Lewis - The Oxford Thriller Season 3 - DVD

Film: Between 1987 and 2000, Kevin Whatley portrayed the character of Detective Sergeant Robert Lewis 32 times alongside John Thaw in the Inspector Morse series based on Colin Dexter's novels. Following the series death of Inspector Morse in 2000, Lewis was promoted to Inspector in 2006 and was allowed to reprise the popular role in a spin-off special. This went down so well with viewers that more episodes were unceremoniously ordered for a first season.

In the meantime, Lewis - The Oxford Thriller is already in its fifth season in England, while in Germany the four episodes of the third season are celebrating their debut on television and DVD. Once again, the good chemistry between Lewis and his colleague DS James Hathaway (Laurence Fox), the atmospheric locations, the exciting stories and the fine pinch of English humor ensure that the new episodes again play in the top crime league.

DVD 1: OF MUSES AND MURDER

Shortly after the launch of successful fantasy author Dorian Crane's new book, young waitress Marina Hartner is murdered near the venue. It's a feast for the press, so Superintendent Innocent, who is friends with Crane's foster mother Ginny Harris, asks Inspector Lewis and DS Hathaway to solve the case as quickly as possible. The shards of an ancient Persian mirror found at the scene also quickly lead the investigators on their first hot lead. But when it turns out that Marina Hartner was not who she claimed to be and then Dorian Crane is also murdered, the cards are completely reshuffled.


DVD 2: MURDERERS IN THEIR OWN DIRECTIONS

The Oxford University student theatre troupe is about to premiere its production of Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice. But during the well-attended preview, Richard Scott, the actor playing Shylock, is murdered backstage. While Lewis and Hathaway try to solve the murder, ambitious director Emma Golding doesn't even think about canceling the big premiere. As it turns out, hardly anyone is really mourning Scott, who was anything but popular with his fellow students. But when the audience members present at the preview are also put under closer scrutiny, the case for Lewis suddenly takes a very personal turn.

DVD 3: A QUESTION OF PERSPECTIVE

Shortly after being released from prison, Steve Mullan, convicted of drunk driving, is found dead in his apartment. Lewis and Hathaway quickly discover that the man drowned in the bathtub was actually Mullan's friend Alex Hadley, who had assumed Mullan's identity to protect him. But when the still-living Mullan offers to help the investigators solve his friend's murder, it has fatal consequences for him: he is killed himself. The Rattenbury family, whose daughter Jessica was once run over by Mullan and has since been confined to a wheelchair, is the target of the investigation. After Mullan's murder, a perpetrator is indeed quickly revealed, driven to suicide by his guilt. The case seems solved.But Lewis knows he has only scratched the surface.

DVD 4: ONE LAST BLUES

A supposedly routine noise nuisance call quickly turns from a nuisance to a personal treat for Lewis, the accused is Richie Maguire, the former star of the rock group The Addiction, of which Lewis counts himself one of the biggest fans. When the two cops arrive at the rock star's estate, they are in for an even bigger surprise. For here they meet Esme Ford, lead singer of the group, who is supposed to have been dead for 35 years. But the suicide of the past was only faked and now Esme, who has been living in total anonymity, wants to start again with her band. But this idea is not met with great joy everywhere.

The four episodes of the third season again offer very exciting entertainment at the highest level. The setting Oxford is just predestined for atmospheric thrill. The good scripts make Lewis - The Oxford Thriller just as worth watching as the relaxed, yet extremely engaging production. The makers always take enough time to establish all the characters so that the viewer becomes much more involved in their fate. Also, the way the investigators keep getting personally involved in the cases, such as Lewis in Murderer in His Own Direction, the case that unexpectedly sheds light on his wife's death, or Hathaway having to say goodbye to a possible love interest in A Question of Perspective, give the series a very special feel.

It should also be mentioned positively that the good actor performances are not diminished by the German dubbing, but are translated into German in a dignified manner. All of this makes Murderer in His Own Direction a must-see for all crime fiction lovers who care less about fast-paced action and more about polished scripts, interesting characters, great locations and good dialogue. Absolutely recommendable!

Picture + Sound: The technical realization of the four new episodes is on a good level. Although there is visible blurring and slight image noise, especially in the darker scenes, but overall the picture can convince with a decent overall sharpness and a coherent color scheme. The audio is almost entirely dominated by the front-mixed dialogue, which sounds a bit more harmonious embedded in the action in the English language version. Overall, there is a deserved good for the technical implementation!

Extras: Unfortunately, this DVD box has no notable extras on board. Only a few program tips from the provider are offered to the viewer here. Weak.

Conclusion: Lewis is one of the best and most successful crime series in the United Kingdom. And rightly so, as the fine cast, atmospheric locations and engaging scripts make this Oxford crime thriller a real treat for all lovers of quintessentially British thrills. Also the four episodes of the third season know again to convince, which makes this DVD box absolutely recommendable despite missing extras

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp