Customer Reviews

Inspector Morse - Deadly Slumber

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The Inspector Morse series is one of the greatest in detective drama. While Colin Dexter's books are marvels of intricate (and occasionally bizarre) plot twists, the movies focus more on the characters involved...and in this movie (and "Who Killed Harry Field") especially so. The mystery is good, but the kinship between Morse and chief suspect Michael Steppings is best thing about this particular episode. It's one of those great films where the bad guys and good guys seem to have reversed roles, and the whole mystery hinges on one small slip...#2 on the list of the five greatest Morses!

This is one of the finest Morse episodes for a number of reasons. One characteristic of this entry is that the viewer is exposed to a number of false leads and to elements of evidence which either point to criminality or to innocence-- only to find that the seemingly obvious conclusions yielded by the evidence have been premature and inaccurate. The plot basically involves the possibility that a wealthy man, whose daughter suffered irreversible brain damage during a minor operation, has decided to take vengeance on the medical personnel involved in the surgery. When the surgeon who performed the operation is found dead in his own garage, the grief stricken father (Michael Steppings) becomes a prime suspect in the murder case. As the investigation unfolds, we learn that there are two or three other people, including the surgeon's wife and son, who had a possible motive to murder the good doctor. In the final analysis, the viewer is exposed to a premeditated and carefully constructed plot to inveigle the police and to destroy the lives and/or reputations of those involved in the botched surgical procedure. Naturally, he who would seek to take vengeance on others must be prepared for the possibility that he, himself, will suffer some form of retribution. The end is predictable-- with the architect of the diabolical revenge scheme experiencing "justice" rendered by one of his intended victims. As played by Brian Cox, the character of Michael Steppings is someone we are forced to sympathize with, even if we cannot condone the measures he takes to punish the medical malefactors. In this episode, even Morse displays a level of emotional involvement which is unusual. Two murders are solved in this episode, with one solution aided by a small detail (a scene in a painting) which does not escape the shrewd analysis of Inspector Morse. All things considered, this really is one of the best entries in the Morse series and is characterized by outstanding performances in the lead roles.

While I prefer the Morse episodes that involve philosophic talk, Deadly Slumber is a rock-solid mystery. The report of a putative suicide is investigated. The dead man is a doctor who has, with his wife, been operating a private clinic. They have a son doing a D.Phil in philosophy at Oxford. Morse thinks the suicide is hinky and the coroner confirms his suspicions. The man was killed. But whodidit? The prime suspect is the father of a young woman consigned to a vegetative state as the result of botched, simple surgery at the clinic. Then things get interesting, as Morse develops a relationship with the suspect and his ventilator-dependent daughter. The script by Daniel Boyle is superb--a sort of Prime Suspect without the edgy language and the frenetic action. There's no anger here; we've moved past it. The script takes the few possible suspects and crafts from that list a complex, plausible, striking but not surprising mystery story. The prime suspect is played by Brian Cox, here in a very soft, touching mode. All in all a mystery lover's delight.

This compact entry features a relatively small cast of major participants - one is in hospital, brain dead, while another is murdered during the opening scenes, leaving four suspects. A heart attack eliminates one more, and a second murder brings our number to two. This size cast makes it easy to follow their movements; but the plot is so well done we are left in the dark as to the fate of the last two until all is revealed. Morse and the father of the brain dead girl find crosswords and pubs in common - Morse also forms an empathetic attachment to the father as he sees how the father is overwhelmed with the condition of his daughter. One of those involved is a part time artist and it is one of her paintings that provides a significant clue to aid Morse. James Grout, one of our recurring characters, participates in this one -- more so then any of his many other appearances. Of the guest stars Brian Cox as Michael Steppings is outstanding. This variation on Morse mysteries is another one of our top ten.

I am a devoted fan of the Inspector Morse series (which I only discovered several weeks ago), and have been steadily working my way through the series (it all depends on which DVDs are available at my local library, and purchasing the titles which are not found at the library).

Anyway, I continue to be amazed at the wonderful writing and acting in this series. John Thaw is the consummate Inspector Morse whose eye for detail and meticulous investigative methods lead him to solve the most baffling of crimes. He is aided by his loyal DS Lewis (Kevin Whately, who goes on to headline his own series, Masterpiece Mystery: Complete Inspector Lewis).

Deadly Slumber is a skillfully-plotted crime story involving the murder of a renowned doctor who together with his wife, run a famous clinic. At first, the doctor's death appears to be suicide, but soon enough, the post-mortem reveals that the doctor was murdered. There are several suspects, the most prominent being rich businessman Michael Steppings (Brian Cox) whose young daughter Avril suffered permanent brain damage (and is on life support) since a surgical procedure gone wrong at the doctor's clinic several years ago. As Morse investigates, a curious bond of sorts develops between the two men - investigator and suspect, as Morse develops a respect for Steppings' devotion to his daughter, and Steppings in turn admires Morse's tenacity and devotion to his job. But there are also other suspects, the victim's son who did not get along with his father, and the victim's own wife, who might have known of her husband's affair with a nurse.

Could this be a revenge plot or is there more to it than that? There are several red herrings in the plot which makes it an incredibly engaging viewing experience as one tries to puzzle out who could be the murderer. I truly enjoyed this episode, and it is on my list of Top Ten Morse episodes.

"Deadly Slumber" (1993) is a very intense Inspector Mores episode that apparently was not based upon one of Colin Dexter's novels, and I think it shows it. The conclusion is so full of twists and turns, nooks and crannies, false leads and red herrings that it become mind-boggling to follow. This one is a humorless episode in which we see very little of the by-play between Inspector Morse (John Thaw) and Sergeant Lewis (Kevin Whately). We don't see Morse's stinginess sticking Lewis with pub bills or his tendency to tipple. It's a single-minded Morse that is less fun than the usual.
A husband and wife, The Brewsters, both doctors operate a private clinic. One particular operation went tragically wrong with Dr. Brewster as the surgeon and his wife Claire as anesthesiologist and assisted by Nurse Hazlitt. The patient, a young girl Avril, never regained consciousness, and she is in a coma from which she will never recover. The father Michael Steppings (Brian Cox), a wealthy bookmaker, sues the doctors and nurse, and loses the case. He threatens the trio in court.
Two years later Dr. Brewster's body is found in his garage, apparently a suicide. Very quickly it is determined to be a murder. Viewers are going to be very suspicious of the Brewster's son John who acts very guiltily as he slinks around.
Steppings visits his daughter, kept alive on life-supports, every day and reads to her. Morse begins bonding with the father and sharing his anguish. Steppings is a prime suspect, and he is investigated. Before his death Dr. Brewster received some threatening letters, but none went to his wife or the nurse apparently.
At the end we find out about a complicated series of events that took place. We are led in one direction only to find that a new area of investigation has opened. Not the best Morse episode, but it does have some good acting, and we see beautiful homes and apartments in Oxford as well as good views of the university.

Bought this for my dad. He's a big british mysteries fan. He enjoyed very much.

Good english acting and stories are good also
will watch over and over
had seen it before and loved the Inspector Morse settings
John thaw and Kevin wheatley good actors
I have complete boxed sets
chfancier