Foyle’s War — Set 1 (DVD)

I have an admittedly romanticized view of Britain’s role in World War II. If we played word association, I’d say things like the people were brave, selfless and stoic and that the country was the last bulwark against Hitler; I’d picture things like Londoners picking through the rubble of the blitz and Winston Churchill’s bulldog face.

The BBC series “Foyle’s War” doesn’t take away from any of that, but it shows deeper dimensions and reminds us that even the Brits were human, and therefore flawed. Series 1 makes it immediately clear that there’s far more to the story of England at war.

Set 1 includes four mysteries. The first, “The German Woman” shows that anti-German sentiment could be taken too far. Innocent people were sent to internment camps and, in a side story, we learn about people who helped others evade service or internment with money. “The White Feather” shows both Nazi sympathizers and the very real fear that Germany could win the war. “A Lesson in Murder” focuses on the suicide of a pacifist and death threats against the judge who refused to give him conscientious objector status. Finally, “Eagle Day” is the story of a man found dead in a bombed out house — with a knife in his stomach. Ordinary crime continues even during war.

Which leads to another theme of the series: the conflict between policing and war. On many occasions Foyle is asked to overlook crime or let suspects go in order to help Britain’s war effort — asked by criminals, government officials, ordinary citizens. Usually Foyle doggedly continues his investigations, but at one point he lets a potential suspect go in order to help with the evacuation from Dunkirk, with the man’s father promising to bring him back.

The actors in this series include Michael Kitchen, who’s superb as Foyle; Honeysuckle Weeks as Samantha Stewart, Foyle’s driver; and Anthony Howell as Paul Milner, a war veteran who’s lost part of his leg and returns home to serve in the police. They’re all engaging characters, whose personal stories grow with each episode (something I learned earlier this year). It’s a series that entertains, yet leaves you thinking about bigger questions: mystery television at its best.

I bought Foyle’s War — Set 1 to put under the Christmas tree for someone I know. I recommend it for anyone who likes TV mysteries.