![]() ![]() Deceived by Flight, Season 3 (1989)Īnthony Donn: “Do you cook or something? Or is there someone at home you’re keeping a secret?” A stunning Italian setting, lashings of opera and the genuinely touching bond between Morse and Nicole make this a welcome trip away from Oxford. ![]() Morse’s loathing of Clark complicates matters, as does his growing attraction to Nicole, who is also attending the clinic. She meets Morse when he and Lewis travel to Vicenza to investigate the mysterious death of May Lawrence, a patient at a psychotherapy clinic run by fraudster Russell Clark (Michael Kitchen). Trapped in an unfulfilling relationship with a selfish and abusive man, Nicole has realised the difference between infatuation and real love all too late. Oddly appropriate, then, that a briefly requited – though still, inevitably, doomed – love should come along in the form of beautiful, troubled opera singer Nicole Burgess (Frances Barber). In fact, several of his brushes with romance end in the kind of tragedy more usually found in the operas the detective so enjoys. Morse’s love life is largely disappointing and, more often than not, outright catastrophic. Endeavour has allowed us to watch his romantic ideals fade, his prejudices harden and his relationship with Strange – once a police constable, now well on his way to the top job – turn irredeemably sour. Thanks to the spinoff series, we can now watch Inspector Morse with a deeper understanding of the detective’s character and foibles. ![]() Never quite at home among either the academic elite or his colleagues in the force, he’s an isolated character with whom we immediately identify. Morse, himself educated at Oxford before leaving after a broken love affair, is uniquely placed to investigate. Collegiate rituals and surface politeness mask old rivalries and poisonous hatreds. Oxford, its university and its suburbs provide the setting for these mysteries, with the beautiful architecture of the colleges serving as the perfect backdrop for murder and mayhem. The slow-paced, complex cases Morse must solve reflect the crossword puzzles he’s so fond of, yet also often rival his beloved opera for drama, creating a strange and unforgettable atmosphere born of concealed passions and quiet tragedies. Belligerent Chief Superintendent Strange (James Grout) is a frequent annoyance to Morse during the show’s run. Grayling Russell (Amanda Hillwood) and, finally, Lewis’s future love interest, Dr Laura Hobson (Clare Holman). Several pathologists appear throughout eccentric Max (Peter Woodthorpe) counsels the duo in the first two seasons, while we later meet glamorous Dr. The kindly, down-to-earth Geordie is often patronised by his intellectual boss, but the two men forge a sincere, bantering friendship that proves to be one of the show’s chief pleasures. This relationship differs significantly from that of the books, in which Lewis is Welsh and closer to Morse’s age. Great detectives usually have a sidekick, and Morse is no exception his foil is Detective Sergeant Robbie Lewis (Kevin Whately). The sterling support given by the rest of the regular cast provides many opportunities for humor as Morse’s abrasive temperament gets him into trouble with friend and foe alike. Marvelous though Thaw’s performance is, there are many other reasons why Inspector Morse remains a hugely popular and influential series. ![]()
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