In the back-story, Richard Mortmaigne, a wealthy landowner had hidden a treasure upon his Oxford-area estate during the English Civil War (1642–1651). Ever since, no one seems to have uncovered the treasure, but Mortmaigne descendants have sponsored an annual Civil War costume re-enactment upon "the farm," as they call it. This time around, however, a participant is wounded when a perpetrator secretly substitutes live ammunition into the muzzle of a musket.
Meanwhile, after Bus Driver (Alex Knight) discovers a body lying across a seat in his vehicle, he alerts Oxfordshire law enforcement officers.
Detective Inspector Robert Lewis (Kevin Whately) and Doctor Laura Hobson (Clare Holman) respond to the discovery of the victim on the bus, while Detective Sergeant James Hathaway (Laurence Fox) and Detective Constable Hooper (Gerard Horan) respond to the incident at Crevecourt Hall, a.k.a. the Mortmaigne estate, or "the farm." Chief Superintendent Innocent (Rebecca Front) oversees the investigations, as additional bodies begin to surface.
Detective Constable Hooper, referred to as "D.C. Hopper," has neither a very strong rapport with Hathaway nor Lewis, who addresses him as "small in mind and big in mouth." Inspector Lewis' investigation of a Doctor Stephen Black (no actor credited), an Oxford History Professor, leads him to develop an amicable acquaintance with Black's associate, Frances Woodville (Stella Gonet), a fellow Oxford History Instructor, who had left a return call message for Stephen.
Lewis discovers that Black borrowed Professor Woodville's research material to earn his Doctorate, while Doctor Hobson discovers that the bus victim has been bludgeoned with a candlestick, before Sergeant Hathaway discovers the candlestick wrapped within a current newspaper and hidden in a sack in the Chapel at Crevecourt Hall.
Residents at Crevecourt Hall include Augustus Mortmaigne (Richard Johnson), a former banker, who has lost much of his wealth after the financial economy falters; Selina Mortmaigne (Juliet Aubrey), Augustus' gracious young wife; Scarlett Mortmaigne (Camilla Arfwedson), Augustus' daughter by his late wife; and Titus Mortmaigne (Jonathan Bailey), Selina and Augusts' young adult son. Philip Coleman (Nathaniel Parker), addressed as "Colonel," a nephew of Mr. Mortmaign, was born to Augustus' sister.
Ralph Grahame (Jonty Stephens) serves as Crevecourt Hall Stage Manager and organizes the re-enactment; Briony Grahame (Georgia Groome), Ralph's daughter, serves as loyal Crevecourt Hall maid and shares an interest with Titus. Paul Hopkiss (Pip Carter), serves as loyal butler at Crevecourt Hall. Father Jasper (Hugh O'Conor), a Jesuit Priest, serves as Chaplain of the Crevecourt Hall premises. Professor Pelham (Guy Henry), an Oxford Art Historian, has been hired by Augustus to uncover additions to an oil painting from the Mortmaigne collection.
Tarek Shimali (Richard Saade), the son of a Lebanese banker, and fiancé of Scarlett Mortmaigne, arrives at Crevecourt Hall for their engagement celebration, with his parents, Sariah and Dior Shimali (each uncredited).
While residents and staff maintain many secrets, James Hathaway also has a past at Crevecourt Hall, for his father had served as Stage Manager, and so James had resided at the estate until he turned twelve. Now, he is reacquainted with his childhood friend Paul Hopkiss, who hasn't seen James in twenty years, and with Scarlett Mortmaigne, whom James continues to admire for her grace and beauty.
But when Briony stumbles across another body, the victim of gunfire, Lewis and Hathaway attempt to link the murders with the shooting at the re-enactment, plus the disappearance of Linda Grahame, Briony's mother, and the cold case vehicular homicide of a teenage Freddy Randall (uncredited) in Oxford years earlier.
Inspector Lewis concentrates upon a residence in Shue de Crescent, at which he discovers a collection of old love letters, along with a cat, for whom he acts as caregiver, while Sergeant Hathaway concentrates upon Crevecourt Hall and begins to share rekindled feelings with Scarlett, to Lewis' disdain and threats of suspension from the Department.
Well, the altered painting represents a clue, which leads Lewis and Hathaway back to Crevecourt Hall, to study astrological symbols engraved in a tower pointing to the Millennium sculpture, which Hathaway points out as new since his tenure at the estate, and also a missing Chapel key leads to another revelation, but by now, Lewis and Hathaway are on the outs, and investigate separately.
Because Scarlett has invited Hathaway to her lavish engagement party, he attends reluctantly, during which time, Doctor Hobson gives Lewis another clue, which leads to his sudden realization as to how the murders connect, while Hathaway, too, suddenly realizes additional evidence, leading guests to the climactic showdown, another shooting, and the discovery of yet another body.
Comment: Juliet Aubrey adds an extra depth of tender emotion to character, as also do Camilla Arfwedson, Pip Carter, and Hugh O'Conor to theirs. But Laurence Fox stands out in a compelling performance as the Sergeant trying to resolve many differences between his past and his exacting career.
What points its stars gain for fine performances may be lost on a sloppily, inexplicably misfit screen-story ending, which doesn't seem to work very well in comparison to other "Inspector Lewis" series' episodes.
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