Hello everyone and welcome to my latest review of an episode from the original Morse series. Not only a review but information on the music, art, literary references and locations contained within the episode.
So, without further ado let’s get started.
‘Greeks Bearing Gifts’, Series 5, Episode 4.
Chronologically this is episode 19.
First broadcast in the UK on 20th March 1991.
This episode is not based on a Colin Dexter novel.
Where’s Colin?
Colin is once again a college porter. The above scene is at 25 minutes and 22 seconds.
Directed by Adrian Shergold. Andrew also directed “Second Time Around” and “Happy Families“.
Written by Peter Nichols. This was the only Morse episode Peter wrote.
SYNOPSIS
Like many a Greek tragedy this episode has murder, child abduction, passion, loss and the abuse of power.
A Greek chef is killed in his home and then his sister slips away from the Greek interpreter employed by the police to watch over her after arriving from Greece to attend the funeral. What is particularly strange about the sister’s disappearance is that she had brought her baby with her from Greece and has now abandoned him.
This case is made more difficult for Morse and Lewis as they are not only lost in the Greek culture but also the Greek language.
REVIEW.
(warning, this review may contain some spoilers)
Though this episode has never been in my top ten of favourite Morse episodes it is still a worthwhile and well acted episode.
It’s a rather strange episode because neither Morse nor Lewis figure out who the killer is until the very end. Normally one of the dynamic duo has figured it out well before the credits begin to roll but this time Morse not only nearly arrested the wrong person but needed a full expansive explanation told to him of why the killer was Friday Rees and not Randall Rees. I have to admit I also thought the murderer was Randall Rees too when I first watched the episode.
Personally I didn’t think the motive for murder was a strong one and seemed to stretch incredulity to almost breaking point. However, even when flawed a Morse episode is still worth watching.
It is worth watching for the excellent acting especially from the under-rated British actor Martin Jarvis. I meet him some years ago in a Waterstones bookstore and he was delightful. As with many Morse episodes this episode had some of the best characters actors that Britain had to offer. Jan Harvey also stands out in this episode. She gives a great speech and scene stealing performance near the end of the episode when she is telling Morse, erroneously, why Randall was the murderer.
Another interesting aspect of the episode is Morse’s feelings of being uncomfortable and on edge due to his dislike of ethnic cases as he finds the cultural differences make it difficult for him to read the people he suspects. This discomfort I think is doubled with his lack of knowledge of the world in which Friday and Randall Rees move in; i.e. television. Morse does not only not know the TV personality Friday Rees but doesn’t even own a TV. He can barely work the TV remote and even curses Lewis when he himself presses the wrong button. Morse may know his classics but this knowledge is not helping him solve the case.
Unusually Lewis is also having feelings of discomfort and frustration as he too cannot get past the cultural differences and language. Lewis does his best to keep the case moving forward but lacks inspiration in this episode. However, as so often Lewis does represent one of the funniest lines in the episode when Morse asks him if he has ever seen a Greek tragedy. Lewis replies that he has seen Zorba and Never on a Sunday. Zorba the Greek is a novel and a film based on said novel and a terrible musical.
The direction is solid but rather mundane and lacks the punch and creativeness of director Adrian Shergold’s other two directed Morse episodes “Second Time Around” and “Happy Families“.
Though this episode may be a good addition to the Morse oeuvre it is in my opinion the weakest episode of the fifth series. This fact I believe is borne out emphatically when watched alongside the episode that wraps up the fifth series, ‘Promised Land‘.
Episode Jag Rating – out of 10.
Music.
There is not a lot of classical music in this episode. Most of the music is incidental based on Greek traditional music played on traditional Greek instruments.
Baroque music is played at 17 minutes and 31 seconds when Morse has dinner at a college and talks to Professor Hogg.
00h52m42s
Morse and Lewis are watching a TV show about the the building of an ancient Greek ship in Greece which includes a piece of music by Edward Elgar (Born: 1857 – Died: 1934).
The piece is called ‘Introduction and Allegro for Strings‘.
01h16m11s
Morse arrives at the police station in his car only to be meet by Lewis. They drive off to meet Vasilakis. The music being played from Morse’s car is by Ludwig van Beethoven (Born: 1770 – Died: 1827): the 13th Quartet.
I believe the piece of music we hear within the episode is included in the video above.
Literary References.
Well let us start with the title of the episode, ‘Greeks Bearing Gifts‘. The phrase is an allusion to the story of the wooden horse of Troy, used by the Greeks to trick their way into the city. It is recorded in Virgil’s Aeneid, Book 2, 19 BC:
“Do not trust the horse, Trojans. Whatever it is, I fear the Greeks even when they bring gifts.”
John Dryden (Born: 1631 – Died: 1700), the English poet, wrote “Trust not their presents, nor admit the horse.”
00h14m41s
Strange is talking to Morse in his office. Morse is explaining that he doesn’t like ethnic cases as he doesn’t speak the language and finds it difficult to read people of different cultures; “Watch the mouth. It gives away what the eyes try to hide.”
As Morse states to Strange the above is a quote from the poet George Gordon Byron commonly known as Lord Byron, ( Born: 1788 – Died: 1824). The quote was apparently made at the funeral of the poet Shelley. The full quote is;
“I can recognize any one by the teeth, with whom I have talked. I always watch the lips and mouth: they tell what the tongue and eyes try to conceal.”
00h19m23s
While having dinner at college, Morse is talking to Professor Hogg. Hogg mentions a TV presenter known as Friday as ‘the face that launched a thousand clips‘. This is of course a reference to the famous quote about Helen of Troy (though some scholars believe that Aphrodite was the subject), ‘the face that launched a thousand ships‘. Her abduction by Paris was said to be the reason for a fleet of a thousand ships to be launched into battle, initiating the Trojan Wars.
00h33m22s
While talking to Morse, Vasilakis mentions Digby Tuckerman a “man of straw“. This refers a person undertaking a financial commitment without adequate means.
01h21m12s
Morse is watching Friday Rees on TV and while she talks about her love and happiness with her husband and their inability to have children, Morse says “I think the lady doth protest too much, methinks“.
The quote is from Shakespeare’s Hamlet though Morse misquotes the actual line.
HAMLET
Madam, how are you liking this play?
GERTRUDE
The lady protests too much, methinks.
HAMLET
Oh, but she’ll keep her word.
01h40m44s
Lewis tells Morse that his mother used to say, “Laughing always comes to crying”. This quote is possibly from a Persian saying, “After a lot of laughing always comes some crying.”
After Lewis’s quote from his mother Morse quotes the poet Virgil (Born: 70 BC, Died: 19 BC), “I fear the Greeks even when they come bearing gifts“. The quote comes from Virgil’s poem ‘Aeneid’.
ART.
Very little art within the episode and what there is I cannot identify.
MISCELLANEOUS
On the t-shirts of the staff who work at the Greek restaurant is a design based on an image of the Talos Vase.
The Talos Vase (below) is a 4th-century BC krater now in the Jatta National Archaeological Museum in Ruvo di Puglia. The death of Talos is depicted on the vase. Talos was a giant automaton made of bronze to protect Europa in Crete from pirates and invaders. He circled the island’s shores three times daily.
While Vasilakis gives a lift to Morse after the funeral of Nicos Capparis there is mention of the Elgin Marbles.
The Elgin Marbles, also known pars pro toto as the Parthenon Marbles, are a collection of Classical Greek marble sculptures made under the supervision of the architect and sculptor Phidias and his assistants. They were originally part of the temple of the Parthenon and other buildings on the Acropolis of Athens.
In 1801, Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin obtained a permit from the Sublime Porte, which then ruled Greece. From 1801 to 1812, Elgin’s agents removed about half of the surviving sculptures of the Parthenon, as well as sculptures from the Propylaea and Erechtheum. The Marbles were transported by sea to Britain. In Britain, the acquisition of the collection was supported by some while others, such as Lord Byron, likened Elgin’s actions to vandalism or looting. They can be seen at the British Museum in London.
———————–
At 41 minutes Morse is talking to Digby Tuckerman. Digby says that this was the time of high-fliers and only the brain dead stay on the ground.. Morse replies, “Never heard of Icarus?“.
In Greek mythology, Icarus is the son of the master craftsman Daedalus, the creator of the Labyrinth. Often depicted in art, Icarus and his father attempt to escape from Crete by means of wings that his father constructed from feathers and wax. Icarus’ father warns him first of complacency and then of hubris, asking that he fly neither too low nor too high, so the sea’s dampness would not clog his wings or the sun’s heat melt them. Icarus ignored his father’s instructions not to fly too close to the sun, when the wax in his wings melted and he fell into the sea.
The Lament for Icarus by H. J. Draper
At one hour and 33minutes Lewis learns that Mr Papas saw someone who would turn out to be killer in the street. On the television we see the late great Sid James in the film Carry on Cowboy.
Jan Harvey plays a character called Friday Rees. We learn that the name Friday is a diminutive of Frideswide, Oxford’s patron saint.
Medieval stained glass image of the saint is from the Latin Chapel in Christ Church Cathedral, where St Frideswide’s reconstructed shrine now stands.
LOCATIONS.
17 minutes – Long external shot.
This is Magdalen College.
17 minutes – Morse enjoying a college meal.
I’m not completely convinced the above is Magdalen College.
25 minutes – Morse leaves.
This is St John’s Quad, Magdalen College.
52 minutes – Morse meets with Jerome Hogg.
This is Magdalen College Library.
Digby Tuckerman is looking for the arrival of Nico’s sister at Heathrow Airport.
The Greek Taverna was based in Summertown.
I believe it was around this area that the Taverna was located.
———————–
When the interpreter Jocasta Georgiadis is accompanying Nico’s sister Maria around town she takes her to the covered market in Oxford.
Morse visits Digby Tuckerman’s office in London.
We can see Tower Bridge from Tuckerman’s office window. Of course the above location may not relate to the office. A different location used for both scenes?
Below are two views via Google of Tower Bridge.
View number 2.
Well this is my theory of where Tuckerman’s office was.
UPDATE – 11/09/2017. Thank you to Dr Chris Barraclough that the above location is correct for Tuckerman’s office. Chris also kindly pointed out the pub that Morse passes (but doesn’t visit) when he leaves Tuckerman’s office.
The pub is on Horselydown Lane in London.
—————————
When Rees is holding his talk and all the students appear bored this is being held at The Oxford Union, St. Michaels Street, Oxford.
Here it is in all it’s glory.
CAST.
James Hazeldine (Born: 1947 Died: 2002) as Digby Tuckerman
Mike Kremastoules as Nicos Capparis
Andreas Markos as Mr Papas
Eileen Way (Born: 1911 Died: 1994) as Mrs Papas
Jan Harvey (Born: 1 June 1947) as Friday Rees.
Maureen Bennett as Val Lewis
Andrew Kazamia (Born: 1953) as Dinos Papas.
James Faulkner (Born: 18 July 1948) as Basilios Vasilakis
James Grout (Born: 1927 Died: 2012 as Chief Superintendent Strange
Eve Polycarpou as Jocasta Georgiadis.
Martin Jarvis (Born: 4 August 1941) as Randall Rees
Martin Jarvis appeared in the Endeavour episode ‘ Rocket’ (2013) as Henry Broom.
Richard Pearson (Born: 1918 Died: 2011) as Jerome Hogg.
The character of Jeremy Hogg turns up in the Endeavour episode, ‘Coda’.
Kevin Trainor as Jerome Hogg
Elvira Poulianou as Maria Capparis
Carole Ashby as Laura, Tuckerman’s secretary.
Jonny Lee Miller as Student. Of course Jonny has gone on to have a great career via films and TV.
Lucy Meacock (Born: 21 November 1959) as Daisy
Rosalind March as Susie Tuckerman
Sarah Bullen as Mrs Vasilakis.
Well that is another episode that has been picked clean. I hope you enjoyed this post. Take care.
I so enjoyed this post. I agree with your assessment of the episode. But I love all the references you’ve made. Just reading them made the episode better for me!!
I wish you had a Spoilers warning at the top of this. I normally read reviews before I watch something…
There is a spoilers alert before the review.
Read them after, then there’s no problem. Do you ever NOT watch something with a poor review? Make up your own mind.
Hi Chris
Just offering some more clarification on a Thames based location, the outside shot of Tuckerman’s office with the taxi is the historic Shad Thames street just round the corner from The Anchor Tap pub and slightly downstream of Tower Bridge.
Cheers.
Sarah
The Acropolis Restaurant was at 15 The Broadway, Gunnersbury Lane, London, W3 8HR now sadly a Sainsburys Local.
Thank you.
Just watched this yesterday and doing so brought me to your so-informative review. Great stuff, Chris.
Dear Chris, your reviews are marvelous. Thank you for explaining every literary reference and the art both displayed and mentioned. Your thoroughness is much appreciated. Coming late to the party, I’m watching Morse, Lewis and Endeavour randomly as I can get the episodes from my library system. Your explanations help tremendously. Mind how you go ( I really enjoy Thursday’s expressions).
Chris
I came across your interesting entry covering the s05e04 “Greeks Bearing Gifts” episode of “Inspector Morse” and was intrigued with the discussion about the location of Tuckerman’s office.
“Thank you to Dr Chris Barraclough that the above location is correct for Tuckerman’s office.”
Initially I was confused about the solution – “the above location” – since View 1 and View 2 were both “above”. Fortunately reading further, especially the map, made it clear that it was the former.
Thinking about the problem I realised that there were two other ways using the photo above the two Views (ie. Tuckerman standing with the Tower Bridge outside his office window) along with a map:
———-
Solution 1: the angle of the Tower Bridge towers
The nearest tower is to the left and the other tower is further away and to the right – which matches the angle of View 1. If the office was the one shown in View 2 the nearest tower would be to the right and the further tower would be to the left in the photo. This angle would only work if the Tuckerman photo was mirrored horizontally. In fact the only way the angle on the other side of the river would work is if the office was further north west – ie. in the Tower of London!
———-
Solution 2: The Tower of London.
Talking about the Tower of London if you look at the Tuckerman photo (from the viewer’s point of view, not Tuckerman’s) to the left of his belt through the window and the Tower Bridge itself you can just make out the distinctive towers of the Tower of London in the distance. (They can also be seen in the episode to the right of his head from 00:38:58 onwards). Again this can only work from View 1 since it is on the opposite side of the Thames and the structures line up.
———-
Doctor Who:
By the way the photo just above the “Tuckerman standing in his office photo” reminded me that this is a distinctive location – ie. the two long parallel buildings with the numerous overhead connecting bridges. It was used in the Docter Who (s21e11-12) Resurrection of the Dalaks (1984) serial (along with the adjacent Butler’s Wharf Pier):
https://www.flickr.com/photos/paulodykes/26261931332
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resurr…_of_the_Daleks1
A solid episode I thought this was, definitely some conscious nods to Greek drama in style. The final scene with the baby, the banister, and Friday Reese out of control is seriously uncomfortable viewing. The baby really seems to be responding to the hysterics going on around him. Excellent performances, though, from Harvey and Jarvis.
There’s a great deal of clever misdirection in this episode. Tuckerman is one giant red herring. Then he breaks into Vasilikas’s house, and you see Mrs. Vasilikas with a baby, after we know Maria’s baby has just been kidnapped. So for a moment, you might think Tuckerman is right (albeit by accident) and that Vasilikas could be the father of Maria’s baby and a killer.
The episode benefits from taut direction. The weakest of season five? A tough question, since the season as a whole is so strong. But I’ve never liked the Australian episode quite as much as some, and “Fat Chance” is not the strongest contender in its own right.
Good Luck with your studies. Wonderful post. I’ve been in the same situation but alas my health is not good enough to pursue further study
Thank you Catherine for your kind comment. Sorry to read about your health. Take care.
I always wished that because Colin Dexter went to Cambridge, there had been an episode filmed there. Morse could have gone to visit a friend in the Cambridgeshire Police and gotten interested in a murder investigation there. They could have used music from one of the Chapels (King’s, St John’s, Clare) . Missed opportunity.
The opportunity to address this lies with Hathaway. He was originally a Cambridge man and giving him 33 episodes there would be a fitting continuation of the series. Sadly I think Laurence Fox may now have scuppered his trireme as far as that ever happening goes.
I wholeheartedly agree with the comment posted above by Patricia. I was wondering whether, if a Hathaway series was ever produced, and that is a big “if”, perhaps that could be filmed in Cambridge, or at least one episode could be set there, not wishing to be disloyal to the wonderful Oxford setting, that is at the core of the Morse Universe. Lest we forget, in the Lewis storyline, Hathaway had studied at Cambridge, and he was even supposed to have rowed for Cambridge in the University Boat Race. As a result, this could possibly create an arc or plot line for a script, where Hathaway is forced to lead an investigation, taking him away from the dreaming spires of Oxford, for a one-off episode, back to his old alma mater, due to the suspicious death of an old friend or Don who is still based in Cambridge, that Hathaway knew very well in his past. As I say, I am merely speculating, and this idea is probably just wishful thinking.
I too liked Hathaway. I recall that in the first Lewis episode, when Lewis discovers Hathaway’s Cambridge degree, he moans something about, Oh no, not another one! Why didn’t Hathaway get his own series? Another missed opportunity…In any case, I’ve been to both parts of OxBridge. Oxford’s spires may dream, but Cambridge has better music. On the other hand, it has worse weather. And Oxford seems to send more people into politics, whereas Cambridge produced “Beyond the Fringe” and Monty Pythons’ Flying CIrcus. Take your pick. OR, if you prefer, Spot the OxBridge Looney?
Yes Oxford is lovely. But Cambridge has the famous Cambridge Cows. i believe there is no bovine equivalent at Oxford.
Chris thank you for this review. One piece of art you did not mention is the a poster of Fragonard’s The Swing, which hangs behind Morris’s desk and can be seen at 1hr 24min in the Britbox version of the series. Very racy stuff for the gentlemanly Morse.. One thing I appreciate about this episode is that for the first time since the fire set by Hugo DeVries, we get to see Morse’s renovated sitting room, with a new wingback chair and sofa but that same moody blue color on the walls. thanks again for all your posts semicolon I am re-watching all the Morse episodes and your reviews are right beside me as I do so. It greatly enhances my viewing pleasure!!!
Blue is a depressing color. Small wonder Morse was so lugubrious.
Hi Marilyn and welcome. I’m glad that my posts help enhance your viewing pleasure. Now in regard to the poster of the ‘Swing’ that hangs in Morse’s office, I mentioned it a few times in previous episodes, Fat Chance for example.
I really can’t watch the end of this episode because it’s so disturbing seeing a genuinely very distressed baby who has no way of understanding all the shouting and screaming is just fiction. I’ve always thought these sorts of scenes incredibly insensitive and irresponsible; if common decency’s not enough to prevent them a child cruelty law should make sure of it!
Yes that wasn’t pleasant watching. I think these days they’d very definitely not do that.
Lewis has a thing with grappling people on upper stairs balconies and them going over – am sure there is a Morse or Lewis with sibiling pair and somrthing similar occurs?
One error is Morse is watching the video of Randall in Greece having taken the AV kit home, presses wrong button and gets the actual TV broadcast of his wife and he doing their 15year thing. Yet why would he have plugged in the aerial? Why would he even have an aerial if he doesn’t have a TV?
Anyway, nitpicking 🙂
Sarah, I absolutely agree with you. It is very disturbing to see that baby so frightened and I always wonder why would the mother allow that ?
Completely agree with Sarah Morgan. It was obvious that the baby was genuinely distressed during these scenes, making it a very disturbing watch. Thankfully, that sort of thing would not be countenanced nowadays.
On a rather nitpicking note, in the review, Chris refers to the baby as ‘her’ – but wasn’t he a boy? “Not ‘it’, ‘him’ – ‘Alexander’,…” as Randall Rees corrects Morse.
Agreed, seeing that bay distressed was uncomfortable. Not sure how they got away with that. Isn’t anybody looking out for the baby’s welfare?
As for Morse accidentally pressing the wrong button and getting live TV instead of the tape, I also wondered how that worked without an aerial. But I let it go. Thinking about it, lots of TVs back then had telescoping aerials built in. If the signal is high enough, you don’t really have to even pull them out. Morse may have pulled them out thinking he needed them. Who knows.
For pity sakes , the baby was never in danger. They filmed to look as if the baby were being dangled over the balcony. Do you really think that child’s parents would have let a film company put their child in any danger? . They were probably on the set during the filming of all the scenes with their child.
It wasn’t about the baby being held over the balcony because of course that wasn’t real, it was more the baby being frightened and visibly upset because of the screaming and arguing between Friday and her husband while she was holding him. And he was clearly trying to get out of her arms. As a parent I wouldn’t have allowed that.
This may be an odd question, but I’m so curious as to why Susie Tuckerman is in her indoor pool that is less than half full of water. I’ve never seen anyone swimming or lounging in a pool with so little water. Any insight?
If you recall, she drank rather a lot. Any more water and she would have drowned.
That’s really funny. She was quite a drinker and was stumbling. Perhaps she didn’t notice the pool was nearly empty. I never seen someone swimming in a pool like that.
Stephanie, I thought the same and going by the size of that pool I thought it might have been filmed at some hotel or country club somewhere, someplace commercial. Or in the US it might be be at the Y. 😏 Could they just have put a minimal amount of water In it for the episode Not wanting to fill that huge pool up?
Wondered the same thing, but chalked it up to the place being a temporary rental. Tuckermann really wasn’t settled there, and didn’t “he really own anything”, as his wife said
A solid but very boring episode. Unlike other episodes that I’ve reviewed, this one is free of logical errors/contradictions but it is boring and it is not believable. Yes, Friday talks about taking “self-defense” classes in her show but breaking people’s necks, come on! 5 Jags only.
Agreed. Friday breaking someone’s neck? And breaking someone’s neck “like one knew what one was doing” (paraphrasing pathologist). Yeah. no.
One more thing, there is no trireme image on the Talos vase, why make such an easy to disprove claim? https://www.ancientworldmagazine.com/articles/talos-bronze-guardian/
Adrian, thanks for that link. I had to translate Jason and the Golden Fleece In a Latin class many many years ago so thanks too for sparking that painful memory! 🙂 You point out an important error in the script that, not being familiar with the Talos vase, I did not realize. I also had doubts about Friday’s capability for overpowering a quite larger and stronger man.
Translating “Jason and the Golden Fleece “from Latin into English doubtless did no harm. I slogged my way through Virgil’s “Aeneid.” But the Harpies section sticks in my mnd.
Hi Patricia, the Harpies-like none other! Latin was a favorite subject of mine. I had 3 years of It and I must say translating Caesar was the daunting task I enjoyed the most.
I found a website selling a copy of the Talos Vase, and it shows the stern of a Greek ship – actually it is the very image used on the T-shirts of the Greek restaurant in the show. I cannot get this system to accept photos, at least, not in a reply comment. It is to the left of the image of Talos that is shown in the main post above, it is under the left handle. It shows Jason climbing a ladder to get back onto the stern of the ship.
With regard to the baby ‘actor’ in the final scenes, you may be interested to read that the episode was the subject of a question in the House of Lords shortly after broadcast:
https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/lords/1991/apr/25/inspector-morse-tv-programme
Great site Chris – helpful companion to watching a lot of the Morse reruns on UK tv earlier in the year during Covid lockdown. I was tuning in partly to be reminded of locations in and around Oxford where I lived for 10 years – I was surprised to find so many ‘Oxford’ scenes were actually shot elsewhere, as you helpfully document!
Mark, thanks for the link to the transcript of the discussion in Parliament. Very interesting.
Chris, thanks so much for all your work on behalf of Morse viewers.
I have returned to Morse after watching much of Endeavour (excellent, in my opinion).
I saw many of the Morse episodes years ago on PBS (in the US) and am very glad that I can now return to them, watching each episode in order, via Britbox.
Best wishes to you for good health and continued success with your studies.
Thank you Melody and you very welcome. I’m glad you are enjoying my website.
I’ve always really liked this episode. From the rainy, atmospheric start to the hugely dramatic conclusion. Some great acting, with Jan Harvey and James Hazeldine the standouts. The Jocasta character was an effective addition too. So often Morse seems to get off on a bad footing with women he then goes on to rather like. My only gripe is the scenes at the college dinner with Jerome etc are way too long. It feels like obvious padding. Still, 8 jags for me
Morse was terrible with women. He was always so obvious.
A solid entry without coincidence or a Lewis slip of the tongue revealing the important clue.
There isn’t a lot to criticise, apart from that Dinos looked pretty big guy so surprised that Friday could overpower and kill him so easily. Also, Morse accidentally watching live TV seemed a bit of a mistake, but at least it didn’t lead to the most important clue in the episode so can forgive it.
Yet again good all round cast and unlike many TV episodes where it is easy to sterotype outside of the culture this one didn’t.
Top marks to both Martin and Jan.
Looking through the comments a Mark, it wasn’t me, has posted the link to the House of Lords commentary regarding the treatment of the baby during the filming, so this is a unique episode I should think.
The only music I recall, other than some Greek dance music, was Elgar. Yassou!
This is my least favourite episode after ‘settling of the sun’. The storyline is contrived and seems to be planned out from a brainstorm session- ‘ok so we’ve got Greeks- what else? A famous TV presenter who commits murder- now how do we link them?’ Also if they wanted to use Jan Harvey who was a fairly big star at the time surely they could have done so in a better way?
I also think John Thaw’s performance here is a bit weaker than in other episodes. He seems a bit bored perhaps- Or is Morse himself bored by this case?
The only redeeming factor is the lovely E plate 911 driven by the Digby character. Sadly no longer with us according the DVLA database unless they used a fake plate for the scenes.
5 Jags only from me.
Why does Digby talk like an American mobster? No one says “tip the wink.”
One of the joys of the Morse universe is the completely different options we fans have; this episode is in my top 10. From the atmospheric, rain-soaked opening, to the stunning finale, I think it’s first rate. Some neat plot twists and turns, and some terrific acting too. I particularly liked James Hazeldine as the slippery Tuckerman and Eve Polycarpou as Jocasta (another of Morse’s crushes). 9 jags for me
Strange makes a comment about his wife being a fan of Friday Rees, and Morse gives a smirk. What, Joan watching TV?!
As always Chris, your reviews are sublime.
I like this episode, Morse isn’t hitting on someone, a good end reveal that wasn’t overly signposted and some well constructed distractions.
It showed very well how even the most stable/wealthy/successful of people have their demons ready to undermine it all.
Plus Lewis pulls it out the bag with that brilliant flanking manoeuvre to save the baby.
I agree the end scene with the distressed baby was a horrible way to treat a child. You have to wonder how any of the actors and crew were able to stand by and not stop it, let alone the parents.