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:

Lewis & Hathaway LIVE!!

GUYS GUYS GUYS. I am SO EXCITED!! Last month (and somehow I missed this news) Lewis was commissioned for a new series of six one-hour episodes! According to Digital Spy, the series will see the retired Lewis return to active duty to work with the now INSPECTOR Hathaway. Can. Not. WAIT.

where I talk about Lewis & Hathaway

The latest issue of Femnista has been released, and I talk all about THESE GUYS, so, you know, go forth and read! :)

Inspector Lewis returns THIS WEEKEND!!!

Inspector Lewis returns this weekend on Masterpiece Mystery, people! THIS WEEKEND!!! Hathaway, I've missed you SO MUCH.

Watch Inspector Lewis: Series 6 Preview on PBS. See more from Masterpiece.

Masterpiece Mystery Summer 2013 Schedule!

Last week PBS unveiled its slate of new summer programming which you can read all about here -- but obviously the most important part of that press release has to do with Masterpiece Mystery! While I am heart-broken, positively BEREFT over the fact that this summer marks Inspector Lewis's final season, I can't wait for more Lewis and Hathaway followed by FOUR new Endeavour episodes! Here's the schedule and brief episode descriptions:

MASTERPIECE MYSTERY! “Inspector Lewis, Series VI”
Kevin Whately returns as Inspector Lewis for the sixth season of the popular series. He and his young partner, DS Hathaway (Laurence Fox), continue solving cases in the seemingly perfect academic haven of Oxford. Sundays, June 16-30, 9:00-10:30 p.m. ET

“Down Among the Fearful”  – June 16
When a psychic is found murdered, Inspector Lewis and DS Hathaway discover that the victim is really an Oxford psychology research fellow. As they probe further, the truth behind the psychic’s double life unravels, revealing numerous suspects.

“The Ramblin’ Boy” – June 23
With DS Hathaway on holiday, Inspector Lewis is assigned a new partner to investigate the discovery of an elderly man’s body in a field. Finding that the man had already been embalmed, the inquiry leads to a funeral home and those connected to it, including one of Lewis’ former colleagues. Peter Davison (“Doctor Who”) guest stars.

“Intelligent Design” – June 30
Lewis and Hathaway are called in to examine the brutal death of a chemistry professor — recently released from prison — who may be connected to the discovery of a murdered Oxford student lost for 15 years. As more casualties and suspects emerge, Lewis considers his future on the force. Edward Fox (“Miss Marple,” “Foyle’s War”) guest stars. 

MASTERPIECE MYSTERY! “Endeavour, Series 1”
Before Inspector Morse, there was the rookie Detective Constable Endeavour Morse, fed up with police work and ready to nip his career in the bud by handing in his resignation. That is, until a murder turned up that only he could solve. Shaun Evans stars as the young Detective Constable Endeavour Morse, before his signature red Jaguar but with his deductive powers already running in high gear. Sundays, July 7-28, 9:00-10:30 p.m. ET

“Girl” – July 7
DC Morse (Shaun Evans) and DI Thursday (Roger Allam) investigate burgled gas meters, the sudden death of a young secretarial student and a string of post office robberies, confounding the solution to a pair of violent murders. Could Morse’s future on the force be in jeopardy? 

“Fugue” – July 14
Morse and Thursday are confronted with a new breed of murderer, as a string of Oxford homicides continues with no end in sight. The entire police department is working round the clock and a special expert comes on to assist, but Morse’s love of opera may be the key to stopping the killing …

“Rocket” – July 21
A royal visit to a family-owned munitions factory begins as a proud occasion for the people of Oxford, but the joyous day ends with murder. Morse delves into the family’s murky past, as well as his own, as he attempts to uncover the culprit before more lives are lost.

“Home” – July 28
While studying for his upcoming sergeant’s exam, Morse investigates the hit-and-run death of an eminent Oxford professor. The pressure mounts with his father’s illness and the appearance of an enemy threatening to reveal aspects of Inspector Thursday’s past. In the end, Morse must choose between the responsibilities of his job and loyalty to his mentor.

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! :)

Inspector Lewis concludes tomorrow

Inspector Lewis concludes its latest season tomorrow on Masterpiece Mystery with an episode entitled The Indelible Stain. Here's a bit about the story:

A controversial American academic is found strangled after a guest lecture at Oxford, drawing Lewis and Hathaway into a criminology department rife with murder suspects and a long list of motives. Watch Inspector Lewis: The Indelible Stain, Sunday, July 29 at 9pm on MASTERPIECE MYSTERY!

And here's a short preview:

Watch Inspector Lewis: The Indelible Stain Preview on PBS. See more from Masterpiece.

After this week it looks like PBS will probably be in fundraiser mode, and then Masterpiece will encore two episodes from Inspector Lewis's fourth season starting August 26th.

Inspector Lewis continues tomorrow!

Just a quick reminder that Inspector Lewis continues tomorrow on Masterpiece Mystery with a brand-new episode entitled Fearful Symmetry. Here's a short preview:

Watch Inspector Lewis: Fearful Symmetry Preview on PBS. See more from Masterpiece.

Inspector Lewis continues this Sunday!

Inspector Lewis continues this Sunday on Masterpiece Mystery, and as if I wasn't already excited enough about Lewis and Hathaway on my TV screen, this episode features Toby Stephens! TOBY STEPHENS!!! SQUEEE! :) Here's a bit about the episode:

When a lonely Oxford professor's dating video goes viral, she is humiliated before her students and colleagues. But humiliated enough to take her own life? Lewis thinks not. Watch an all-new Inspector Lewis, Generation of Vipers, Sunday, July 15 at 9pm. Toby Stephens (Jane Eyre) guest stars. (90 minutes)

And here's a short preview:

Watch Inspector Lewis: Generation of Vipers Preview on PBS. See more from Masterpiece.

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. :)

Inspector Lewis premieres Sunday!

I am so ridiculously happy about this. My favorite detective duo returns to Masterpiece Mystery on Sunday with the first of FOUR brand-new episodes! Inspector Lewis kicks off its newest season with The Soul of Genius:

Botany, rivalry and secrecy collide when Lewis and Hathaway attempt to find the killer of an obsessed professor. Kick off the new season of Inspector Lewis with The Soul of Genius, Sunday, July 8, 2012 at 9pm on MASTERPIECE MYSTERY! Celia Imrie (Cranford) co-stars. (90 minutes)

And here's a short preview:

Watch Inspector Lewis: The Soul of Genius Preview on PBS. See more from Masterpiece.

Lewis and Hathaway forever, I love these guys SO MUCH. :)

Endeavour Preview

We all know how much I love Inspector Lewis, right? What is perhaps not as well-known a fact is that I'm also nuts about Lewis's predecessor, Inspector Morse (I've seen fifteen of the thirty-three Morse films, just haven't blogged about them yet). On July 1st, Masterpiece Mystery will be airing Endeavour, a prequel film to the Morse series, set in 1965. For some reason I JUST NOW LOOKED UP PREVIEWS and now I'm EVEN MORE ridiculously excited for this film:

Watch Endeavour Preview on PBS. See more from Masterpiece.

Here's the DVD trailer preview with some additional footage:



I just discovered more EXCITING NEWS! Four two-hour episodes of Endeavour have been commissioned based on the successful airing of the pilot episode in the UK. I AM SO HAPPY ABOUT THIS (behold the strength of the Morse/Lewis brand).

Masterpiece Mystery 2012 Schedule!

PBS has finally posted the Masterpiece Mystery schedule for this year and it is pretty dang awesome. Without further ado:

Sherlock: Season 2

Three 90-minute mysteries — Sundays, May 6, 13 & 20, 2012

Sherlock, the world's foremost consulting detective (Benedict Cumberbatch, War Horse, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), and the beleaguered Dr. John Watson (Martin Freeman, The Hobbit, The Office UK) stalk again in three thrilling new episodes.

Episodes of Sherlock: Season 2:
 
May 6, 2012 at 9pm (Check local listings)
A Scandal in Belgravia
One 90-minute episode; TV-14

Picking up from Season 1's gripping cliffhanger, the whip-smart Irene Adler (Lara Pulver, True Blood) takes on Sherlock in a game he is ill-prepared to fight...love.
 
May 13, 2012 at 9pm (Check local listings)
The Hounds of Baskerville
One 90-minute episode; TV-14

Sherlock and Watson track a gigantic hound to Baskerville, where the military is conducting top-secret experiments. But whether demonic or dubious, something is stalking the moors.
 
May 20, 2012 at 9pm (Check local listings)
The Reichenbach Fall
One 90-minute episode; TV-14

The crime of the century is just a prelude for the unhinged criminal mastermind, Jim Moriarty (Andrew Scott, Lennon Naked), when he poses the diabolical and inescapable "final problem" to Sherlock.
 

 
Zen: Encore Episodes
 
Three 90-minute mysteries — Sundays, June 10, 17 & 24, 2012

What does an honest cop do when corruption rules on both sides of the law? Detective Aurelio Zen (Rufus Sewell, Middlemarch), based on the novels by British crime writer Michael Dibdin, brings justice to modern-day Italy, whether the authorities want it or not.

Encore Episodes of Zen:
 
June 10, 2012 at 9pm
(Limited TV Airings — Check local listings)
Vendetta
One 90-minute episode; TV-PG

Solving a politically-charged murder and winning a beautiful woman's heart nearly prevents Zen from learning that he is the object of a psychopath's murderous vendetta. Stanley Townsend (Sherlock) also stars.
 
June 17, 2012 at 9pm (Check local listings)
Cabal
One 90-minute episode; TV-PG

When a playboy plummets from a bridge, Zen must determine suicide or murder, all the while navigating the possible existence of a powerful shadowy conspiracy group. Ed Stoppard (Upstairs Downstairs) co-stars.
 
June 24, 2012 at 9pm (Check local listings)
Ratking
One 90-minute episode

When a set of kidnappers won't play by the rules, Zen must work against the clock — and his tyrannical new boss — to save the life of a politically powerful industrialist. Ben Miles (The Forsyte Saga) co-stars.
 

 
Endeavour
 
One 90-minute mystery — Sunday, July 1, 2012

Before his signature red Jaguar, before Inspector Morse, there was the rookie Constable Morse. Shaun Evans (The Take, The Virgin Queen) portrays Endeavour Morse, the low man on the force returning to Oxford with no track record and his future on the line.
 
July 1, 2012 at 9pm (Check local listings)
Endeavour
One 90-minute episode

In Oxford, 1965, a 15-year-old girl has disappeared, and only the powerless rookie Endeavour Morse is committed to finding her... and the truth. Actor John Thaw's daughter, Abigail, makes a cameo appearance.
 

 
Inspector Lewis: Season 5
 
Four 90-minute mysteries — Sundays, July 8 - 29, 2012

Kevin Whately returns for an all-new season as Inspector Lewis. With his young partner DS Hathaway (Laurence Fox), they continue solving cases in the seemingly perfect academic haven of Oxford.

Episodes of Inspector Lewis: Season 5:
 
July 8, 2012 at 9pm (Check local listings)
The Soul of Genius
One 90-minute episode

When the body of an obsessive Oxford English professor is found, Lewis and Hathaway are set upon a seemingly impossible quest to uncover the truth. James Fleet (Little Dorrit) and Celia Imrie (Cranford) guest star.
 
July 15, 2012 at 9pm (Check local listings)
Generation of Vipers
One 90-minute episode

Suspicions abound as Lewis and Hathaway investigate the death of a lovelorn Oxford professor. Was her death caused by an embarrassing Internet leak, or something much more sinister? Toby Stephens (Jane Eyre) guest stars.
 
July 22, 2012 at 9pm (Check local listings)
Fearful Symmetry
One 90-minute episode

Lewis and Hathaway are drawn into a darker side of Oxford while investigating the murder of a suburban babysitter. Will the babysitter's secret life help the detectives unravel a tangled web of lies and deceit to find their killer?
 
July 29, 2012 at 9pm (Check local listings)
The Indelible Stain
One 90-minute episode

A controversial American academic is found strangled after a guest lecture at Oxford, leading Lewis and Hathaway to narrow down a list of motives that includes politics, ambition and vengeance, in order to find their culprit.

Inspector Lewis: Encore Episodes

Catch up on some classic cases from season 4 of Inspector Lewis. 
 
Encore Episodes of Inspector Lewis:
 
August 5, 2012 at 9pm (Check local listings)
Wild Justice
One 90-minute episode

Lewis and Hathaway are called in to investigate the poisoning of a bishop. As their investigation continues, they uncover a twisted maze of motives and retribution. Co-starring Sian Phillips (I, Claudius).
 
August 26, 2012 at 9pm (Check local listings)
The Mind Has Mountains
One 90-minute episode

When a student is found dead during a clinical drug trial, the motives of an enigmatic professor are questioned. Douglass Henshall (South Riding, Collision) co-stars.
 
September 2, 2012 at 9pm (Check local listings)
The Gift of Promise
One 90-minute episode

During an investigation of a brutal bludgeoning, what seems to be a blackmail plot gone wrong turns into a case much more dark and sinister. Co-starring Cherie Lunghi (Secret Diary of a Call Girl).
 

 
Wallander: Season 3
 
Three 90-minute mysteries — Sundays, Sept. 9, 16 & 23, 2012

The brooding Swedish cop Wallander (Kenneth Branagh) returns with a new home and relationship, a new sense of possibility, and three chilling new cases with devastating effects.

Episodes of Wallander: Season 3:
 
September 9, 2012 at 9pm (Check local listings)
An Event in Autumn
One 90-minute episode

Wallander's peaceful new start is disrupted when investigations of two murdered, anonymous girls take him far from home... and to the very heart of it. Saskia Reeves (Page Eight) co-stars.
 
September 16, 2012 at 9pm (Check local listings)
The Dogs of Riga
One 90-minute episode

The gruesome appearance in the Baltic Sea of two corpses floating in a raft prompts Wallander to pursue justice in an eerie post-Soviet Latvia rife with corruption. Ingeborga Dapkunaite (Prime Suspect 6) guest stars.
 
September 23, 2012 at 9pm (Check local listings)
Before the Frost
One 90-minute episode

Wallander's investigation of a macabre murder is interrupted when daughter Linda's childhood friend appears out of nowhere, distraught, and then just as suddenly vanishes. Jeany Spark (Tess of the d'Urbervilles) also stars.
 
Some notes:

• Remember, you can visit my Masterpiece Mystery page to read my previous posts on Sherlock, Zen, Inspector Lewis, and Wallander.
• I had NO IDEA they were making more Wallander episodes. Call me a glutton for punishment but I really like watching a depressed Kenneth Branagh in this show. According to the IMDB, Tom Hiddleston is not appearing in these new films, which is VERY depressing news (silly movie career, whatevs!).
• I'm really looking forward to the Endeavor film -- I've recently watched the first 12 or so Inspector Morse films on DVD (which are AMAZING), so I'm hoping this "throwback" episode is 1) as excellent as the classic series and 2) perhaps launches a new Mystery series? A 1960s-set program could be fun. :)
• TOBY STEPHENS IS APPEARING IN AN EPISODE OF INSPECTOR LEWIS?! HOW AM I JUST NOW HEARING ABOUT THIS? Laurence Fox AND Toby Stephens in the same show, I may not be able to handle it.

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. :)