by David Bishop
LEWIS’ KITH AND KIN: The sergeant says half the people he went to school with work for Curzon Engineering. He almost got a job with the company himself.
SOPHOCLES DID DO IT: Superintendent Holdsby is the person leaping to the conclusions in this story. When Harry Balcombe goes missing, Holdsby decides Harry has fled to escape prosecution for patricide. But Morse does become convinced Robert Ford is extracting revenge on the Balcombe family – until he learns Ford has been dead for 15 years.
ONE FOR THE MORGUE: Sir John Balcombe is killed with a blow to the head by Margaret Cliff. Harry Balcombe is slain with a blow to the neck by Margaret Cliff. She completes her trio of murders by shooting James Balcombe twice. The three men had murdered Steven Ford 20 years earlier. Lady Emily Balcombe is stabbed to death by Jessica.
MURDERS: five. BODY COUNT: five.
QUOTE-UNQUOTE: Morse asks if there’s a butler at the Balcombes’ house, but Lewis says no. ‘Pity. It might have saved us a lot of time.’
Superintendent Holdsby is unhappy with Morse’s attitude to the press: ‘There are more than just Guardian readers out there you know!’
Lady Emily is scathing about her sons’ attitude: ‘There’s an air of obsequiousness in here that is positively cloying.’
The pathologist wisecracks after the second corpse arrives with a chisel in its chest: ‘Bring in any more and we’ll soon have a full kit of tools.’
SOUNDTRACK: Morse is listening to ‘Soave Sia Il Vento’ from Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte when Billy and Charlie first visit his home at night. Beethoven’s fourth piano concerto is heard when Lady Emily first meets Jessica. Lady Emily plays part of Mozart’s piano sonata in D when told of Harry’s death. The band at the fête plays ‘The Laughing Policeman’.
BEHIND THE CRIME SCENES: When this episode was first broadcast, a voiceover during the closing credits stated the character of Sir John Balcombe was in no way connected with the Right Honourable Sir John Balcombe, then Lord Justice of Appeal.
IDENTITY PARADE: For the second story in a row, a cast member of the film Four Weddings and a Funeral appears – this time it’s Charlotte Coleman as the unstable Jessica. Twice nominated for BAFTAs, Coleman died of an asthma attack in 2001, aged just 33. Other familiar faces in this story include Martin Clunes, now best known as grumpy GP and title character of the series Doc Martin, and Rupert Graves, who featured in the Merchant-Ivory film A Room with a View. Alun Armstrong is a familiar character actor, now best known for his role in crime drama New Tricks.
RATINGS: 15.62 million.
THE VERDICT: ‘Happy Families’ is a taut tale about revenge and dysfunctional families. Writer Daniel Boyle adroitly reverses audience expectations by making the killer one of the few sympathetic characters in the story. Morse’s persecution in the pages of the tabloid media adds an extra dimension to the drama, as does Alun Armstrong’s performance as an ambitious, grasping boss. Adrian Shergold delivers another elegant, unfussy episode, proving himself one of the show’s best directors. Alas, the script requires a massive coincidence to furnish Morse with the vital clue. What are the chances of him finding a long out-of-print family psychology book at a police station fête, a volume that conveniently reveals the murderer’s identity? This is the one wrong note in an otherwise exemplary episode.
THE DEATH OF THE SELF
‘Faking to the end, Clark.’ The death of an English writer sends the detectives to Vicenza in search of evidence against conman Russell Clark.
UK TX: 25 March 1992
SCREENPLAY: Alma Cullen, based on characters created by Colin Dexter
DIRECTOR: Colin Gregg
CAST: Frances Barber (Nicole Burgess), Michael Kitchen (Russell Clark), Georges Corraface (Claudio Battisti), Chris Hunter (Andreas Heller), Julia Goodman (May Lawrence), Kate Harper (Patti Wilcox), Alan Rose (Alistair Haines), Jane Snowden (Maureen Dyson), Jane Wenham (Judith Haines), Peter Blythe (Kenneth Lawrence), Allan Mitchell (coroner), Cesare Landricina (Driver Ponso), Jolyon Baker (Guido Ventura), Giorgio Serafini (Tomaso Salafia), Tattiana Colombo (Piera Conti), Valeria Fabbri (Nicole’s dresser), Janis Kelly (singing voice for Nicole)
STORYLINE: A group of people stand in a circle around a ceremonial fire outside an Italian villa. One by one, they throw a symbol of their past into the flames to break its hold over them. Russell Clark is in charge of the ceremony. At midnight he sends the group out into the woods to enjoy their new freedom. A torrential downpour begins. Soon afterwards, Judith Haines arrives at the villa by taxi, looking for her husband Alistair. One of the serving staff says he’s in the woods. Judith searches for him in the rain. Metal spikes have been hammered into many of the trees. Judith discovers the body of a woman, May Lawrence, impaled on a spike.
An inquest in Oxford considers the verdict of the Italian court, which decided May’s death was an accident. Her husband, Kenneth Lawrence, says they rented a house in Italy each summer because it helped his wife write her bestsellers. May was attending a course run by the Selfhood Trust when she died. Lawrence seems nervous at the inquest, saying there was conniving, pressure and threats. The coroner adjourns the inquest so the witness can compose himself.
But Lawrence flees to Italy instead. Strange sends Morse and Lewis to Vicenza to investigate. Clark is a conman whom Morse caught in 1985. He was sentenced to six years in prison but only served three with remission. Morse notices opera singer Nicole Burgess is among those on Clark’s course. She suffered a breakdown.
The detectives arrive in Italy and are met at their hotel by Claudio Battisti, the policeman in charge of the investigation. Judith is just out of hospital. She collapsed from shock after discovering the body and must avoid all stress. Nicole, meanwhile, argues with her husband, Guido Ventura. She hasn’t sung before an audience in three years. The couple have financial troubles.
Battisti gives the detectives all his files on May’s death. He is eager for them to conclude their inquiries quickly. Battisti takes the detectives to the villa where May died. He says rain had made the ground soft and slippery. May lost her way and fell on one of the spikes. Clark had the spikes hammered into the trunks so his clients could climb them. Clark gives lectures about his time inside. Morse decides he, Lewis and Battisti should leave before a planned meeting with Clark.
The inspector notices one of Clark’s guests, Andreas Heller, was never interviewed. Battisti says Heller’s disappearance is irrelevant, but a search for the German is continuing nevertheless. Battisti introduces them to Tomaso Salafia, curator of the biblioteca (library) at Verona. Morse notices one of the numbered items recovered from the burning ceremony is missing. He believes they are being deliberately obstructed.
Nicole gives an impromptu performance at the hotel. Clark uses the opportunity to approach Morse, but the inspector walks away. Lewis, meanwhile, interviews Alistair and Judith Haines. Alistair admits knowing the Lawrences slightly in Oxford several years ago. He has been caring for his wife since she had a stroke four years before.
Lawrence tells Morse he was confused and in shock when he testified at the inquest. Lawrence has written to the Oxford coroner, refuting his statements about threats and coercion. An American woman from the course, Patti Wilcox, is buying May’s Italian furniture. Clark’s assistant Maureen helps Patti.
Lewis sees Battisti watching Lawrence’s movements. The book dealer emerges from a bank carrying a laden satchel. Morse interviews Nicole at her home, which includes a vineyard inherited by Guido. Nicole says she told Heller to leave the course and go home to his wife; the German had been having an affair in Italy. Nicole adds that her marriage to Guido is almost over. He dabbles in painting, calligraphy and design. She takes Morse to his studio, which also serves as a wine store. Nicole is shocked to discover a satchel of money in a fridge – the same satchel Lawrence was carrying earlier.
Lewis discovers Heller was having an affair with May. Morse and Lewis go to Verona. They see Heller at the opera house but he runs off. Nicole says she burnt an illuminated velum scr
oll made for her by Guido. Morse visits the biblioteca where Battisti’s friend Salafia works; he’s an expert on priceless 16th century illuminated manuscripts and scrolls.
Clark visits Judith Haines at the hotel in Vicenza and threatens to reveal a secret about her husband Alistair. Lewis discovers May mocked Judith by writing her into a novel, published not long before Judith had a stroke. Judith commits suicide. Before dying, she asks the detectives to go easy on Alistair, who, she believes, murdered May.
The Italian police find Heller. He had no involvement in May’s death. Battisti demands Morse conclude the investigation and leave Italy. Alistair, meanwhile, says he enrolled in the course to confront May about her book, but she didn’t even notice him. He believes Judith murdered May.
Morse goes back to the wine store. He’s knocked unconscious after finding an illuminated manuscript like those in the biblioteca. Next morning, he visits Battisti at home. The Italian policeman says Clark and Lawrence are under surveillance. They are suspected of smuggling a genuine 16th century manuscript out of Italy in order to sell it, the first of a pair. Now they are smuggling a fake by Guido out of the country. The police bring Lawrence in for questioning but can find no manuscript among his possessions. He is released and rushes away.
Everyone goes to Verona for Nicole’s comeback performance. The police arrest Clark, Lawrence and Ventura. A search of their belongings reveals nothing. Morse realises the manuscript is hidden inside the items Patti bought from Lawrence. Lawrence repeats his claims of threats and coercion. He thought Clark killed May to frighten him.
Morse and Lewis go to the opera. Nicole’s comeback is a triumph.
DRINK UP, LEWIS: Morse sends Lewis to the hotel bar to get drinks, despite the sergeant having a very limited grasp of Italian. Morse wants a grappa and presumes the sergeant will have a beer. But the inspector leaves before Lewis returns with the drinks.
Maureen asks if Morse still drinks at an Oxford pub called The Crown. He does, now and again.
The inspector drinks white wine with Nicole. Soon after he drinks white wine while Lewis has a bottle of beer.
Clark offers Morse a malt whisky but the inspector refuses it.
The inspector and Lewis go to the hotel bar for a drink, but Morse leaves after another encounter with Clark.
UNLUCKY IN LOVE: The inspector is taken aback when Maureen kisses him like a lover, but she’s using him to annoy Clark. Morse and Nicola are attracted to each other. They kiss passionately before her performance in Verona but are interrupted by a dresser.
LEWIS’ KITH AND KIN: When the sergeant phones home, his son refuses to talk to him. Lewis was meant to be attending the boy’s sports day, taking part in the fathers’ race. He has missed it the last two years running and promised to make it this time. But that is thrown into doubt by the Italian job. Later he talks to his son by telephone and asks him not to sulk, as it depresses Mrs Lewis. The sergeant longs for cooked bacon at breakfast.
PEOPLE JUST CALL ME MORSE: Nicole asks what she should call the inspector. ‘Morse. Just Morse.’ The opera singer is the first person to ask for his given name since Dr Russell during ‘Ghost in the Machine’, three years and 15 episodes ago.
SOPHOCLES DID DO IT: Morse is convinced Clark must have been involved with May’s murder – but her death was accidental.
ONE FOR THE MORGUE: May Lawrence dies after slipping and becoming impaled on a metal spike. Judith Haines commits suicide by slashing her wrists in the bath.
MURDERS: none. BODY COUNT: two.
MORSE DECODED: The inspector speaks Italian fluently. He regrets not spending enough time in Italy and has never been to Vicenza before. Morse has most of Nicole’s recordings.
QUOTE-UNQUOTE: Morse waxes lyrical as the detectives arrive at Vicenza’s railway station: ‘An Italian voice on a tannoy. Sounds like a poem to me.’
Clark tells his assistant to be more polite: ‘Manners, Maureen.’ ‘Balls, Russell,’ she replies dryly.
Nicole explains why she stays in Italy: ‘Home is where the debts are.’
The inspector gets philosophical: ‘The arena, Lewis. Built by the Romans for their games. Carnage and brutality. Now it’s an opera house. I could almost believe in progress.’
SOUNDTRACK: Vivaldi’s Concerto for Two Mandolini in G Minor is heard as the detectives arrive in Vicenza. The music recurs several times during the story. Nicole sings ‘Caro Nome’ from Verdi’s opera Rigoletto in the hotel lounge. She rehearses the aria ‘Signore, Ascolta!’ from Puccini’s opera Turandot at the opera house in Verona and sings it there again in performance as the episode concludes. Janis Kelly supplies the singing voice of Nicole Burgess.
IDENTITY PARADE: Michael Kitchen is a noted character actor, particularly on British TV. He starred as DCS Foyle in the WWII detective drama Foyle’s War. Frances Barber has appeared in numerous film and television projects, most recently in a trilogy of football films that began with 2005’s Goal!
RATINGS: 16.02 million. Another strong showing, broadcast opposite episodes of the popular sitcom Only Fools and Horses on the BBC.
THE VERDICT: ‘The Death of the Self’ attempts to recreate much of what made ‘Promised Land’ a success. Morse and Lewis are sent to a foreign country to investigate an old acquaintance, one of them feels terribly out of place and the inspector clashes with the local police. But this story fails to match its Australian predecessor. The detectives are in little jeopardy, there’s no murder and a minimum of surprise. It all seems rather inconsequential. Despite that, the Italian locations look gorgeous and Morse gets to romance a world-famous soprano. Michael Kitchen oozes smugness as Clark, while Frances Barber excels as the wounded, fragile Nicole. But the episode still fails to grip – this feels like Morse by numbers, however well executed.
ABSOLUTE CONVICTION
‘Prison has unjustly been one third of my life. Why shouldn’t it justly be the rest?’ A fraudster is apparently murdered in prison. Morse finds a web of lies involving seven million pounds, death threats, revenge and two more murders – one of them 16 years old.
UK TX: 8 April 1992
SCREENPLAY: John Brown, based on characters created by Colin Dexter
DIRECTOR: Antonia Bird
CAST: Diana Quick (Mrs Stevens), Sean Bean (Alex Bailey), Jim Broadbent (Charlie Bennett), Suzanna Hamilton (Mrs Cryer), Richard Wilson (Brian Thornton), David Fielder (prison chaplain), Tony Steedman (Lawrence Cryer), Susan Doran (young doctor), Luke Williams (George Newcombe), Robert Pugh (Harris), Cheryl Hall (Laura), David Howey (Dr Stephen Archer), James Aubrey (pathologist), Steven Mackintosh (Detective Sergeant Cheetham), Pete Lee-Wilson (journalist), Paul Dalton (photographer), Richard Hampton (coroner), Sue Withers (court usher), Jonathan Firth (Peter Thornton), Philip Davis (Roland Sherman), Sue Johnston (Mrs Bailey), Kevin Walsh (Andy Metcalfe), June Watson (Mrs Harris), Preston Lockwood (college chaplain), Georgia Mitchell (doctor in casualty)
STORYLINE: HMP Farnleigh is an open prison near Oxford. Inmate Brian Thornton visits Lawrence Cryer in his cell and urges him to repent. Alex Bailey is taken to the Governor before being escorted back to his cell by one of the guards. Bailey laughs at another prisoner, Charlie Bennett.
Bailey gets back to his cell and finds Cryer dead on the floor. Thornton is kneeling over the fallen man, praying. He picks up part of a syringe from near the body. The prison governor, Mrs Stevens, says Cryer’s death from a heart attack was not unexpected. Cause of death was a massive coronary, induced by a heavy blow to the head.
Cryer, Bailey and Thornton ran Cryer Investments, a company building luxury homes in France and Spain. But the trio was arrested for fraud after stealing millions from small investors. The men each got two years in prison for their crimes. Farnleigh is designed to be a model prison for the 21st century.
Morse and Lewis have a young detective sergeant called Cheetham on attachment. He’s a graduate given accelerated promotion. Cheetham immediately irritates both detectives by calling Lewis ‘Robbie’ and advis
ing Morse on how to handle the investigation. Bennett, meanwhile, recognises Morse and is pleased to see him.
Thornton says Cryer was dead when he found him in Bailey’s cell. He belatedly hands over the fragment of syringe, which Morse shows to Mrs Stevens. The Governor admits the prison had a drugs problem when she first took charge, but insists it was stamped out. No trace of any drug is found on the syringe fragment or in Cryer’s cell.
Cheetham visits the inspector at home. He has evidence Bailey is being fed financial information by a man called Roland Sherman, who lives near the prison. The young sergeant got the information by putting a tap on the prison’s payphones. Morse is appalled by this illegal surveillance.
Morse and Cheetham visit Sherman at home. He monitors stock markets, financial reports and news channels from around the world, doing research for Bailey. The analyst says he doesn’t go to the prison any more, it upsets him too much. Lewis, meanwhile, learns not all the defrauded investors reside in Spain, as Cheetham believes. A hundred live in England, six within 50 miles of the prison. The sergeant says Sherman used to visit Bailey at the prison twice a week.
Morse talks to Bennett, who has been in prison 16 years for murdering his own wife. He’s due for release in three weeks. Bennett was moved to Farnleigh at Easter, in preparation for his parole. He still maintains his innocence.
The Governor tells Morse three syringes were recently stolen from the prison dispensary. Cryer believed someone was stealing his heart medication pills. Bailey is taken to hospital after collapsing. Doctors find four times the recommended dosage of heart medication in his system. He is lucky to survive.
Cheetham finds the rest of the broken syringe and another complete syringe in Thornton’s locker. Thornton tells the detectives where Cryer Investments hid their victim’s money, and seven million pounds is recovered. Morse meets Bennett outside the prison. The prisoner says Bailey makes jokes at his expense. Bennett also claims his wife was murdered by Harold Manners. The inspector digs out the case file. He realises Harold Manners is an anagram of Roland Sherman.