Driven to Distraction (Inspector Morse TV-episode)

Driven to Distraction (Inspector Morse TV-episode) is an episode of the Inspector Morse (TV series) based on a character created by Colin Dexter and written by Anthony Minghella.^[1] Driven to Distraction was released in 1990^[2] and was first shown in the United States on PBS as part of its Mystery! programming during the 1991-1992 season.^[3]

Plot

A serial killer has brutally murdered three women separately in Oxford. The victims appear to have nothing in common. Detective Superintendent Strange (James Grout)^[4] introduces Detective Sergeant Maitland (Mary Jo Randle),^[5] a female specialist in crimes against women. Inspector Morse (John Thaw) is patronizing and condescending towards Maitland, and is skeptical about her techniques. Lewis finds a tentative link between the victims through police computer database searches: all had bought a car from the same dealer. Morse visits Jeremy Boynton (Patrick Malahide),^[6] the owner of the car dealership, and decides, without anything other than circumstantial evidence and a dislike of Boynton, that he is guilty. Morse comments "That's our man all right".

In an attempt to rile Boynton, Morse starts a course of refresher driving lessons at the nearby driving school, parking his Jaguar outside Boynton's garage each time he has a lesson. Morse becomes aware that Boynton was having an affair with the last victim and is blackmailing a female friend of hers (who knew of the affair) by threatening to inform the police about her cannabis habit. Morse arrests Boynton and has his car forensically dismantled.

However, Boynton has an alibi and Morse has little evidence. Strange arrives, angry, and orders Morse to release Boynton immediately and to put his car back together: 'every crumb, every speck of dust back where you found it.' Morse protests but has to comply with Strange's order. The boyfriend of the last victim becomes aware of Boynton's arrest and release and confronts him at the garage. Storming out, he notices a fuel tanker delivery taking place and tries to set fire to the garage. Boynton attempts to stop him but is doused in petrol and knocked unconscious.

Morse and Maitland go back to Boynton's garage without a warrant and start working through company files and computer records. Detective Sergeant Lewis (Kevin Whately) objects to the illegality of this and angrily leaves. During the searches, which last all night, another possible victim is identified. However, she survived her attack and is still alive. While Morse attempts to contact her, and further investigates the man who confessed to her assault, Strange tells Morse he's going to take him off the case.

Meanwhile, a fourth woman is murdered. Morse is perplexed by the latest murder, as the victim had no apparent link with Boynton's car dealership. Further, Boynton is ruled out as the killer, as he is still recovering in hospital when the fourth murder occurs. The focus of the investigation then suddenly shifts when it becomes clear that the victims all had links to the nearby driving school, not the car dealership. Morse finally works out who the killer is while taking his last lesson with the head of the driving school. This leads to a dramatic, violent conclusion.

Following this, Morse visits Boynton in hospital to apologize. Morse gives Boynton the steering wheel from a Monte Carlo Rally-winning Jaguar as 'peace offering' as he knows Boynton (also a Jaguar enthusiast) has the model of car from which it originally came. Morse bids farewell to Maitland, who is returning to a training role, and they agree to stay in touch.

Notes

The episode features an uncredited performance of the song Why Can't You Behave by Cole Porter as a reoccurring motif.^[7] The killer listens to a tape of the song as he stalks his victims.

Driven to Distraction (Inspector Morse TV-episode)

Plot

Notes

References