Last Tuesday, 3rd September, I was feeling rather stressed and overwhelmed: it was my first day at Edinburgh University. I returned home and started to try and dig my way through all the information I had received from the university and via email that day. By about 9pm I was mentally and physically exhausted and decided that what I had done was enough for one day and that now I needed to relax.
I made my favourite comfort food, mac and cheese with garlic bread and sat done to watch one of my all time favourite episodes in the Morse Universe, ‘And the Moonbeams Kiss The Sea’ from the Lewis series.
After having watched the episode and feeling much better I began to think about how some episodes in the Morse Universe are like comfort food; not only do they make you feel better mentally but make you feel good to be alive. They help one face the world and appreciate one’s place in it. If you watch one before you retire to bed they help you to sleep more soundly and happily.
Though some of the episodes may make us a little sad and maybe even cry we need that cathartic element to allow us to expel that sadness and those tears from our bodies and so relieve us of our own pain.
So, here is my top ten ‘comfort’ episodes from the Morse Universe but in no particular order.
- And The Moonbeams Kiss the Sea (Lewis)
- Dead on Time (Morse)
- Second Time Around (Morse)
- First Bus to Woodstock (Pilot episode of Endeavour)
- Life Born of Fire (Lewis)
- Home (Endeavour)
- Masonic Mysteries (Morse)
- Dark Matter (Lewis)
- The Way Through The Woods (Morse)
- Death is Now my Neighbour (Morse)
So, that is my top ten ‘comfort’ episodes. What is yours? Put your top ten here on the website in the comments section or comment on my Facebook page. Click HERE to visit my FB page.
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Very interesting post! Hadn’t given thought before to what my “comfort food” episodes are, and it’s hard to narrow down to ten, but here’s my list, which is also not in order of preference:
1. And the Moonbeams Kiss the Sea (Lewis)
2. The Quality of Mercy (Lewis)
3. Dead:On Time (Morse)
4. Second Time Around (Morse)
5. Intelligent Design (Lewis)
6. Music to Die For (Lewis)
7. The Dead of Jericho (Morse)
8. Deceived by Flight (Morse)
9. The Last Enemy (Morse)
10. Your Sudden Death Question (Lewis)
Interesting to me is the fact that three of these episodes were written by Alan Plater (1, 2, and 10.)
Not included in the “comfort” category is “Expiation.” It’s not a comfort episode, but there’s the wonderful scene near the end in which Lewis and Hathaway get a dressing-down from a migraine-burdened Innocent. A superbly done scene, which always makes me laugh.
Congrats on your first day at Edinburgh University, stressful though it felt. I look forward to hearing more about your studies, and I enjoyed mulling over your post. In the Morse series, perhaps The Death of the Self is one of my favorite–and a good comfort–episode: soectacular Italy, Michael Kitchen as a formidable nemesis, and Sgt. Lewis DANCING.
So I’m not the only one who takes comfort from the Morse Universe when I’m feeling down and stressed with personal issues! I’ve seen them so many times, I know the dialogue! I haven’t listed any Lewis episodes although I’ve seen them all. I don’t care for the change in Lewis’ personality from the original Morse. He was so likable in those. In Lewis he is angry and curt. And I don’t care for Clare Holman’s character. I think she is too snarky and demanding. She’s no Adele Cecil! My top ten:
Endeavour-
First Bus to Woodstock
Sway
Home
Neverland
Ride
Morse-
Way Through the Woods
Dead of Jericho
Second Time Around
Dead on Time
Death is Now My Neighbor
Love your posts, Chris.
Hi Bob, Of course Clare is beautiful but I would have like to have seen Robbie with someone more in tune with his character as portrayed in the Morse series. He was easy going, pleasant and funny. I didn’t find him that way in Lewis. He just seemed so angry all the time, even after he found out who killed his wife. At first, I attributed his personality change to his not knowing and his always wondering what happened. Anyway, maybe you are right, with his “new” contentious personality perhaps Dr. Hobson is a perfect complement to him. I am just happy seeing him in Morse. And I did like Grayling but, of course Max was the best.
Good to have everyone’s opinions!
Bob, It seems in every show I watch, especially British ones, there is a Morse, Endeavor or Lewis actor or actress. Love to recall what episode I’ve seen them in.
Bob, I must correct myself. I did really like the pilot of Lewis. I guess because he thinks he sees Morse’s Jag and we get to see the Endeavour Music Scholorship that Morse endowed. I love that he named it that. It is also obvious in that episode that Robbie not only still misses Morse, but shows his strong affection for him. I also liked the fact that Morse left 1/3 of his estate to Lewis. Although I know Morse had great affection for Adele and they would have made, I think, a perfect couple, I don’t know why he would leave 1/3 of his estate to Adele since she left him to stay in Australia.
Chris, I agree with you about Lewis “and the moonbeams kiss the sea” There is something about that episode that is somehow sublime, a great show at full chat and fantastic writing and direction it’s really one for the ages. I also feel the same way about “Death of the Self” one of my favorite Morse episodes and one which always makes me feel better (maybe because nobody is really murdered?) with probably the best music and locations.
Very interesting idea for a post! I don’t think I can get to a top 10, because when it comes to it, any episode of Lewis and any one out of the first 4 series of Morse are quite like comfort food to me. If I had to choose, I guess it would be Masonic Mysteries from Morse. As for Lewis, I keep coming back to The Ramblin’ Boy. Plus the pilot episodes of Lewis and Endeavour, because of all the references.
I can’t pick any favorites until I finish rewatching all Endeavors. But my husband and I agree that there is something comforting I viewing these shows. I am currently rewatching an old American favorite “Bones” and enjoy it but not comfort food!
10! That’s a tall order.
1. The Infernal Serpent (Morse)
2. And The Moonbeams Kissed The Sea (Lewis).
3. Fugue (Endeavour)
4. Masonic Mysteries (Morse)
5. Life Born Of Fire (Lewis)
6. Deguello (Endeavour)
7. The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn (Morse)
8. The Soul Of Genius (Lewis)
9. Neverland (Endeavour)
10. Ghost In The Machine (Morse)
All my comforts are from Lewis. I do love Morse, but nothing tops Lewis for me. Endeavour, though I like it all right when watching, I never watch again.
Reputation (also known as just the pilot)
And the Moonbeams Kiss the Sea
Old School Ties
The Quality of Mercy
Music To Die For
Life Born of Fire
Counter Culture Blues
The Gift of Promise
Down Among the Fearful
The Ramblin’ Boy
Congrats on going back to uni – interesting to note you switched from Science to Lit!
I haven’t watched the original Morse yet – so all my comfort episodes are from Endeavour/Lewis (and I can narrow down to five):
1. Ride (my favouritest)
2. And The Moonbeams Kiss The Sea
3. Nocturne
4. The Soul Of Genius
5. Coda.
It’a a great question. In terms of comfort my choice would be
And the Moonbeams Kiss the Sea
And
Soul of Genius
My favourite episodes are:
Deceived by Flight
Infernal Serpent
Second Time Around
Dead on Time
Expiation
The Point of Vanishing
Fearful Symmetry
Beyond Good and Evil
Neverland/Ride
Muse
Serious rather than comforting (or deeply about Morse (re Dead on Time)). I agree with some of the comments but given what happens to Lewis I think how he becomes and his relationship to Dr Hobson is plausible although I prefer him in Morse.
Good choices Masala.