'Endeavour' ITV 1

[Nick Armstrong]

A belter of a final episode, I thought.

Yes, I found it enthralling from start to finish. Script and direction pretty well up to the level of the acting - I'd say that not only was it by some distance the best Endeavour so far, it was as good as the best of Morse (and better than most).

I didn't find the 'happy ending' a problem - a slightly old-school neatness to it as a series finale, perhaps (but I'm a sucker for a few good, well-turned and glowing tonic chords at the end of a piece - call me old-fashioned). And nods to the future with Morse's car, and house....

I had a slight qualm about the 'spaghetti western' showdown in the quarry, but it was carried off with enough conviction to work, and did provide some good catharsis after the brilliantly-handled interwoven threats of corruption, political skullduggery, masonic blandishments and attempts to use family members as pressure-points.

The only duff "keep up at the back there" line in the whole thing was Thursday's "so that's why the tower collapsed" after Morse had made it transparently obvious.

Roger Allam (not his fault that he was given the duff line) and Anton Lesser of course magnificent throughout.

I'm very glad the next series is already confirmed.

we laid on a digger.....

Lazy....

Good story though I must say the vagaries of road transportation of sand from Wales didn't trouble me for an instant, eightho!

[Nick Armstrong]

Afterthought - wonder if anyone else noticed: I'm 99% sure that the clipped 'period' voiceover to the 'Homes in the Sky' public information film at the very start was Roger Allam, having fun with a 1960s 'broadcasting voice'...


.

Further afterthoughts:

- how superlative was the scene between Thursday and Bright when they discuss first meeting their wives

- the elegance of having Bright's 'pelican commercial' save him in New College Lane, and his lowly 'traffic division' demotion turn out to be crucial to the climax ("DS Jago may bear some influence over Uniform and CID but his writ will not run as far as Traffic" What a great line!)

- de Bryn's line when Morse gives him his specs back after his kidnapping: "Cracked. Bugger."

- "two-bob shitehawk" is a phrase that needs using more

- the lovely little Colin Dexter tribute among the graffiti on the wall of the drug den / Morse's future house...

[Pabmusic]

I can't add much, except to say that I thought the fourth episode was perhaps the best of all the Endeavours, ever. I agree that it is comparable to many of the top Morse episodes.

The weakest (most contrived, most unreal) scene was the showdown at the sandpit. Although, as Caliban points out, it is saved by the Traffic boys. But do you notice how such situations depend on meticulous timing? What if the traffic lads were five minutes later? Why did Morse & co. start without them? I've recently read Lethal White (the fourth Cormoran Strike novel) and there's a showdown scene on a barge, but it's really well handled - you don't know that anyone will arrive (despite police sirens and the like) throughout the whole scene. (Btw, isn't Robert Galbraith/J. K. Rowling a good crime writer?)

I think this episode redeemed the last, many times over.

[eighthobstruction]

....was there a shipment of rose coloured spectacles that i missed out on....Oil giv eet 5....

....thought the Ronan Point type CGI ....short but very good....budget....

[Pabmusic]

....was there a shipment of rose coloured spectacles that i missed out on....Oil giv eet 5....

Clearly. Or perhaps rose-tintedly.

[eighthobstruction]

....get kettle on Win, our love is rekindled....how about a bisuit too....[cue Huntley and Palmer Butter Osbourne Ad]

[Pabmusic]

....get kettle on Win, our love is rekindled....how about a bisuit too....[cue Huntley and Palmer Butter Osbourne Ad]

Well, yes. But it's fiction, isn't it? Nothing (even in the very best of Morse) ie real.

The point is - just how much does that spoil the effect? You obviously think "Quite a bit". I don't, given the way the whole thing gripped me.

[eighthobstruction]

Well, yes. But it's fiction, isn't it? Nothing (even in the very best of Morse) ie real.

The point is - just how much does that spoil the effect? You obviously think "Quite a bit". I don't, given the way the whole thing gripped me.

Yes I am holding back from giving a blow by blow curmugeonly crab apple faced kicking to all of you; with my cynical-skeptical- pessimistic over vitriolic stream of conscious -which is my sorry sorry mind....I like to think of you all in a good comfortable armchair, bowl of Werthers Originals at arms length , bathed in a loving heat from an open fire.... a cage of budgerigars perhaps....and a free Parker pen from Michael Parkinson....I like to think you are all safe and with no plot gaffs to harm your solace....

[Pabmusic]

Yes I am holding back from giving a blow by blow curmugeonly crab apple faced kicking to all of you; with my cynical-skeptical- pessimistic over vitriolic stream of conscious -which is my sorry sorry mind....I like to think of you all in a good comfortable armchair, bowl of Werthers Originals at arms length , bathed in a loving heat from an open fire.... a cage of budgerigars perhaps....and a free Parker pen from Michael Parkinson....I like to think you are all safe and with no plot gaffs to harm your solace....

Do you ever think there might be a problem with your approach?

Or not?

Maybe?

[And I loathe Werther's Originals. Give me mint toffees instead.]

[eighthobstruction]

Do you ever think there might be a problem with your approach?

no, not at all....because I can see, believe these programmes could be so much better made at the writing stage....there are programmes which prove this....prove that closing gabs, better dialogue,etc makes for a better prog [I'm not going to write a thesis on it I have a lot to do today)....there are a great many programmes which are equally as bad ref script, and many much worse.
....I get the sentimental aspects with the original Morse, and links with Classical knowledge and knowledge of Oxford, but the dialogue was beginning to make RAlum look a bit wooden....

The problem I believe is that the 'stand alone episode' in each episode has completely interfered with the broader plot of the series and of previous series, so that to get a denoument stereoptypical characters and plots, and scenes have been introduced at a rush to get an ending to this series....

I like truth....doing my best....creativity....there are plenty of things to enoy there

If I accepted it , I would have to stop watcing....

[greenilex]

Would it make a computer game, though?

[Once Was 4]

Would it make a computer game, though?

So, can anybody tell me, who did for Box; and did we know if he survived? Still a nice bit of multi dimensional charactersation I think (or am I being fanciful?) Box had tried to make a bit for himself and got in too deep; but he sort of came good at the end. The really evil bent cop was Jago.

But I agree: the four good coppers would have surely made sure that their cavalry were with them and not five minutes behind (also, they must have signed out their guns so somebody back at 'division' would have known what was going on!). They could not have known that their less-bent colleague was going to help them.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

So, can anybody tell me, who did for Box; and did we know if he survived?

As I understood it, Jago shot Box just as Box shot Jago - Box's survival was left uncertain; one way or another, he won't have a future in the police.

[LMcD]

Having read various messages on this thread, I decided to give the latest series another chance and am glad I did so, as episodes 2 and 3 represent a marked improvement on 'Pylon'.
I've just watched 'Confection', and loved the reference to the 'rugby playing Rhodes scholar' - presumably Bill Clinton.
I believe I spotted a very non-1960s Freeview aerial on a Chigton Green rooftop.
Very impressed by Anton Lesser, who didn't have many lines but delivered them perfectly.

EDIT:

I've now seen 'Deguello' and share the enthusiasm of others - a cracking final episode. Anton Lesser brilliant once again. I loved the 'autograph' sequence with the schoolchildren!

[LezLee]

Just tried that - all I found was a furry fisherman's friend in the left-hand pocket...

Just spluttered my coffee!

Love this thread, catching up from the beginning.