Ah, the soap con man. A staple character of any soap opera. Pat Phelan, John Stape, Lewis Archer. Although the lines between con man and complete psychopath can become blurred - see the two former names - Lewis Archer has “con” written through his DNA.
A suave suit with not a hair out of place, he roamed the cobbles like a well-dressed predator hunting for his prey. I refuse to believe it’s been a little over nine years since Lewis first stole someone’s cash and fled the street. But no amount of money was ever enough for him as he always came back, desperate for more and stopping at nothing to get what he wants.
Unfortunately many times, that came at the cost of Audrey’s heart. Everyone knows that Aud’s love life hasn’t been kind to her, and Lewis was no exception. He was a charmer and so bloody good at it that he could charm the skin off of a snake. Audrey was blinded by his exterior chivalry. So was Gail for a little while, but in the end her skepticism drove a Lewis-shaped wedge between herself and her mam.
I honestly could not think of a single person who could’ve played Lewis other than Nigel Havers. Portraying the role so brilliantly is so important to make a bad guy likeable, and Havers did that with such perfect conviction.
I’ll be the first to say that I will really miss Lewis. I’ve seen a lot of speculation about what he was really up to in his final hours and I am willing to believe that he’d changed. It’s easy to think that he was preparing to swindle Audrey yet again. Was he though? Or had he really learnt the error of his ways?
While I think he had definitely thought about that £80K in Aud’s bank, he left it untouched. Even the most cruel of hearts have the power to love and I do believe that Lewis loved Audrey.
Maybe I’m just a hopeless romantic who tries to see the good in everything, or maybe I’m just mad... who knows. But what I do know is that the name Lewis Archer will never be forgotten.
Sophie Williams
Read some more of my natterings on Twitter @sophie_jw26
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6 comments:
There's bound to be more twists and turns in this story. Who was the woman in the hotel? Why did he say he was going to be out of the country but only had a small suitcase? The ring surely wasn't for Audrey because that would entail a wedding ceremony within 24 hours. Lewis truly loved Audrey and he didn't take her money but he didn't have a penny to his name. One more guess to the hundreds out there - the plan was that he would marry the young woman we saw in the hotel for her wealth but would also somehow keep his relationship with Audrey going. When everything comes to light, Gail will be vindicated, and she and Audrey will reconcile. They will decide to agree that they were both right: Lewis loved Audrey, he wasn't a thief but ultimately he was completely unreliable.
Well said. I also believe Lewis had reformed. His emotional speech about family seemed sincere and he had nothing to gain by saying goes that. Like many others, i think that Nick is the culprit. He was surprised that Audrey has no savings - he probably justified stealing the £80K because he thought she was already well off.
He didn't speak to the woman in the hotel in a romantic way, it seemed more like she was helping him plan something. Also, it was an engagement ring, not a wedding
ring. The Dominican Republic trip could have been a pre-wedding holiday so he'd only need a small suitcase. Presumably Audrey could pack her own? Maybe wishful thinking on my part, as Gail really annoys me and she came across as such an idiot with her incompetent spying.
I agree with the comment that Lewis had reformed due to his love for Audrey otherwise he would not have turned himself in to the police and return Gail's money.
I think it's 'golden boy'Nick the son who could do no wrong in his mother's eyes who stole his gran's money as he didn't seem surprised that it was gone.
If Nick is the culprit,Gail will have some serious sols searching to do for after favoring him all over her other two children,could not in clear conscience defend her first born's betrayal.
I think the culprit is Gary. He is deeply in debt and doesn't want to lose his business.
Jeanie (anon):
It's Gail; and she did it to set Lewis up and protect her mother, justifying her actions to herself by saying that if she didn't remove it, he would steal it. Then once he died and it was clear he was innocent, she couldn't come clean. Originally I thought it was Nick too, but now think that's too obvious. Instead, I'm following the golden rule of the whodunit--choose the least obvious person as the culprit!
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