#laura hobson
Alphabetical Reasons to Love Lewis, Day 8
Laura Hobson is the second pathologist character created by Colin Dexter for his Morse novels; the character was reprised in the televised series starting in 1995 and is played by the exquisite Clare Holman. Her witty repartee and passion for the job place her scenes among the best in any episode of Morse or Lewis. The perpetually lovelorn Morse met many a nubile female that I like to call collectively “Morsenip” (catnip for Morse). Hobson first appears in the novel the Way Through the Woods, taking over for Max DeBryn when he dies of a heart attack during an investigation. She is the classic Morsenip- a professional, intelligent music lover who sasses him and seems unattainable. But in the novel, Morse does finally score with someone, possibly Dr Hobson. Colin Dexter only uses the pronoun ‘she,’ leaving us guessing if it was Hobson or another woman of interest. In the TV version of the WTTW, Hobson remains unattainable as she is going out with the annoying DCI Johnson. True to Morsenip form though, Hobson eventually comes around, but by the time she starts flirting with Morse several years later, Morse is in a comfortable relationship with Adele Cecil.
Hobson finally meets her match in Lewis, of course. Sure, the cop/pathologist romance seems like a trope, but Hobson and Lewis are unique because they were never supposed to be together. There is a realism between these two characters that you don’t see in other scripted relationships. They were two totally different people who wanted different things from life, yet they somehow found themselves along the same path as they got older. Their attraction took years to amount to anything as Lewis felt like it was a betrayal to his dead wife. Hobson for her part didn’t wait around for Lewis; she dated throughout the series, much to Lewis’ dismay. But it was an interesting journey, and we gradually got to learn more about her- clarinet, Sagittarius, favourite colour blue- not to mention her flatmates from her college days whose betrayal got her nearly buried alive. She is resilient and made it clear that she does not need a man in her life, but when Lewis finally opened his heart to her, she did not hesitate to let the world know.
Robbie Lewis’ guide to gift-giving
‘Tis better to give than to receive, and Robbie Lewis is an expert. Looking for a get-well-soon gift? Why not a baggie of kiwifruit? Need a gift to thank your hard-working and lonely sergeant whose husband has left for an extended work mission in Canada? Look no farther than your local taxidermist- it’s Tony the Tabby! And what to offer a new mum? A dodo onesie so the little one can learn about extinct species. And bonus- this gift doubles as an “I’m sorry I was such a tosser” peace-offering to your girlfriend. No need to thank him, Lizzie and Laura. Robbie Lewis is just that awesome.
Happy Holidays from Muffinzelda’s Musings!
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The end of the alphabet and the end of Lewis’ adventures… as promised, I have returned to finish Alphabetical Reasons to Love Lewis now that the conclusion has aired in the US.
As Laura and James note to one another in series 8. once a copper, always a copper. Robbie tells James that while it’s Laura idea to go to New Zealand where her niece is having a baby, it is his idea to see the world while they are still young enough to enjoy it. Robbie, however, has second thoughts; Moody may not renew his consultant contract if he leaves. He articulates a bizarre death wish to Laura- he wants to work ‘til he dies- and this is really saying something because he had just been caught in an explosion. He is too scared to live free, so he’d rather die bound to his job. Laura gets credit for making the most teary-eyed reference to Morse in the entire series. And so they let each other go be the strong-willed people they are: Robbie a single-minded copper and Laura an independent woman ready to travel. She doesn’t even need Robbie to take her to the airport.
Eventually, James intervenes and makes Robbie see sense. Though he grovels for having treated Laura rather shabbily, Robbie never actually tells her “I love you.” More specifically, he needed to say “I love you more than the job.” Sorry, Robbie, but Laura deserves better. Meanwhile, it seems that Robbie will be lucky enough to have his cake and eat it too. He is forgiven by Laura *and* Moody leaves the door open for him to return after their trip.
Though I wish we could have done without the entire Robson row, the final scenes are beautifully shot. Hathaway reprises his role as airport taxi for Lewis and Hobson. Lewis is wearing the shirt that Hobson once found to be so garish. Their silhouettes move through the airport; Laura goes first representing both Robbie’s past and his future; next comes Robbie with all their baggage; and lastly James keeping vigil. Together James and Laura give Robbie a nudge towards the security queue, a gesture that is both a benediction from James and a reassurance from Laura. At long last, Robbie is moving on.
