Lewis
Lewis
Inspector Robert Lewis steps out of the shadow of his mentor, the inimitable Inspector Morse, in this highly-acclaimed series of intricate mysteries. Together with his brooding, inscrutable partner, Detective Sergeant James Hathaway, they take on the elite criminal underworld of Oxford, England, relying on Lewis' instinct and Hathaway's intellect to see past appearances and into the hearts of their upper-crust foes.
匚卂尺ㄥ reviewedFebruary 17, 2025
The Lewis DVD series (1 through 9) is a welcome follow-on to the Inspector Morse series. Kevin Whately (as DI Lewis) and Laurence Fox (as DS James Hathaway) are superb in their roles, both when they contrast and when they complement each other. I like the idea of having Hathaway a Cambridge man who studied classics and theology. The supporting cast is likewise effective; I hope they keep the same pathologist (Clare Holman as Dr Laura Hobson) for as long as the program runs.
There's the same quality of writing and directing and intriguing problems to solve, not to mention the familiar Oxford settings. I like the fact that there are two subplots woven into the early programs--Morse's legacy and the death of Val, Lewis's wife from the Morse series. No spoilers here. At first I was disappointed by the "device" of having Val die (in the Pilot episode), but as the series progressed it was so well interwoven to the other plots and to the development of Lewis and the other characters that I was no longer bothered.
The music is spot on as well. Barrington Pheloung has provided a new series score which is slightly lighter in tone than that of the Morris series.