Detective Chief Superintendent Jim Strange is a fictional character in the television series ''
Inspector Morse
Detective Chief Inspector Endeavour Morse, GM, is the eponymous fictional character in the series of detective novels by British author Colin Dexter. On television, he appears in the 33-episode drama series ''Inspector Morse'' (1987–2000), ...
'', played by
James Grout
James David Grout (22 October 1927 – 24 June 2012) was an English actor of radio and television.
Early life
Grout was born in London, the son of Beatrice Anne and William Grout. He trained to be an actor at RADA.
Career
His BBC Radio 4 appear ...
. The character also appears, as a Police Constable and Detective Sergeant, in the prequel series '' Endeavour'', portrayed by
Sean Rigby
Sean Rigby (born 15 August 1989) is an English stage and television actor.
Early life
Rigby is from Preston, Lancashire in England. He graduated from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in 2012.BBC News /ref> In the subsequent prequel series ''Endeavour'', Strange is played by Sean Rigby. Here the character is a uniformed Police Constable, working alongside the young Detective Constable Morse. PC Jim Strange interacts with the young Morse in a number of ways which point to the origins of later aspects of their relationship in the ''Inspector Morse'' series.
Character
Numerous photographs, plaques, and model ships seen in the background of his office as Chief Superintendent suggest prior service with the
Royal Navy Submarine Service
The Royal Navy Submarine Service is one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy. It is sometimes known as the Silent Service, as submarines are generally required to operate undetected.
The service operates six fleet submarines ( SSNs) ...
. As a young Constable in ''Endeavour'' Strange is already in the habit of addressing people as "matey". Slightly overweight, and given to bouts of pomposity, he is nonetheless a dependable and honest policeman, with his mind set on a career in the police. During the second series of ''Endeavour'', Strange is invited to become a Freemason and accepts. During the third series, set in 1967, he is promoted to
Sergeant
Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...
and subsequently moves from uniform to the
Criminal Investigation Department
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is the branch of a police force to which most plainclothes detectives belong in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth nations. A force's CID is distinct from its Special Branch (though officers of b ...
as Morse's immediate superior. Morse questions whether Strange's involvement with Freemasonry may be behind his promotion, and Strange admits that this may be so, although unlike Morse he sees nothing wrong with this, saying that you have to "play the game" to get ahead.
By the chronologically later stage of the (earlier) ''Inspector Morse'' series, Strange, holding the rank of Chief Superintendent, is the Divisional Commander for
Oxford
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
, of the
Thames Valley Police
Thames Valley Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing the Thames Valley, covering the counties of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire.
It the largest non-metropolitan police force in England and Wales, covering a ...
force. His relationship with the principal character, Morse, is at times turbulent. Strange is a traditionalist, a
Freemason
Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...
, and a stickler for rules and regulations. Morse is also a traditionalist, but not in the same conservative sense as Strange; likewise, Morse is not interested in
Freemasonry
Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...
, although he proves knowledgeable on the subject, and in the 15th episode ''Masonic Mysteries'' proves his knowledge from the sublime (deep symbolism of masonry) to the less so (revealing to a junior traffic cop that he knows the
masonic handshake
Masonic ritual is the scripted words and actions that are spoken or performed during the degree work in a Masonic lodge. Masonic symbolism is that which is used to illustrate the principles which Freemasonry espouses. Masonic ritual has appeared ...
, and that he is fully aware of which members of the local police are in the
lodge
Lodge is originally a term for a relatively small building, often associated with a larger one.
Lodge or The Lodge may refer to:
Buildings and structures Specific
* The Lodge (Australia), the official Canberra residence of the Prime Ministe ...
); it is certainly true that the rules and regulations often frustrate Morse, and this leads to disagreements with Strange – a theme also picked up by the prequel, which shows the two characters disagreeing over the importance of rules in series 1, episode 1.
However, it is also clear that Strange has a deep respect for Morse, even if not always appreciating his methods. Despite often addressing Morse, somewhat dismissively, as "matey", a clear mutual respect eventually shines through their relationship – in the final episode, ''The Remorseful Day'', in which Morse dies, Strange's attitude towards Morse might even be described as fond and affectionate. This is even more apparent in the original novel in which Morse is shown to have acted to prevent a potential embarrassment for Strange. The "matey" form of address is explained in the prequel as a common form of address by Strange for all his acquaintances.
Chief Superintendent Strange also shows a clear respect for and of
Sergeant Lewis
Detective Sergeant#United Kingdom, Sergeant/Detective Inspector Robert "Robbie" Lewis is a fictional character in the ''Inspector Morse'' crime novels by Colin Dexter. The "sidekick" to Morse, Lewis is a Sergeant#United Kingdom, detective sergea ...
, Morse's loyal assistant, sometimes consulting him directly, and occasionally even (as in ''Dead on Time'') approving his ideas without reference to Morse. Ultimately Strange gives Lewis strong encouragement to seek promotion to
Detective Inspector
Inspector, also police inspector or inspector of police, is a police rank. The rank or position varies in seniority depending on the organization that uses it.
Australia
In Australian police forces, the rank of inspector is generally the ne ...
, as indeed he had encouraged him earlier in the series to apply for a vacant Inspector's position in the Oxford traffic police. However, the character does not appear in the sequel series ''
Lewis
Lewis may refer to:
Names
* Lewis (given name), including a list of people with the given name
* Lewis (surname), including a list of people with the surname
Music
* Lewis (musician), Canadian singer
* "Lewis (Mistreated)", a song by Radiohead ...
'', in the timeline of which, he appears to have retired.