Search - Inspector Morse - Dead on Time on DVD

K. K. (GAMER)
Reviewed on 3/1/2023...

High Amazon ratings but dragged like a snail. Watch at your own peril.

The Love of His Life

L. Farwell | Charleston, West Virginia | 03/07/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"How could any Inspector Morse fan resist this one for the ultimate in romantic poignancy? It begins with a startled look on Morse's face when he realizes the dead body belongs to the husband of his lover who broke his heart (and ruined his university career) by leaving him many years ago. It ends with Sergeant Lewis protecting his partner with a touching loyalty expressed through subtly phrased lines. Susan Fallon (Joanna David) is the lovely, accomplished blonde with whom we would imagine Morse falling in love (and surely never completely out of love.) Despite Morse's usual ill temper and irritation with the world, we forgive him his faults in those scenes when his blue eyes soften and tear with the pain of loving this woman. (Haven't we all loved and lost?) The script skillfully balances the dark side of human nature and its need for revenge with the hope that no matter how much we lose, love can still endure. This is a special episode to be savored many times for its intimate glimpses into our favorite detective's heart. And, yes, he wears it on his sleeve with a resonance only the late John Thaw could deliver."

Morse loves and loses... or does he?

johnnyrogue | USA | 04/29/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This one, penned by the always reliable Daniel Boyle (who also wrote "Second Time Around" and "Deadly Slumber" among others), has to be one of the best Morse episodes. True, it would most certainly make Morse purists shudder because its plot developments are inconsistent with the Morse character as he is developed in the novels (in the novel "The Riddle of the Third Mile," which was later adapted for television as "The Last Enemy," refers to a character named Wendy who was Morse's lost love back at school; in "Dead on Time" this lost love of Morse's is named Susan). And true, the plot developments are at times illogical. But, this film's plot is only secondary; what is of primary importance is the character of Morse and the kind of sensitivity John Thaw gives this character when he is confronted with this, perhaps his most emotionally charged case. The plot: Morse is called to investigate the apparant suicide of Oxford don Henry Fallon. To make things complicated, the investigation leads Morse to suspect that the suicide was indeed murder set up to look like suicide. To make things more complicated, Henry Fallon was the husband of Susan Fallon, the woman Morse was engaged to so many years ago. To top off all these complications, there is a reemergence of feeling on the part of Morse, a rekindling of this love that he once had. You throw into the mix a bit of Shubert, some hard detective work by Lewis, an uneaten chocolate digestive in Strange's dest, and what you have is vintage Morse. Kudos to John Thaw, as always. He's a marvel and a skilled actor, capable of portraying a Morse that is both angry and tender. Buy this already."

The Romantic Morse

William J. Thor | Vero Beach | 12/18/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A dead man, an inquest ruling suicide, case closed! That may be all right for the average mystery, but not for Morse - his cases never are; that's part of the attraction of this series. Upon further probing we learn this is really a murder or is it? With a Dignity Society involved and several potential suspects, this case could go in several directions. Plenty of twists and turns before this one is over. For icing from the personal Morse we usually find something intellectual or cultural, but this time we are given romance. It seems Morse was heavily involved with the deceased's wife, prior to her marriage when Morse was at University - involved to the extent that they were engaged to be married. Now that she is no longer committed, the old spark is re-kindled mutually. This involvement affects Morse's objectivity in handling the case causing Lewis to engage himself more than usual in the investigation; he learns some details which he is reluctant to reveal to Morse because of his respect and fondness for his superior. How the mystery and the romance play out and how Lewis handles his dilemma are all revealed in the video. Certainly the most melancholy of the entire series. This is first rate stuff and belongs near the top of any list of Morse episodes."