The series starts off with Charlotte (Caroline Langrishe) buying a painting that she believes to be a great find, only to have it stolen that very night. What's worse is that all evidence points to Lovejoy being the clumsy burglar behind the theft. With Charlotte claiming to have seen Lovejoy's truck leaving the scene and the police finding the stolen artwork in his vehicle, all looks bad for Lovejoy. Thankfully, Tinker (Dudley Sutton) and Beth (Diane Parish) join Lovejoy in tracing down exactly what happened. Their adventure uncovers a dastardly plot that appears to have been repeated several times over the past few months.
Lovejoy and company do clear his name, and Charlotte feels a bit sheepish for falling for the plan, especially given that she and Lovejoy's relationship seems to be growing more and more intimate. In fact, when a deranged murderer from Lovejoy's past comes back to town, it's Charlotte's life that hangs in the balance. The man that Lovejoy spurned some 15 years ago has started leaving odd clues in Lovejoy's path, all to lead him down a strange scavenger hunt where Lovejoy hopes to find Charlotte before it's too late.
In another episode, Tinker starts to think that he is losing his touch. When he disappears, Lovejoy follows his friend and finds him at an inn by the sea run by a woman who just happens to be Tinker's sister. Unfortunately, the inn is having some financial issues and Lovejoy has to not only restore Tinker's confidence, but also somehow find the right antique to put the historical location back in the black.
Noticeably missing this season is Charlie Gimbert. While he is mentioned several times throughout the season, he never actually gets screen time. We eventually learn that he has secreted himself to a tropical island in order to avoid his debts. As a result, Felsham Hall (including the barn where Lovejoy works and lives) is back up for sale. This comes into play during the series finale, but before that last episode, Lovejoy will have to deal with a stolen samurai sword, being framed yet again for a crime he didn't commit and even tracking down the providence of an artophorian that belongs to a centuries old Greek Orthodox communion set.
Of course, as anyone who's watched Lovejoy before expects, each of these adventures might start off with Lovejoy in a bad place, but by the end, he finds a way to do the right thing and, hopefully, get a little profit as well. In one such episode, the police strongarm Tinker and Lovejoy into helping crack a smuggling operation. As the two go undercover to determine exactly what is going on, they find that not everyone they've just met is as nice as they seem. In the end though, everyone gets what they deserve and Lovejoy actually gets a bit of long-awaited revenge.
Lovejoy: Series 6 concludes when Tinker announces that he is retiring and opening up a pub. Soon afterwards, Beth reveals that she has gotten a job at a local museum, all thanks to Lovejoy, and Lovejoy himself is doing everything he can to keep everyone together. Quite unexpectedly, and apparently jokingly, Lovejoy suggests that he and Charlotte get married. Without really getting an answer, the two decide that they each need some time to think about their relationship. To make matters more confusing, Lady Jane (Phyllis Logan) shows back up and seems to be considering buying back Felsham Hall. With her return, Lovejoy finds himself split between trying to hold onto the past and move to a new future. Will the old sparks between Jane and Lovejoy change things? Could Lovejoy and Charlotte actually get married? What will happen when Lady Jane and Charlotte meet for the first time? All of this concludes in the show's final answer, and quite frankly, it's an ending that is very fitting to the series.
Lovejoy: Series 6 was a good final season to the show and it really does wrap up all of the various character stories quite nicely. Heck, even Eric (Chris Jury) makes an appearance before the season is over and we get to see what he's been up to since leaving Lovejoy's employ. While it would have been nice to have some kind of special features, like a retrospective, given the age of the show, it would be a bit much to ask.
If you've been following Lovejoy, then this is a must have season, and if you haven't but you enjoy some lighthearted drama/comedy/capers, then check out the first season, as it only gets better from there.
