Lewis - Der Oxford Krimi

Call me an Anglophile, I don't care--it's probably true. This is a program for dedicated Anglophiles and those aspiring to be one. (LOL) The continuing adventures of Detective Inspector Lewis and his trusted sidekick Detective Sergeant Hathaway stand out for the strength of production values, acting, writing, and direction that are credits to the Masterpiece: Mystery! series tradition here in the States and television anywhere. Unlike most reviewers, I've never seen the Inspector Morse series which gave this one its genesis, but be assured I will be checking those discs out on Netflix shortly. Just know that this series stands completely on its own and is without peer, at least in my experience. The principals all acquit themselves with increasing wit and flair as the series progresses, creating a palpable matrix of living relationships which provide the sort of ongoing back story that insists you return, like that finish at the end of a wee dram of single malt, for more.

The cinematography (this is shot on film, not video), score (it is far too high quality to call it simply "music"), sharp pace of direction, and of course the acting, by both regulars and guests, is more than first-rate--it is better than we have any right to expect. Oxford is a very photogenic backdrop for the stories which manage rather niftily to send up the upper class snobbery of England at the same time that it celebrates the hallowed tradition of academia and culture with which it is inextricably entwined. The squarely middle-class education and perspective of the older Lewis is also projected against the Cambridge-educated Hathaway, a lapsed theologian who is at once intellectually on par with these Oxford denizens while yet at the same time apart, due to the inter-school rivalry as well as his own lineage, which we learn more of as the series progresses. The subtle windups Lewis and Hathaway deliver each other are to be savored, for they are the real mark of affection and respect each develops over time for the other.

That each episode fills in certain intriguing details of our regulars' back stories at the same time it guides us, with red herrings aplenty, through the solution of some very puzzling cases is also part of the magic of Inspector Lewis. I find myself at moments ignoring the developments of certain cases, not because they are dull, but because I am so consumed by disclosure of personal details and the repercussions amongst series regulars. Their lives matter to us, greatly, and their relationships are not completely static.

Never dull, frequently witty, and almost always a step ahead of us, Inspector Lewis is a series that entertains at all times, often plumbs surprising emotional depths, and occasionally achieves the elusive grace of art.

I expected that Lewis would still be good but not that it would surpass Morse and this has happened and it's because the wonderful team of Lewis and Hathaway.

The series only gets better. As Lewis once points out, the team of him and Hathaway together make out a damn fine detective. None of them is really the boss of the other even if officially Lewis is in charge.

I would go as far as to suggest that there is always an element of moral dilemma in the episodes. Certainly the team show high moral standards towards the surroundings as well as towards each other.

All in all, it's Hathaway that is the real surprise to the series and the casting of Lawrence Fox in the role is so good that it is hard to tell where Hathaway ends and Fox begins or the other way around. In fact, the character of Hathaway is so strong that it partly redefines Lewis who emerges as something considerably more than just Morse old assistant.

Damn good show.

I was sceptical when I first heard of "LEWIS". Morse had been such an incredible series that I felt sure Lewis would simply cash in on it and be a poor follow on. How wrong I was! Whilst I'm not saying that it has met the incredibly high standard of Morse it is a truly great series in its own right.

Obviously there is no John Thaw (what a great actor) but Lewis has now taken on the "old man" role and been joined by a wonderful "young assistant" character acted in superb fashion.

The story lines have maintained the complexity and interest of Morse. In true English style the clues are there but you will still change your mind on who the culprit is many many times during an episode. The teasing out of characters has been done very well so that even now (after 4 series) we don't know everything.

And then, of course, there is the picturesque scenery and wonderful architecture of Oxford. Sometimes I could just get lost looking at the background. Another great series , well worth anyone's time.

Every time a new series of 'Lewis' appeared, my better half and I watched the lot from the beginning. A lovely way to get very acquainted with the actors, the humor, the stories and the music. From the pilot ('I used to row a bit') tot the end (with the LEWIS card just as in the pilot) it is a delight to watch. I never will understand people who think that on first viewing of a detective they saw it all. It's so multi-layered: first the crime, and when you digested that you can just enjoy the way it is made, the beautiful surroundings, the music, the humor, and last bus not least: the friendship. My god, how wonderful this is. When we watched the last episode my wife told me that she saw a tear in my eye. She was right.

British crime series are always worth watching - even if they are longer than usual, having the length of a real separate film. Vivid, but still realistic characters, picturesque landscapes-townships and short (or sometimes even not visible) evil deeds form a quality standard and widening the audience not keen on constant explosions-fights-killings. I used to watch "Inspector Morse" - and I liked it - and "Lewis" has the same high level, with one exception: now the supporting character (Hathaway, played by Laurence Fox) is more interesting to me than the main one. It is not the question of acting, but the lines imputed to the persons involved.

"Only" 9 points from me as I like the new modernized Sherlock Holmes even more :)