Инспектор Морс The Death of the Self (1987–2000) Online

I'm giving this a 10 in the ratings. It has it all, the setting is exquisite, Italy must rank as one of the most beautiful countries on Earth, the script is so clever, and the performances of Barber, Kitchen and of course the cast regulars are of the highest calibre. The music here is particularly magical, the finale features 'Signore Ascolta' sung beautifully by Janis Kelly. I have been a life long avid fan of Frances Barber, here she looks insanely beautiful and gives a tremendous performance of a fragile Opera singer, it's easy to see that John Thaw enjoyed working with her. Georges Connaface is very decent as the Italian inspector, a very handsome chap, his character, you can see is initially irritated by the arrival of Morse and Lewis, but soon begins to appreciate them,

I do think Death of the Self is one of the weaker episodes of series 6, though my least favourite while very good, was Cherubim and Seraphim. The episode benefits from some superb camera-work, and gorgeous Italian settings, I do think it is one of the more visually beautiful Morse episodes. Death of the Self tells of a woman who dies suddenly, and the hunt for a ruthless art dealer in Italy, and I will say the reason why I didn't like the episode as much as the others was because of the rather confusing final solution; then again it is an episode that requires more than one viewing. John Thaw and Kevin Whately are excellent, and I did like the performances of Frances Barber(who looked gorgeous), Georges Connaface and Michael Kitchen. The script as always is intelligent, particularly Morse's outbursts about Clark, who as a character is certainly loathsome, and the music featuring excerpts from Rigoletto and Turandot was a delight. Overall, visually stunning, with fine performances, but the plot construction sometimes lets it down. 9/10 Bethany Cox.

This is a pretty decent episode. One of the members of a British self-help group in Vicenza, Italy, is found impaled on a tree spike during one of the group's night time meetings. (Morse: "Ecologically unsound.") Was she murdered or did she accidentally fall? Morse and Lewis are sent to clear things up but they run into obstacles all along the way. The group is run by Russel Clark, whom Morse had convicted of fraud six years earlier, and there is some reason to believe that valuable artifacts are being smuggled out of the country.

The two detectives look into things, mostly opposed by the Italian police, but there are no more deaths and all is explained at the end, even if the explanation is a little tenuous.

But what does it matter? This is Italy. And when he's not busy with the case, Morse is in opera heaven. One of the members is a soprano who joined the group only to overcome the stage fright that brought her career to an abrupt halt. Morse gets to know her. The music is beautiful. Even the determinedly low-brow Lewis is swept up in it.

I've attended several operas myself and could always be relied upon to fall asleep after a few minutes. And once, wandering around backstage at the Baths of Caracalla, fondling a tack I'd found on the floor, I managed to leave it upright on Aida's throne. I'm not a big opera fan but, perhaps because of some emotional investment in the comeback performance of the diva with stage fright, I really enjoyed her performance, dubbed though it may have been.

And Italy is such a gorgeous country, especially the relatively small cities like Verona, that it's a thrill to visit them on screen. The crowding and the noise seem muted.

Plot was all over the place, more so than usual, most annoying was the sound of screeching birds, absolutely constant through out, no variation in pitch, volume or species. I am so fond of the Inspector Morse stories, but don't understand, and totally put off by the annoying, supercilious "side stories". The total idiocy of the "tree spikes"(keep in mind, I am commenting on this point as an "American tree hugger" is beyond, no other way to put it, IDIOTIC! The sheer number and size of the spikes in combination with them never actually being used in their "therapeutic use" made them absurd. The actress playing "American, Patti" whether she was Yank or not, was just too over the top.

As this series progressed we got to see more of the humanness and impatience of Morse. At times he jumps to conclusions. Lewis usually is the one criticized for these things. Having been to that Colosseum in Verona as well as the city, I was immediately captivated. This is the story of an evil, smug shyster, who has killed someone but manages to recreate a career of crime. He is utterly despicable, presenting himself as a savior while controlling people who are vulnerable. This has led to large financial gain and the ability to carry on a lavish lifestyle. Morse is aware of his past crimes and the need to get serious evidence, but the guy is slick. There are some misleading plot elements, primarily the chief of police. Then there is Morse's first love, Opera. Italy is his paradise.