Inspector Lewis (TV Series) Beyond Good and Evil: Part 2 (2014) User Reviews

Truth and consequences.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 9/10 · 18 October 2020]

The case of Graham Lawrie continues, was he guilty all those years back? Did Lewis get it wrong?

It's such a good story, Lewis was always such a solid, sturdy, honest character, the thought of him being accused of a wrongful conviction adds something to the story.

Fast paced, more so than your average Lewis story, it really does move along very quickly. It's a shame Maddox isn't in it much. Hathaway has very much felt like the boss in this one.

Maybe it was Lord Lucan on Shergar, what a cracking line, a good script overall.

Alec Newman is excellent as Lawrie, if you want to see him cast as a real psychopath, check him out in an episode of Silent Witness called Run, he's excellent in it.

I thoroughly enjoyed it, 9/10.

Did Lewis get the wrong man?

[Tweekums · 8/10 · 15 November 2014]

These comments are based on the whole story not just episode two

Thirteen years ago Lewis arrested Graham Lawrie for the murder of three police officers; now, just as he is about to launch an appeal, another policeman is killed in an identical manner. Was Lewis wrong all those years ago, does Lawrie have an accomplice trying to cast doubt on the earlier verdict or is it somebody trying to impress Lawrie? It doesn't help that there were some mistakes in the earlier case including forgetting to notify Lawrie's lawyers about a possible alibi for one of the killings. Lewis is sure he got the right man but Hathaway can't help having some doubts. Plenty of suspects soon arise; the nurse overseeing Lawrie in the secure hospital, the Doctor who needs him to be guilty to validate her work, a lecturer who has visited him, the student who seems a little too interested in the case or the woman who has led the campaign for his release.

This story; the last of the current series, was one of the most gripping. The possibility that Lewis might have made a mistake caused tensions between him and Hathaway which changed the dynamic between them… it is Hathaway's case now; Lewis is just helping. There was also a sense of danger with it looking like DS Maddox might have been killed at the end of episode one. There was also a genuinely surprising twist in the second episode when another character is killed. There were a good number of suspects to keep the viewer guessing and when the killer is revealed it doesn't seem far-fetched. Overall this was a good conclusion to the series; I hope we see more of Lewis and Hathaway in the future.

More Victims/More Questions

[Hitchcoc · 8/10 · 26 March 2018]

As his adversary gloats, our psychopath begins to show how self centered he is. He needed help to pull off his leaving prison, but those that were of benefit to him have basic expectations. Of course, he turns his back on these people. Someone is committing crimes in the manner that this man did, including the young detective, Maddox, who is brutally attacked. We also have a career psychologist who has made this guy her life's work. Lewis and Hathaway clash a bit more. What will happen next? What are the pieces? The conclusion isn't all that hard to believe.

Pretty good

[lizzieqever · 8/10 · 28 January 2024]

One thing I like about the 2 parter is they developed a good number of suspects with possible motives to keep you guessing. The final solution was plausible, but I have noticed with Lewis there is a tendency to withhold a vital clue until nearly the end. I missed the murderer on this one.

The story on this one was much better and easier to follow than many Lewis episodes. I would probably give a 9 rating, but towards the end a couple of the main characters did things putting themselves in danger that seemed ridiculously stupid. It detracted from overall a good story for me. Still certainly one of the better Lewis episodes, especially as a whodunnit.

Beyond Good and Evil: The second half

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 1 July 2017]

Hearing about 'Lewis' for the first time when it first started, there was a big touch of excitement seeing as 'Inspector Morse' was and still is one of my favourites but also a little intrepidation, wondering whether the series would be as good. The good news is, like the prequel series 'Endeavour', 'Lewis' is every bit as good as 'Inspector Morse' and stands very well on its own two feet as a detective mystery and show in general.

'Lewis' was a show that started off promisingly with the pilot and the first season, while getting even better with a more settled Season 2 where the show hit its stride. Season 3 was more of a mixed bag (not a bad season at all, but started a little disappointingly, though better than reputed, with one of the show's generally lesser episodes "Allegory of Love"). Season 4 generally was one of the better seasons of 'Lewis', with all the episodes very good to great, and Season 5 was solid with the only disappointment being "The Mind Has Mountains".

Season 6 started off very well with "The Soul of Genius", while "Generation of Vipers" was even better. Unfortunately, "Fearful Symmetry" was very disappointing and has always been one of my least favourite 'Lewis' episodes. On the other side of the coin, fortunately the season gets back on track with a great finale and its best episode "The Indelible Stain".

The show's seventh season suffered from the rather bizarre decision to split its three episodes into two halves, meaning having to wait until the next week until the conclusion. In all three of the Season 7 episodes, this has proved to be rather awkward and in "Down Among the Fearful" and "The Ramblin' Boy" ran the risk of forgetting what happened previously and being even more confused by events and who the characters were. "Intelligent Design" however was much better and easily the best of that season.

"Entry Wounds" was decent if unexceptional, with things getting better with "The Lions of Nemea" (although that didn't wow me either). "Beyond Good and Evil" is generally the best episode of Season 8 though still wasn't wowed by either half.

A couple of the more major events could have had a little more intensity, with the characters reacting in a less mellow and more urgent manner. Also still think the two-half-episode split is unnecessary, and Maddox is still a bland, uninteresting character that isn't gelling with Angela Griffin still on the annoying side. Some of the elements to the story are over-familiar which makes some parts too easy to foresee and the ending to me was too much of a cop-out.

As always the acting is solid, on the other hand, with Kevin Whately very good and Laurence Fox a breath of fresh air. Their chemistry is wholly convincing, always a huge part of the show's charm, with a strong contrast between Lewis being the world weary one with the hunches and Hathaway being the more logical and witty. Really like the chemistry between Lewis and Hobson (Clare Holman doesn't disappoint) too, and that Hobson's character has expanded for the better overtime in the show. Likewise with Innocent being much softer than she was when 'Lewis' first started.

Production values are of very high quality. It's beautifully shot as always, and Oxford not only looks exquisite but is like a supporting character in itself. Barrington Pheloung returns as composer, and does a first-rate job. The theme tune, while not as iconic or quite as clever as Morse's, is very pleasant to listen to, the episode is charmingly and hauntingly scored and the use of pre-existing music is very well-incorporated.

Some of the writing is thoughtful and fun and enough of the the story, even though not the most original, has enough very compelling moments and a very neat set up with equally neat execution. Hathaway being more of a lead suited the story well and doesn't come to the detriment of Lewis himself.

The support acting is solid, with the standout being a chilling Alec Newman.

In conclusion, the best episode of Season 8 if more a decent episode than a great one. 7/10 Bethany Cox

unsatisfactory

[frieda-92366 · 5/10 · 20 September 2023]

With all the possible suspects in this two-part episode, how did they end up with the one who doesn't fit and is barely on screen at all. The story was great, if slightly overused in these detective series -- senior police officer called on when one of his "solved" cases from years ago starts to go awry. So there is the tension between Hathaway and Lewis, between Hathaway and his understudy, and between Lewis and himself. Plus multiple characters drawn from a variety of settings as the Usual Suspects. Those who have studied the original convicted man -- Lawrie -- ex-lovers, fan-boys and fan-girls, the obnoxious solicitor, the psychologist, and so forth. At every turn I thought I had figured out what was going on, but I hadn't. Which is the way every good mystery should be, right? Then the ending. I thought it was disappointing because there were so many compelling reasons why others could have been responsible for the copycat killings. Then they pinned it on someone who had practically nothing to do with anything. Yes, that's supposed to make it the "surprise" but it also makes it all seem much ado about nothing. Or sound and fury signifying nothing. Uh oh, I think I have fallen to the same device used by the script writers of this episode: taking too many liberties with convenience. Overall, the episode was okay. But if they were going to devote two parts to it, why not do something more original.

Dire

[sid_swift · 2/10 · 15 November 2014]

Lewis used to be good but who came up with this plot? It has been done many times before. It is straight out of the 'we can't think of anything original so has anyone seen anything good on the telly that we use' book. Baddie gets put away, years later baddie appeals and gets out on a technicality, wants revenge on our hero who loses his rag and breaks every rule in the book while no one else can see what is going on and then guess who did it among all the red herrings thrown around at random? Poor Hathaway had to play the dolt detective and he should be the one with the brains. It didn't even need to be in Oxford so they just chucked in a few academics. Embarrassingly bad and not worthy of a very, very good cast. I mostly can watch the (very frequent) repeats but this one won't get past the credits again.