Plot: What’s it about?
In The Soul of Genius, a botanist finds an unexpected specimen as she cultivates. She uncovers the corpse of the recently deceased Murray Hawes. Lewis and Hathaway learn that Hawes was obsessed with an impossible to solve Lewis Carroll riddle, but it is up to them to piece together the rest this riddle of a case. In Generation of Vipers, Lewis finds himself involved in on-line dating, as a woman turns up dead after her profile becomes public. But was this a case of suicide, or a carefully planned tale of revenge? In Fearful Symmetry, the death of a babysitter leads Lewis and Hawthorne into unexpected places. With several twisted paths ahead of them, which will lead them to those responsible? In The Indelible Stain, a controversial American academic arrives to lecture, but he gets a less than warm reception. He is found murdered within hours after his arrival, but with a wealth of suspects at hand, who was behind it and what was their motive? These four stories comprise the fifth series of Inspector Lewis, an excellent show that crime buffs won’t want to miss.
While television has countless detective and crime investigation shows, few can match Inspector Lewis. The series offers skillfully crafted cases that are more than “ripped from today’s headlines” stories with a twist conclusion. This is smart, detailed television and one of the best shows of this kind. With an hour and a half per episode, there is ample time to let the cases build and if you want to beat the detectives to the truth, you’ll need to pay attention. The clues are all in place, but they’re not always overly obvious, so you’ll need to watch and listen. While most cases are solved within an episode, the series also has larger arcs that involve the main players that cover multiple episodes and seasons. The performances are also good, with no over the top Dr. House or CSI: Miami type antics present. If you have an interest in detective shows, you owe it to yourself to watch Inspector Lewis and this fifth series has four excellent episodes on deck.
Video: How does it look?
The episodes are presented in 1.78:1 widescreen. I’ve always loved the outdoor visuals in this series, as the locales are often lush and colorful. This collection is no exception, with some beautiful locations that shine in HD. The depth is excellent, with superb fine detail and not even a hint of softness. The contrast is even, but dips a bit in darker scenes. Not enough to obscure detail, but the visuals tend to be a little too dark at times. Even so, the show look great on the whole and fans will appreciate the beautiful locales on showcase.
Audio: How does it sound?
You’ll find Dolby Digital 5.1 surround options here, though the show doesn’t often call on much audio depth. The focus tends to be on dialogue, so the surrounds don’t roar all that much. The vocals sound crystal clear and have no volume issues however, so that is great news. The musical score livens up the mix somewhat, but otherwise the surrounds don’t get much to do here. But that is the nature of the material, so it all works out well.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This release includes no bonus materials.
