Inspector Lewis (TV Series) Beyond Good and Evil: Part 1 (2014) User Reviews

Back again for one more season

[blanche-2 · 8/10 · 30 October 2014]

Inspector Lewis (Kevin Whately) is retired and living with Laura (Clare Holman) when a 2001 case of his is reopened due to cross-contamination of DNA evidence.

Graham Lawrie was convicted of killing three policeman. He has always claimed innocence. The lab that did the tests has now been found to have been wrong in two other cases. Worse, a police officer has just been killed in a similar way, with a hammer.

Lewis believes he had the right man,and he thinks the latest murder is a copycat murder or perhaps done by an accomplice. As the senior officer now, Hathaway is sensitive to the problem but knows he has to be unbiased in the investigation.

He learns that some evidence was not presented in 2001 that would have cast doubt on the Lawrie's guilt -- that he had an alibi for one of the murders. Lawrie is set free, and another officer is killed.

Lewis comes out of retirement to assist in the case.

Good episode, interesting mystery with a neat twist. Lewis and Hathaway work well together even if they do argue. Good to see them back. The acting was very good.

A perfect psychopath.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 9/10 · 18 October 2020]

Very much a Lewis focused story, Graham Lawrie, a face from Lewis's past returns to haunt him. On the eve of Lawrie's appeal, a murder is carried out with with the same M.O, was he wrongly convicted, or an elaborate plan to convince of his innocence.

It's a great story, a gritty case, and what's more, there's a bit of needle between Lewis and Hathaway, which definitely adds a little spice. Lawrie makes for a great central villain.

Angela Griffin made a great start, and Maddox continues to develop as a character, she was a great addition.

One of those episodes that showed us how badly we needed a Hathaway series. 9/10.

The Psychotic Mind

[Hitchcoc · 8/10 · 26 March 2018]

Thirteen years previously, Lewis was involved in a case where three policemen were killed, their heads dashed in with a kind of hammer. Now, because of some technicalities and some weak police work, this guy is getting out. It has been pretty much proven that this man is psychotic, but over the years he has attracted the attention of some sympathizers. It's obvious that his release will lead to no good. Being the typical narcissist, he believes he needs to be repaid for his time. But what he had not counted on was a lot of attention. Lewis is furious and gets in Hathaway's way, letting his emotions impede his progress.

Dark, intriguing episode

[grantss · 8/10 · 8 November 2022]

(Review is of both parts).

A policeman is ambushed and murdered in a crime reminiscent of a string of murders that occurred 13 years earlier. Graham Lawrie was convicted of those crimes but is about to be released on a technicality. Lawrie was in jail at the time of this murder but could he have associates carrying out these deeds on his behalf?

Episodes 1 and 2 of this season were a bit disappointing. The last episode of Season 7 had a finality to it and wrapped up the show quite neatly. Despite all this we had Season 8 with Hathaway un-resigned, Lewis un-retired and the two of them equals! It smacked of the producers trying to wring the last dollar out of the show. Furthermore, the plot to Episodes 1 and 2 was quite lacklustre.

However, Episodes 3 and 4 steadied the ship with a great plot. The Lewis-Hathaway partnership still doesn't feel right but overall the episode was very good.

Episodes 5 and 6 continue in the same vein. Furthermore, the villain is quite a piece of work and, worse than that, there is an unknown acolyte/fan/copy-cat murdering people using his modus operandi. Quite dark and sinister.

Beyond Good and Evil: The first half

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 30 June 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 has 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.

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.

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 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 summary, good first half to generally Season 8's best episode. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Police proceedures

[senob · 3/10 · 27 May 2018]

Inspector Morse was head and shoulders above what Inspector Lewis evolved into. Police proceedures went completly away and to me the series ended on a sad note from what it once was.

You know things are desperate when they dust off the psychopath story

[Sir_Oblong_Fitzoblong · 3/10 · 6 September 2020]

The opening scene of 50-something Lewis and over-21 Laura supposedly being snuggly on a backless bench in a position that would test the core strength of Nureyev & Fonteyn suggests we are not in the hands of a crack production team and nothing in the succeeding 88 minutes serves to challenge that view.

Old case, psychopath, did he really do it, Lewis too involved to be objective, yawn .. and the murderer's identity put up in neon lights in the first reel. The cut and paste plot - no effort, same fee.

The episode's only distinction is that it could well take the record for the number of people wearing an academic gown in the infantilized fantasy town that the programme is pleased to call Oxford. The final scene conjures an image of a crazed, fat, cigar-chewing director shouting "More gowns, damn-it! Give me more gowns!"

Disappointing by the standards set by this series.

[plynch181 · 5/10 · 10 August 2019]

The personal moments between the principal cast are still as good as ever. However, they seem to be caught in a Merchant Ivory production of "the silence of the lambs".