The Day of the Devil

A quite original episode of Morse. Not a set-piece murder investigation but a manhunt for a satan-worshipping rapist. The villain proves to be quite the formidable adversary for Morse, edluding him on several occasions through the use of clever disguises and escape plans.

It all threatened to unravel at the end though. Many of the Morse episode fall short of greatness simply because the writers overegg the pudding and throw in a few twists too many. This makes the plot more complex than it needs to be and reduces the plausibility of it.

This episode comes close to that, but doesn't quite undo all the good work. In the end, while complex, it's quite plausible and understandable. Very ingenious, even poetic, in fact.

I sincerely nonplussed as to how and why anyone would give this particular episode 10/10 stars and prattle on about how this is one of the best episodes in the entire series. This particular episode is tedious-as-heck, at best. I find myself fast forwarding over some of the more obnoxious parts. As a whole, I like the series and Morse even though his condescending personality is annoying at times. At times, this plot becomes very predictable and cliche. While I am on the subject of annoyance, how is it that soooo many women who are soooo much younger than him are soooo romantically interested in him? Although he is a likable guy, James Bond, he is not. The entire plot of this episode moves along so slowly and the dialogue is so uninteresting. On another note, is it just me or do others find the character Strange irksome?

Keith Allen, brilliant best, no waste of talent on display in this episode. Sadly, whilst about the occult, the script is pretty good, the acting standard very high, the plot with various twists and turns would put this one in the top 3 of the best of Morse. He does, as always get there in the end, which may come as a surprise to some watching. Great casting especially Keith Allen

This episode concerns an escapee from a mental hospital who is violent criminal and also a "Satanic fundamentalist." Gee whillikers! The plot has some interesting twists and turns, to be sure, building toward a dramatic resolution which is satisfying on some level. But the content is pure Satanic-panic stuff, very characteristic of its time and highly suspect. (There's much talk here of Lammas Day, when "the devil is paid homage," but in fact Lammas is an old harvest festival. In medieval Britain this was the "Loaf Mass" when people would bring a loaf of bread to church. Not very Satanic, I'm afraid.) The climactic Black Mass ritual in the woods is simply laughable. In the end, it's enjoyable in the way that cheesy low-budget horror films can be enjoyed. Pursue this case at your own risk. For my money, the most interesting scene is a discussion between Morse and a female cop which gets into the value of feminism. A subtle moment but intriguing. Watch for it.

A truly engrossing, edge-of-the-seat, unnerving detective episode as you may ever see. The acting by Morse, Lewis, Barrie, and Dr. Martin, is excellent, especially the latent violence in Barrie. The music adds a nice touch to the anticipation of upcoming events.

Keith Allen as Barrie shines as a psychopath who is out for his own form of revenge. Harriet Walker as Dr. Martin clearly has more to her than she lets on. John Thaw and Kevin Whately excel as Morse and Lewis with ever increasing pace of worry as things progress. Add in the excellent acting of Richard Graham and Richard Griffiths as PC Cobbs and Canon Appleton, and the all-star cast delivers in every scene.

One of the best Morse episodes produced with its nail-biting tension and excellent acting. Be sure to use the loo first as you will not want to miss a second.