Expiation

An incredibly postive woman with a seemingly perfect family and life commits suicide. However, things don't appear so cut and dried to Lewis and Hathaway and they dig deeper.

Not a great episode of Lewis. It started well enough but the further into the episode you go the more contrived and implausible it becomes.

It also feels quite clumsy, like the writer didn't really have the whole thing mapped out beforehand and was just winging it as far as the plot went.

Adding to this clumsiness we have Lewis demonstrating a Morse-like trait of dating someone who could easily be the murderer. That hardly ever worked out well for Morse...

To top it all, the writer felt it was time for Lewis's boss to be hardnosed so we have her chewing out Lewis and Hathaway for arbitrary things, including how they solved the crime!

Overall it's okay but nothing more than that.

Such a wonderfully sad episode.

As another reviewer has said, the scene between Edward le Passiter (beautifully played by John Wood) and George Stoker, is incredibly awfully heartbreaking. Indeed, the scene in which Hathaway encourages Edward le Passiter to tell all he knows, is also beautifully written.

But despite all the sadness, there were several occasions on which I laughed out loud. Even though it's perhaps too well telegraphed, the scene in which Hathaway calls Lewis "Daddy", is one such occasion. And Lewis telling the child witness words to the effect of "all is not as it seems" is another.

While I can see the validity of some of the criticisms of other reviewers, I found this to be a very enjoyable episode. Perhaps because I was so absorbed in it, I didn't question the believably of some of it? But it is so perfectly paced and so gently told, I wholeheartedly recommend you watch it.

One final, random thought: it felt almost like this is a re-imagining of Morse (the series), rather than a sequel. Using the template of a detective duo in Oxford, where "town meets gown", but with Lewis and Hathaway in place of Morse and Lewis.

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.

"Expiation" is a good episode with a lot to recommend. Personally think however that it is the weakest episode of Season 1 ("Whom the Gods Would Destroy" was the best), with some glaring problems, but it is not a bad episode, far from it. Lewis' conduct is highly questionable throughout. It was a turn off for the child characters to be pretty unconcerned. Innocent was not an interesting, well-written or likable character, Rebecca Front deserved better than this. A few things could have been explained a little bit better. Lastly, to me, the identity of the murderer was too obvious too early, which was a shame after the murderers were so shocking in the previous episode.

However, the acting is fine, anchored by Kevin Whately and Laurence Fox. Whately is again very good and carries the episode with aplomb, even if Lewis becomes better developed later. Fox is a breath of fresh air in a great contrasting role that reminds one of a more intelligent Lewis in his younger days and his sparkling sparring chemistry with Whately is a big part of the episode's, and show's, appeal. Clare Holman is reliably strong too.

As to be expected, the production values in "Expiation" are of very high quality. It's beautifully shot, 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.

Much of the writing is smart and thoughtful, some lovely droll exchanges with Lewis and Hathaway and some emotional impact. The story starts off promisingly, with a lot of twists and turns and tension, the climax is pretty nail-biting.

In conclusion, good but could have been better. 7/10 Bethany Cox

This is the best of the three episodes in the series. The story is absorbing, although the plot is one of those that depends on a witness withholding vital information from the police for no apparent reason. Had that not happened, the whole thing could have been over in a few minutes. Lewis and Hathaway also fail to press certain points which equally could have shortened the story immensely.

Nevertheless, it is coming together, and the relationship between Lewis and Hathaway finally seems to be gelling. Their superior, however, is getting sillier, moving rapidly towards the old cliché of "You're off the case!". Why do these TV police superiors persistently fail to notice who actually solves all the numerous murders on their patch?

There are some strange features. The producers are continuing with the idea that Lewis must have a fleeting love interest, as Morse did, but they have not got this right yet. Lewis' conduct is not credible in this case, but I can't say more without giving a spoiler. Another weird part is the amazingly unconcerned behaviour of the children in the case.

All in all, though, it's fun. I hope there will be more.

It think I was more captivated by this episode than the previous two (never saw the pilot). This includes a set of very strange characters, especially families that carried out the weirdest of arrangements, a dying professor who is full of secrets, and an act that defies the imagination. Lewis and Hathaway need to return time after time to the same figures to get an iota of truth from them. Of course, that's the way these shows always are, but it seems things are much more guarded here. It's an incredibly harsh effort where Lewis acts in a hateful way at times. Since these guys are rebels, we must again have the tired business with superiors wanting more protocol than result.