Masterpiece Mystery Inspector Lewis Concludes with The Point of Vanishing on Sunday

The second season of the Inspector Lewis mysteries concludes with ‘The Point of Vanishing’ on Sunday, October 18, 2009 at 9:00 pm - 10:30 pm ET on PBS. It’s been a great run of detective drama and dishy DS Hathaway (Laurence Fox), but unfortunately we have come to the seventh episode and must patiently wait another year for series three. *sigh* So fellow Gentle Readers and detective mystery fans here is a final brief description of the episode from the Masterpiece Mystery website. I wonder if it will be a cliff hanger or elude to more mysteries of the two detectives personal lives. This episode has a religion slant, and of course murder!

Steven Mullan is found dead in his bathtub, the scalding water indicative of the white-hot rage that motivated the murder. Lewis recognizes Mullan as having been recently released from prison after having tried to kill celebrity atheist Tom Rattenbury while driving drunk. Mullan's sentence may be over, but have the scars healed for the Rattenburys, especially daughter Jessica who remains in a wheelchair from the incident? Lewis and Hathaway find a postcard at the crime scene of a Renaissance painting inscribed with the words, "It was no dream." But the case is about to take a surreal, dream-like twist, leaving Lewis and Hathaway drowning in questions about crimes of the past and the present.

Read the full synopsis (spoilers ahead)
Read the full cast and crew listing

Last week’s episode ‘The Quality of Mercy’ revealed who killed Inspector Lewis’s wife! After five plus years of Lewis searching for clues, the killer virtually fails into DS Hathaway’s path in an round-about way. The developing relationship between the two detectives is quite interesting and makes this drama more than just a whodunit. If you missed this episode, you can watch it online on the PBS website through Sunday, October 18th, 2009, ET.

Really sad to see the series end. The combination of Oxford University locations, detective drama and literary connections makes this series a cut above in my book and definitely my favorite series of the Masterpiece Mystery season.

Cheers, Laurel Ann, Austenprose

Masterpiece Mystery Inspector Lewis Preview: Quality of Mercy Airs Sunday

The second season of the Inspector Lewis mysteries continues with ‘Quality of Mercy’ Sunday, October 11, 2009 at 9:00 pm - 10:30 pm ET on PBS. Here is a brief description from the Masterpiece Mystery website. This episode has a Shakespearean slant, with drama, daggers and death!

A student production of The Merchant of Venice takes real-life deadly turn when a cast member is killed using a prop knife. Apart from the jealous ensemble cast who can't even muster fake tears over the loss of their colleague, there is an audience of suspects to consider — a career con man, an egotistical television personality and a young man who just might have killed to get a part in the play. Lewis and Hathaway methodically try to make sense of the murderous plot, but before they do, another death occurs with a Shakespearean sensibility. As the final act is about to unfold, the case takes an intensely personal turn for Lewis, bringing back traumatic memories and invoking a lesson in mercy.

Watch a preview of the Masterpiece Mystery season
Read the full synopsis (spoilers ahead)
Read the full cast and crew listing

Last week’s episode ‘Allegory of Love’ included Laurence Fox’s (DS James Hathaway) father James Fox in the role of Norman Deering, and Louise Dylan as Melanie Harding who is in the current BBC One adaptation of Emma as Harriet Smith. You can catch up with the season and watch it online through Sunday, October 18th, 2009, ET.

Totally hooked on the series, I am charmed by the enigmatic DS Hathaway. This is definitely my favorite series of the Masterpiece Mystery season. Not only is it smart, reflective, with excellent casting, you get to see great views of Oxford. I hope you enjoy it also.

Cheers, Laurel Ann, Austenprose