Reviews (2)

Time Capsule Morse
If there was any program that got the closest to reflecting correctly life in Britain during the 80s and 90s, it was Inspector Morse.

While "Masonic Mysteries" and "Last Seen Wearing" are probably the best of the mysteries, "Cherubim and Seraphim" is the one that captures the British 80s/90s Zeitgeist best. The direction of this program is as good as any well-done British thriller.

It was end of an era. Now you'll understand Peter Hitchens.

A Mystery Which Hits [Morse] Close to Home
"Cherubim & Seraphim", the second Inspector Morse episode to be directed by Danny Boyle (the other was "Masonic Mysteries"; an episode which literally hits Morse close to home!), who's the well-renowned director behind such feature-films as Trainspotting and The Beach, and features his trademark directorial style, deviates from the norm in terms of the way in which the plot unfolds: unlike other Morse episodes, instead of being a conventional - or not-so, in some cases - whodunit, all along the audience knows who the guilty party is, à la Columbo. The culprit in this case is the procurer of ecstasy-like drugs, played by Jason Isaacs [The Patriot], in yet another evil role. The script centers around the fact three youths have died by suicidal means and, as we find out, had all been partaking, days anterior to their deaths, in the aforementioned drug. The youths' walls were adorned posters in their rooms containing computer-generated patterns which represent the "Chaos Theory" (e.g. if a butterfly is beating its wings somewhere, there will be a hurricane somewhere else, and these two seemingly unrelated events are in fact interrelate), which Sgt. Lewis is more that happy to explain to Morse; and they were all in the same type of eclectic dance music. It's one of the more personal Inspector Morse episodes, as one of the deceased youths happens to be Morse's step-niece; it also shows how out of touch Morse is with contemporary youth culture (drugs/sex/music) and children in general. For instance, when Morse stops by the school to interview his step-niece's best friend who was the last person to see her alive, he unwittingly stumbles in to her euphemistically-titled "Personal & Social Development" class just when the teacher is asking a student if he knows what the contraceptive device she's holding in her hand is. He's taken aback by the mere fact that they're having a teacher-student discussion, no less a class, about sex in school. In this episode, Morse reveals some of his past secrets to Lewis, whom he addresses, in a rarely captured televised moment, by his first name ("Robbie"). Three of the revelations include how his parents frequently fought and their subsequent brake-up, one of his low points as a morose 15-year-old, and the roots of the acrimonious relationship he continues to have with his step-mother. Definitely one of the best Morse films for catching a glimpse into his upbringing. Even the dance-oriented music in this episode, which incorporates classical music into its medley, is really well done. Overall it's another superlative self-contained film featuring Chief Inspector Morse. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The Best of the Bunch
The very best Morse ever. The riddle: why do you hide a body so carefully that no one can ever find it, and then leave the victim's bookbag carelessly along the side of the road?

Wonderful !!!
I am lucky in that I used to live in Oxford, so when I watch Morse I know exactly where He is but the filming of this took place mostly in Whytham Woods, a place very near to where I lived but only visited once. I also am aquainted with the real people the main roles were based on. I got so sucked into the plot that I half belived it was the real people I know that were the villians!! For me this film is a " must see" but then all morse films in my view are "to die for"! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The Love of His Life
How could any Inspector Morse fan resist this one for the ultimate in romantic poignancy? It begins with a startled look on Morse's face when he realizes the dead body belongs to the husband of his lover who broke his heart (and ruined his university career) by leaving him many years ago. It ends with Sergeant Lewis protecting his partner with a touching loyalty expressed through subtly phrased lines. Susan Fallon (Joanna David) is the lovely, accomplished blonde with whom we would imagine Morse falling in love (and surely never completely out of love.) Despite Morse's usual ill temper and irritation with the world, we forgive him his faults in those scenes when his blue eyes soften and tear with the pain of loving this woman. (Haven't we all loved and lost?) The script skillfully balances the dark side of human nature and its need for revenge with the hope that no matter how much we lose, love can still endure. This is a special episode to be savored many times for its intimate glimpses into our favorite detective's heart. And, yes, he wears it on his sleeve with a resonance only the late John Thaw could deliver.

Morse loves and loses... or does he?
This one, penned by the always reliable Daniel Boyle (who also wrote "Second Time Around" and "Deadly Slumber" among others), has to be one of the best Morse episodes. True, it would most certainly make Morse purists shudder because its plot developments are inconsistent with the Morse character as he is developed in the novels (in the novel "The Riddle of the Third Mile," which was later adapted for television as "The Last Enemy," refers to a character named Wendy who was Morse's lost love back at school; in "Dead on Time" this lost love of Morse's is named Susan). And true, the plot developments are at times illogical. But, this film's plot is only secondary; what is of primary importance is the character of Morse and the kind of sensitivity John Thaw gives this character when he is confronted with this, perhaps his most emotionally charged case. The plot: Morse is called to investigate the apparant suicide of Oxford don Henry Fallon. To make things complicated, the investigation leads Morse to suspect that the suicide was indeed murder set up to look like suicide. To make things more complicated, Henry Fallon was the husband of Susan Fallon, the woman Morse was engaged to so many years ago. To top off all these complications, there is a reemergence of feeling on the part of Morse, a rekindling of this love that he once had. You throw into the mix a bit of Shubert, some hard detective work by Lewis, an uneaten chocolate digestive in Strange's dest, and what you have is vintage Morse. Kudos to John Thaw, as always. He's a marvel and a skilled actor, capable of portraying a Morse that is both angry and tender. Buy this already. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

It has a great story, and even a better surprise ending.
This Poirot video is one of the best of the collection. It amazed me from the start. It is very ingeniuos and and a great ending. I definitly recommend it ... Read more