Twilight of the Gods

An episode that finds Morse in his element. He is enthralled after seeing a famous opera singer perform and then devastated when she is shot. The shooting takes place during an Oxford University ceremony. The fact that Morse then gets to hobnob with the highest echelons of the university and that the victim is an opera singer makes for Morse in his most natural surroundings. There's also the case of the murdered journalist, which may or may not be linked.

While the mystery and its solving are great, the highlight of the episode is the appearance and performance of (89-year-old) Sir John Gielgud as Lord Hinksey, the Chancellor of Oxford University. His is largely a comedic role as he delivers some great put-downs and other snide remarks and delivers them perfectly. Wonderfully funny.

By contrast, in terms of point on their career arc, the cast also includes a 22/23-year-old Rachel Weisz in one of her earliest roles. She had yet to make her cinematic debut at this stage.

I find this episode to be totally unbearable. Robert Hardys character is vile. The abuse he dishes out and the sexism etc is intolerable and unnecessary.

I won't waste any more time other than to say that this episode is most uncharacteristic and bears no resemblance to the classic Morse approach.

Horrible.

John Thaw and Kevin Whately are always excellent in Inspector Morse, and their performances in Twilight of the Gods are no exception. However, compared to the outstanding Day of the Devil, Twilight of the Gods was a disappointment. My main problem was that although Robert Hardy is a very good actor, he does overact so wildly here, that I couldn't really relate to his character at all. Though, John Gielgud almost steals the show, with a witty performance that almost compensates the episode and its flaws. My second flaw was that although there were some very good moments, like Morse's argument with Strange, which was very funny, the poignant final scene between Morse and Lewis and Shiela Gish's character's recital at the beginning, the dialogue just lacked the sparkle that makes Morse so intriguing. Don't get me wrong, I liked the episode, I liked the performance of Shiela Gish, who gave the character a sense of fire, such a shame she didn't get more screen time. The plot is also very clever, and does well not to get tedious. The music was also excellent. Overall, a disappointing, but still a very good episode, that benefits from standout turns from Gish and Gielgud, and of course Thaw and Whately. 8/10 Bethany Cox.

Morse begins this episode as a groupie. His great love of opera and opera singers finds him attending recital at Oxford by a famous singer. We are exposed to the reality that she is a tyrant, a petulant nightmare. As she is about to be honored near the great library, a shot rings out and she falls to the ground. This shooting gets our detective all hot and bothered. He begins to overreact a bit. But things aren't all that simple for the two detectives. We are made aware that the singer's being is connected to a multitude of entities. Another plot line happens early on as a freelance writer is found murdered by a riverbank. And there is a controversial building about to be constructed. Some very colorful characters come to the fore and Morse learns a few lessons.

Oxford at its finest, ceremony, art, opera, Welsh tarts, and of course murder. Morse is baffled, he has to look into the death of someone who's talent he greatly appreciated.

I jest when I say about the story, it is of course wonderful, smart and cerebral, the plot develops nicely, and the ending comes as a real surprise.

There is plenty of humour throughout, they truly make the most our of the pomp and ceremony, but the best laughs come from Robert Hardy, he is sensational as always, his constant shouting out, and choice of words are so funny.

How on Earth did they manage to get Sir John Gielgud into an episode of Morse? However they managed it, the legendary actor gives a tremendous performance, he is absolutely wonderful, every line is delivered with precision and quality, wonderful to watch. The late Sheila Gish gives us a great character with Gwladys Probert, great fun.

It contains the funniest line from Morse's history, I like Cole Porter, what does that tell you about me? reply that you're a closet gay, it's hilarious.

It's a.class act, 9/10.