User Reviews

Inspector Lewis (Kevin Whately) becomes tied up in a case that brings back his youth in "Counter Culture Blues," from the third season of Inspector Lewis.

When Morse and Hathaway investigate a noise disturbance on a farm, they discover the member of a '60s band, Midnight Addiction. In fact, the group is about to enjoy a renaissance. Their old singer, Esme (Joanna Lumley), believed to have committed suicide 35 years ago, has reappeared, and they're ready to start up again. Then a young man is killed on the farm, followed by a group member and an expert on the group who teaches music. They all have one thing in common: the band. But untangling the group's past relationships and learning their many secrets isn't going to be easy.

Midnight Addiction is quasi-based on The Rolling Stones, and the casting people found the most wasted looking, dried out, exhausted looking individuals they could find as group members. They're all excellent. Joanna Lumley is great as Esme, who claims that she wants to try it all again just one more time.

I actually liked this episode. One of the reasons is that one has to pay attention. These plots are not dumbed down, and I love the relationship between Hathaway and Lewis, and the two of them with their commander. Very good.

Oh, yes. There may be a plot hole or two, as other reviews mention. When I saw it for the first time a couple of years ago, the plot probably bothered me, and I forgot about the whole experience.

I just watched the episode again, and I could really not keep up with the jokes, puns and hilarious exchanges, because I was laughing so hard. I wonder how I could have missed them the first time - maybe I was too tired and had enough problems following the plot.

The entire script is probably worthy of being added to the "Memorable Quotes" section, you have to pay attention (and not laugh too hard) to get them all. "Frolicking bloody baa-lambs", indeed.

Never mind the plot, just enjoy the fantastic chemistry between Lewis, Hathaway, Dr. Hobson and the Chief Superintendent. This is an outstanding series, and I consider getting it on DVD just for this episode, to see it again and finally get all the jokes and odd references.

I just have to say I love this episode, and I still enjoy it no matter how many times I see it. There are always certain things I pick up that I haven't previously. And that person on here who said there is no wrap up is ridiculous there is a total wrap up of everything. Another great role for Joanna Lumley, and great twists will keep those seeing it for the first time intrigued beginning til end.

Hearing about 'Lewis' for the first time when it first started, there was a big touch of excitement seeing as 'Inspector Morse' was and still is one of my favourites but also a little intrepidation, wondering whether the series would be as good. The good news is, like the prequel series 'Endeavour', 'Lewis' is every bit as good as 'Inspector Morse' and stands very well on its own two feet as a detective mystery and show in general.

As said a number of times already, 'Lewis' started off very promising with the pilot and Season 1. It was with Season 2 where 'Lewis' hit its stride with things generally feeling more settled. Season 3 started off disappointingly with "Allegory of Love", which to me wasn't that bad but compared to the high calibre of the best episodes it could have been much better. "The Quality of Mercy" was a superior effort and saw the show back on track. "The Point of Vanishing" was a return to relative disappointment, but "Counter Culture Blues" is one of the season's better episodes generally.

Maybe parts and some unanswered questions could have been better explained. While not convoluted or bizarre, the ending needed more clarity and more explanation generally. Also found the truth guessable before the final solution.

On the other hand, the acting is fine, anchored by Kevin Whately and Laurence Fox. Whately is again very good and carries the episode with aplomb, advantaged by that Lewis is much more developed and as said he has more development. Clare Holman adds a lot. Fox is a breath of fresh air in a great contrasting role that reminds one of a more intelligent Lewis in his younger days and his sparkling sparring chemistry with Whately is a big part of the episode's, and show's, appeal. Innocent has more to do and is more commanding, her character not as problematic as in the pilot and Season 1. Joanna Lumley is excellent in one of the show's best supporting turns.

Production values are of very high quality. It's beautifully shot (some of the best of the show at this point), and Oxford not only looks exquisite but is like a supporting character in itself. Barrington Pheloung returns as composer, and does a first-rate job. The theme tune, while not as iconic or quite as clever as Morse's, is very pleasant to listen to, the episode is charmingly and hauntingly scored and the use of pre-existing music is very well-incorporated.

There is some fun and thought-provoking writing, especially between Lewis and Hathaway, and the rock and roll setting is very well done. The chemistry between Lewis and Esme was also strong.

In summary, good and one of Season 3's better episodes let down by the underdeveloped ending and a few things that could have been made clearer. 8/10 Bethany Cox

The charm of Inspector Lewis and the entire Morse/Endeavour universe has been and always will be the beautiful musical score. The episode is the exception to that rule. This music will assault your ears. It's painfully horrible. "Baby...why'd you have to leave me that way?" Oh my goodness, that song is badly written, badly sung and not believable as a rock and roll classic as portrayed. Decent story and good writing as you would expect from this fantastic series but, the music does not live up to the standard of a Morse/Lewis/Endeavour.

When Lewis and Hathaway are called to put a stop to an aging rock star, Lewis meets a childhood hero. This band was a screeching sixties group, into drugs, meditation, and dalliance. They are mostly brain impaired and living in the past. But there are secrets. They obviously have hung onto a lot of money and have been able to live high off the hog. But in the middle of all this a young man is found ripped to shreds and the fun begins. The head of the band has a young daughter studying music at Oxford. To complicate matters, the former female singer, thought dead for 35 years, resurfaces and it's time for the band to get together. It's a strong example of our not being able to go home again.

Inside a recording studio in Oxford, engineer Craig Bell (Paul Panting) and students Declan (Daniel Kaluuya) and Lucas Emerton (Tom Kane) take a little time from their schedule to play a game of kidnapping.

At an Oxford church, Vicar Reverend Armstrong's (Nick Malinowski) Sunday service is interrupted by the sounds of gunfire across the neighboring field, as Richie Maguire (David Hayman), a former pop star shoots pigeons, which he claims are not considered as game but nuisances once Detective Inspector Robert Lewis (Kevin Whately) and Detective Sergeant James Hathaway (Laurence Fox) arrive to investigate ongoing complaints against the Sunday hunting ordinance.

Richie Maguire has played keyboard for the Pop band "Midnight Addiction," considered the third most popular British band of its era, during its heyday of approximately 1965 through 1974, before lead singer Esme Ford (Joanna Lumley) reportedly leaped from a cliff into the sea to drown.

But now she suddenly reappears after 35 years, to reunite with Richie and other former band members,Bone (Trevor Byfield), who has been a best friend of Richie for many years, Franco (Anthony Higgins), and Mack Maguire (Hilton McRae), the base guitarist and Richie's brother.

Vernon Oxe (Simon Callow) has managed "Midnight Addiction" from its onset and seems to be the only one to benefit from its record sales. Now Vernon returns to reorganize a comeback session, causing waves from the onset, as he makes demands of Concierge (Philip Correia) at the Randolph Hotel, and offers Samantha Wheeler (Isobel Middleton) a position as publicity agent for the band, while someone leaks information to the tabloids, to the disdain of Chief Superintendent Innocent (Rebecca Front).

Back at the farmhouse, while Esme reacquaints herself with Richie, Bone, Mack and Franco, Richie's domestic assistants, Jo (Jessica Manley), the servant; Jacinta (Renee Montemayor), the maid; and Felipe (Junix Inocian) the chauffeur, electrician, and mechanic for Richie's vintage automobiles, all have their hands full, with trying to help the former band members to keep Esme's secret that she is alive and well....

As does Kitten (Perdita Weeks), daughter of Richie and an Oxford Music student, who submits a large composition to Doctor Frisch (Jane Bertish), of the Oxford University Music Faculty, before Kitten's mother, Caroline (Helen Baxendale), Richie's wife, returns from an extended holiday, and wile fellow student Peter Woodrow (Harry Lloyd) stalks Kitten, blackmailing her for reasons unknown to Lewis and Hathaway.

But when bodies begin to turn up, Lewis and Hathaway, along with Chief Superintendent Innocent and Doctor Laura Hobson (Clare Holman), also have their hands full, trying to connect the murders of the victim of a hit and run automobile homicide, a death by deadly injection, and a strangulation, as Doctor Hobson assesses.

As Lewis and Hathaway test various theories, one common factor among the murders seems to involve the mysterious Maureen Little, whose substance-abusing daughter had died in childbirth years earlier, and now a trail for Maureen seems to end with roadblocks everywhere.

But Lewis and Hathaway's inquisitions seem to prove that very few of the suspects are telling the truth about much of anything, especially as additional lives are threatened, one by a Venezuelan tarantula, which arrives in the mail, another by poison-laced alcohol and a metal sewage disposal apparatus, called a "massulator," and another by rifle fire.

So, how does this string of murders and attempted murders connect, and what other secrets lie in store for exposure, as "Midnight Addiction" enters rehearsals for "Counter Culture Blues?"

The cast is rounded out by Olivia Scott as Receptionist and Shola Adewusi as Cleaner at Maureen Little's former place of employ, Nicholas Briggs as Solicitor at inquest hearing, and Maggie Bell as Singing voice of Esmé Ford (voice).

Comments: Joanna Lumley continuously proves herself as one of the finest actresses of this generation even in an otherwise downbeat and drab entry, in which the investigatory team of regulars appear somewhat forced to perform instead of vacationing or napping, while the balance of the vintage rock band plays depression to the hilt.

Other bright spots include refreshing touches by Jessica Manley, Perdita Weeks and Helen Baxendale, and, of course, who could get enough of Nick Malinowski, Philip Correia, Daniel Kaluuya or Harry Lloyd, who, along with Miss Lumley, could lead you to a repeat watching somewhere down the road?

Counter Culture Blues is the standout episode of Lewis, it may not be the best mystery of the series, although it is terrific, but the characters and cast are huge, enormously memorable, plus it contains the rather grisly means of death, and a dramatic ending.

Lewis is so animated in this episode, he's sometimes a little quiet in character, especially when compared to his forthright colleague, but Whately is terrific here.

The combination of David Hayman and Joanna Lumley is just magical, a huge deal of charisma and on screen presence, but I believe in the pairs characters totally.

Very different in tone to the rest of the episodes, but this is a classic. 9/10

A teenager is found dead and, while his body was found elsewhere, the location of death is determined to be at the gates to an estate owned by a 60s rocker, a hero of Lewis's youth. The band he was in, Midnight Addiction, appears to be reuniting, an event made possible by the female vocalist returning after being dead for 35 years.

An episode that started badly but got better as it went on. In drawing the characters of the members of the band the writers drew upon just about every 60s/70s rock 'n roll cliché and stereotype imaginable: the drugs, the dress-like-a-pirate attire, androgynous looks, the lingo (ending each sentence with "man", calling the police "pigs" etc). The writers probably imagined that is what Keith Richards is like at home and shaped the characters and their speech accordingly. It's just so clumsy and lacking in any grounding in reality.

The story is okay though, once you get past the absurd characters. A fair amount of mystery and a some good detective work by Lewis.

Can't fault the cast though. The guest names include some established stars - Joanna Lumley, Simon Callow, Helen Baxendale, David Hayman - plus future stars in Daniel Kaluuya and Perdita Weeks. Just a pity they were generally given such lousy characters to play.

A enjoyable episode with some an interesting story line, some fine acting, a few minor plot holes, all nicely filled out with sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll.

My review title is not the name of this episode, but it could have been. The similarities between the Inspector Lewis "Counter Culture Blues" bears more than a passing similarity to the Midsomer Murders "The AxeMan Cometh'. "The AxeMan Cometh" was released 3 years before "Counter Culture Blues", so one can imagine the writers for Inspector Lewis may have seen it and borrowed some ideas.

The Inspector Lewis version is quite entertaining. The AbFab Joanna Lumley pulls off an aging rock star with visions of more days of glory with panache, in my opinion better than James Cosmo did in the Midsomer version. All the Lewis version needed was Suzi Quatro to play the real thing.

For giggles watch the two versions back to back.

A few years before Midsomer Murders did a similar plot and did it much better. While I'm a big fan of Midsomer Murders, imitation is not the best form of flattery. Lewis is a more serious show and the multiple murders and bizarre situations is just not its cup of tea.

I found the over the hill rock stars more realistic than when S10 E4 "Midsommer Murders"" The Axeman Cometh had a similar theme. That was only a mediocre 6 of 10 rating for me. There it was a lot of "Hey man" and stereotypes with bad overacting. These band members were very believable who looked liked they've over indulged with 5 miles of rough road faces to prove it.

The story was very entertaining to keep up with the many twists and turns. Simon Callow as Vernon Oxe nailed the part of the uppity arrogant flamboyant jerk. Should of been a clue when he got hung up on calling music people in California. Also, highlights were pretty actresses Perdita Weeks as Kitten and Isobel Middleton as Samantha Wheeler. The in tears appearances of Daniel Kaluuya as Declan were abrupt and his friendship with Lucas shoehorned in coming out of nowhere.

Terrific intense ending unraveling the villian's dirty deeds. Twin sibling revelation is a British detective mystery staple that worked well here. Lewis back to his own hairline after toupee shuffling.

Too many murders, not enough brains.

Didn't they use this year old cliché of "victim saved by the last chase, corny music included" on the last episode, "The Point of Vanishing"? Are they going to inflict us any other form of brain damage, or is it going to be a "repeat" of old formulas already used in 50' lowbrow US films? 3 gays, 2 of which are mean and coward. Again, stereotypes, anyone :(? It's a mystery to me how Colin Dexter could have co written this. Morse is a work of genius. Lewis is a below average TV series.

At least there's no hint of Lewis' desire for young beautiful students nor DS Hathaway's gleeful acceptance of his Master. But once, "he's a genius" when he pulls of an interview so out of his normal self it seems... they needed to speed up this bad episode, in fear they may drone on with this awful series.

Enjoy... if you can :)!

No wrap up. This plot was intricate but the end left us wanting.