A young woman whose thing is performance art (using mounted animals) is found dead. At first it looks like a suicide but further evidence proves it was murder. In the mix are a group of rather strange people, including relationships between old men and young women. Also in the offing is the appearance of a new police captain who already has it in for Lewis. For Lewis we are beginning to see things a bit more fatalistic since he is really doing this as a favor. We are also given information about Hathaway's family, his father a victim of dementia. Interested to see the second half.
6 Reviews
A tale of two murders
grantss9 November 2022
(Review is of both parts).
A murdered body is found down a well having been there for a few years. Soon after this a student and taxidermist is found dead, a murder made to look like an accidental drug overdose. There's no apparent connection between the two deaths, or is there?
A fairly interesting and intriguing Lewis mystery. The two seemingly unconnected deaths: you know there has to be a link (this is Lewis, not Frost!) but what it is it? As Lewis, Hathaway and Maddox investigate the pieces slowly fall into place.
Good to see the character of DS Maddox (played by Angela Griffin) was retained from the previous season. Sad to see CS Innocent (Rebecca Front) go. Her replacement is quite annoying but that's the idea.
Another thing that's missing is the personal life side of things. Sadly, that's all gone now. Even the Lewis-Dr Hobson relationship doesn't get any attention. We do see a bit of Hathaway's family in this episode but that's largely depressing.
A murdered body is found down a well having been there for a few years. Soon after this a student and taxidermist is found dead, a murder made to look like an accidental drug overdose. There's no apparent connection between the two deaths, or is there?
A fairly interesting and intriguing Lewis mystery. The two seemingly unconnected deaths: you know there has to be a link (this is Lewis, not Frost!) but what it is it? As Lewis, Hathaway and Maddox investigate the pieces slowly fall into place.
Good to see the character of DS Maddox (played by Angela Griffin) was retained from the previous season. Sad to see CS Innocent (Rebecca Front) go. Her replacement is quite annoying but that's the idea.
Another thing that's missing is the personal life side of things. Sadly, that's all gone now. Even the Lewis-Dr Hobson relationship doesn't get any attention. We do see a bit of Hathaway's family in this episode but that's largely depressing.
A great start I thought.
Sleepin_Dragon26 January 2021
A young artist is found dead after an overdose, but was it suicide or murder? Robbie is under scrutiny from the new Chief Super.
I thoroughly enjoyed this episode, a very classy mystery, superbly produced, it looks great, it's clever, the acting is sublime. It feels like the beginning of the end, but if this is the tone of the final series, it's going to be good.
This should get extra points for having Mrs Warboys in it, lovely Doreen Mantle, what a cast, Ralf Little, Steve Pemberton, Emma Cuniffe, and more.
Not sure about the new Chief Super yet, love Steve Touasaint, but he's an idiot so far.
I loved it, 9/10.
I thoroughly enjoyed this episode, a very classy mystery, superbly produced, it looks great, it's clever, the acting is sublime. It feels like the beginning of the end, but if this is the tone of the final series, it's going to be good.
This should get extra points for having Mrs Warboys in it, lovely Doreen Mantle, what a cast, Ralf Little, Steve Pemberton, Emma Cuniffe, and more.
Not sure about the new Chief Super yet, love Steve Touasaint, but he's an idiot so far.
I loved it, 9/10.
The beginning of the final season
safenoe14 April 2021
Warning: Spoilers
I'm a big fan of Lewis, and having spent some time in Oxford, I know that Lewis presents Oxford through the lens of the cloistered world of Oxford University with some filming in fancy suburbs like Jericho and Summertown in the North of Oxford, and the countryside. But rarely do you see scenes in Cowley, Rose Hill and Blackbird Leys (Cowley's just a stone's throw from Magdalene College) where Lewis would be working 24/7 to crack down on thuggery big time. I chuckled when one of the characters fleetingly referred to "Cowley" in this episode, wich sums up the Oxford University world of Lewis. Still, Lewis is entertaining.
The scenes with Hathaway and his father was very touching, with the latter's descent into dementia. We also learn about taxidermy and how it fits into the murderous scheme. Steve Pemberton guest stars, and I wonder if the performance art murder ended up inspiring him to pen the Inside No. 9 episode Private View.
Rebecca Front was unable to return for season 9
Maybe one day Lewis can be rebooted please for these more contemporary times. If so, Danny Dyer should be cast as Lewis, with Ant or Dec playing Hathaway. They can investigate crimes around Oxford Brookes University (no relation to Oxford University) and crime ridden areas in Blackbird Leys, Rose Hill, Wood Farm (especially the area behind Awgar Stone Road).
The scenes with Hathaway and his father was very touching, with the latter's descent into dementia. We also learn about taxidermy and how it fits into the murderous scheme. Steve Pemberton guest stars, and I wonder if the performance art murder ended up inspiring him to pen the Inside No. 9 episode Private View.
Rebecca Front was unable to return for season 9
Maybe one day Lewis can be rebooted please for these more contemporary times. If so, Danny Dyer should be cast as Lewis, with Ant or Dec playing Hathaway. They can investigate crimes around Oxford Brookes University (no relation to Oxford University) and crime ridden areas in Blackbird Leys, Rose Hill, Wood Farm (especially the area behind Awgar Stone Road).
One For Sorrow: The first half
TheLittleSongbird1 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.
"One For Sorrow's" first half proved to be promising, and while a long way from the best 'Lewis' episode it's a quite decent start to the ninth and final season. Still think that splitting the episode into half when aired was not a good idea, especially with the story being as twisty and sometimes convoluted like it was in "One For Sorrow".
Really don't care for the character of Maddox still, she is bland and doesn't gel and Angela Griffin's acting doesn't make me feel any different. Parts are a little hastily paced, even in the first half there is a lot going on and one doesn't yet get to know the characters and feels like the story should have had more time to breathe.
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.
Moody seems to be settling in well and one doesn't miss Innocent too much. The support acting is good from particularly Nicholas Jones and the late Tim Piggott-Smith.
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 the story is mostly compelling and suitably twisty.
In conclusion, decent first half to a decent if unexceptional episode. 7/10 Bethany Cox
'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.
"One For Sorrow's" first half proved to be promising, and while a long way from the best 'Lewis' episode it's a quite decent start to the ninth and final season. Still think that splitting the episode into half when aired was not a good idea, especially with the story being as twisty and sometimes convoluted like it was in "One For Sorrow".
Really don't care for the character of Maddox still, she is bland and doesn't gel and Angela Griffin's acting doesn't make me feel any different. Parts are a little hastily paced, even in the first half there is a lot going on and one doesn't yet get to know the characters and feels like the story should have had more time to breathe.
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.
Moody seems to be settling in well and one doesn't miss Innocent too much. The support acting is good from particularly Nicholas Jones and the late Tim Piggott-Smith.
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 the story is mostly compelling and suitably twisty.
In conclusion, decent first half to a decent if unexceptional episode. 7/10 Bethany Cox
Taxidermy would be a mercy for this programme
Sir_Oblong_Fitzoblong19 September 2020
Same old stuff: obsession with life revolving around the university whose student population is uniformly brilliant but unable to articulate the simplest of sentences and in which every Don holds a personal chair; the once interesting and amusing Hathaway's range of expression is limited to "stare despairingly" and "stare despairingly again"; the producers still think that 20-year olds are interesting; Maddox is still pointless and irritating; and the script writers are still so bereft of imagination that they resort to feeble personal-life stories of the regulars in a desperate attempt to fill the unforgiving 90 minutes. At least I spotted a couple of people walking the streets without wearing an academic gown.
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