- so the acting is all in the eyes and expressions and movement. Subtle but powerfully done.

It was particularly interesting to see Hathaway react to the re-entry of Lewis's former DS, Ali McLennon (Saskia Reeves). McLennon retired early and was apparently convinced that there was nothing left to investigate in Lewis's old case involving the Brooks sisters. Lewis can't shake the feeling there's more to the story, but for some INEXPLICABLE REASON (male stupidity? :P) seems really into the idea of reconnecting with Ali, who has apparently harbored a thing for him all these years. This brings up a couple of discussion points -- 1) Whatever happened to the burgeoning romance between Lewis and Hobson last year (in Your Sudden Death Question they're planning a weekend getaway, and in Falling Darkness Lewis gets all hot & bothered over Laura's past -- jealous much)? I did think their romance was progressing a tad fast, but if the showrunners' idea of back-pedaling is pretend that least season never happened, that doesn't work for me, either.

And 2) Seriously, how adorable was it watching Hathaway SEETHE WITH REPRESSED JEALOUSY when Lewis is (stupidly) WAY more interested in listening to his former DS than him, even going so far as to take her out for PINTS! I could just hear Hathaway mentally ranting -- "What ON EARTH are you taking that SKANKY FORMER COP out for PINTS FOR?!?! GOING FOR PINTS & DISCUSSING CASES IS OUR THING!!!!!!!" :) And despite the distinct LACK of Lewis appreciation for his loyalty, he goes ABOVE & BEYOND (read: sleepless) creating timeline boards for ten-year old cases, all in the name of supporting his BFF Lewis. I love these guys. :)

A couple of quick casting notes -- Zoe Telford as Freya may be a familiar face to Mystery fans, as she's appeared in episodes of Poirot and Foyle's War, and perhaps most notably as Watson's love interest Sarah in Sherlock. Juliet Stevenson (Diana Ellerby) is a period film veteran. Stevenson memorably portrayed Mrs. Elton in the 1996 Emma, and in the 2002 Nicholas Nickelby she proved just how adept she could be at playing creepy/crazy people. *wink* I am hard-pressed to think of an actress better suited to hide a whole lotta crazy beneath an icy veneer of respectability. Seriously, watching Stevenson fish around for a ten-year-old corpse is over-the-top, but it's the kind of melodrama amidst the ivy-drenched Oxford halls that makes this show so much fun. Casting-wise the best surprise of this episode was, for me, Hattie Morahan's appearance as Ruth Brooks, one of Diana's most promising students whose future was irrevocably altered by the horrifying attack on her sister. Morahan is perhaps best-recognized thanks to her appearance as Elinor Dashwood in the 2008 miniseries version of Sense & Sensibility -- and for my money this is her best TV appearance since that role. She brings the perfect balance of strength & vulnerability to Ruth's character (plus she has this awesome NAME!! HA!!), AND she gets to be on the receiving end of Hathaway's multi-tasking matchmaking AWESOMENESS -- so yeah, on the last point alone, EXCELLENT subplot there.

Old, Unhappy, Far Off Things was an excellent start to the newest slate of Inspector Lewis episodes. My boys Lewis and Hathaway are in fine form, and if this episode is any indication we're in for a real treat over the next few weeks. If you watched the episode I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Update 9/14/11: Read my DVD files update for this episode!