Inspector Morse: The Secret of Bay 5B (1989)
Review by Dindrane
Film:
DVD:

Written by Alma Cullen, based on the stories of Colin Dexter
Directed by Danny Boyle and Robert Knights
Starring John Thaw, Kevin Whately, Amanda Hillwood, Mel Martin, Andrew Wilde, George Irving, Marion Bailey, Philip McGough, and Susna Kyd

Features:

• Text biographies
  
• Filmographies
  
• Trivia
  

Released by: BFS Entertainment
Region: 1
Rating: NR, safe for 13+
Anamorphic: N/A; presented in original 1.33:1 aspect

My Advice: Rent it.

Morse (Thaw) is finally enjoying a dance with the enigmatic and lovely Dr. Russell, when Lewis (Whately) is forced to interrupt--a body has been discovered. The body belonged to one Michael Gifford, an architect who was also, incidentally, a rather mean serial womanizer. It seems that one of his many mistreated, jealous women (or an even more jealous husband) has gotten the ultimate revenge, strangling him in his own car.

This is one of the more confusing Morse mysteries, but if you concentrate on the action and pay attention the clues, then you should be able to follow Morse’s logic and the action well enough. Grittier than a Holmes mystery and more confusing than your average Murder, She Wrote, Morse is known for intellectually challenging viewers. Here’s a clue for you: keep a close eye on the artwork chosen for this episode. Look for a couple of the trademark comic moments when Lewis tries to eat some of Morse’s cooking and when Morse telegraphs jealousy at Dr. Russell’s new dance partner.

The audio and video quality are standard for a TV show with a few years of age. The picture is a bit grainy at times, with some faded colors, but the show was always meant to be a bit tweedy, and somehow the slight yellowing suits Morse’s grouchy demeanor. Your average television mystery isn’t meant to be a feast for the eyes anyway, but rather for the mind, so nothing really substantive is lost by having a few faded scenes. The sound is plenty clear enough to hear the vital clues; only the music really suffers.

The features are the same as they have been for the rest of the series: some good filmographies, fun trivia notes, and lengthy, interesting biographies. All in all, if you love mysteries, especially mysteries that demand a bit of intellect on the part of the viewer, then you should love Inspector Morse. Morse tends to be a bit more of a police procedural than an exercise in logic or forensics, and the grittiness suits Morse’s cranky, over-educated disposition. People who like more car chases and grisly deaths in their mysteries might find Morse a bit tedious, as might people who love the suave, arrogant Hercule Poirot or that show-off, Holmes. But overall, most any mystery fan will enjoy this Oxford0-boy-turned-detective and how realistic the motives are here.