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.
As said a number of times already, 'Lewis' started off very promising with the pilot and Season 1. It was with Season 2 where 'Lewis' hit its stride with things generally feeling more settled. Season 3 was a more mixed bag, started disappointing "Allegory of Love" (though to me it was not a bad episode), before getting better with "The Quality of Mercy" and finishing well. "The Dead of Winter" was a well done start to Season 4, "Dark Matter" was to me the best episode since "Music to Die For", "Your Sudden Death Question" was solid and "Falling Darkness" was the best from that season.
"Old, Unhappy, Far Off Things" is one of the few episodes of 'Lewis' where it was difficult to find any fault, and "Wild Justice" comes close to that. While the killer's identity was a surprise and the climax not confusing or silly, the motive is pretty old-hat, not exactly a new one is it.
As always, the acting is fine, anchored by Kevin Whately and Laurence Fox. Whately is again very good and carries the episode with aplomb, advantaged by that Lewis is much more developed and as said he has more development. Clare Holman adds a lot, and Innocent has been better written over time. The supporting acting is very good, Ronald Pickup and Amelia Bullmore are standouts in very prominent roles. Daniel Ryan is decent but the character could have done with more development.
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.
Writing is smart and thought-provoking. The story is gripping with great twists and turns, lots of suspects and a higher body count than usual and there is also a real effort to properly develop all the ideas introduced rather than leaving questions in the balance, not always the case with 'Lewis'. The characters are well written and engaging.
Overall, Season 5 continues to go strong. 9/10 Bethany Cox
As said a number of times already, 'Lewis' started off very promising with the pilot and Season 1. It was with Season 2 where 'Lewis' hit its stride with things generally feeling more settled. Season 3 was a more mixed bag, started disappointing "Allegory of Love" (though to me it was not a bad episode), before getting better with "The Quality of Mercy" and finishing well. "The Dead of Winter" was a well done start to Season 4, "Dark Matter" was to me the best episode since "Music to Die For", "Your Sudden Death Question" was solid and "Falling Darkness" was the best from that season.
"Old, Unhappy, Far Off Things" is one of the few episodes of 'Lewis' where it was difficult to find any fault, and "Wild Justice" comes close to that. While the killer's identity was a surprise and the climax not confusing or silly, the motive is pretty old-hat, not exactly a new one is it.
As always, the acting is fine, anchored by Kevin Whately and Laurence Fox. Whately is again very good and carries the episode with aplomb, advantaged by that Lewis is much more developed and as said he has more development. Clare Holman adds a lot, and Innocent has been better written over time. The supporting acting is very good, Ronald Pickup and Amelia Bullmore are standouts in very prominent roles. Daniel Ryan is decent but the character could have done with more development.
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.
Writing is smart and thought-provoking. The story is gripping with great twists and turns, lots of suspects and a higher body count than usual and there is also a real effort to properly develop all the ideas introduced rather than leaving questions in the balance, not always the case with 'Lewis'. The characters are well written and engaging.
Overall, Season 5 continues to go strong. 9/10 Bethany Cox