Endeavour - General Discussion

[sugarbaker design]

8 minutes ago, 2727 said:

Given Russell Lewis' naming idiosyncrasies, I wondered if the Councilor's assistant being Miss Lansbury had any significance? Perhaps an Easter egg reference to the body counts of both Oxford and Crabapple Cove?

I know you meant to type Cabot Cove!  😉

Edited July 8, 2019 by sugarbaker design

[freddi]

There was also the "Teagarden" character -- and there is the Aurora Teagarden series of mystery novels (and more recent Hallmark TV movies) -- if we are buying into the Lansbury reference, I think we have to consider the Teagarden connection!  (That the British did what so many Ellis Island officials did in getting names wrong seemed a stretch to me!  And they emigrated in 1911, before the war, so there was not the stigma of having a German name.)

Yes, Russell Lewis is playing with us!  I thought Miss Lansbury was going to turn out to be a mastermind, because why was she there?  "You can go, Miss Lansbury."  The point seemed to be just to say her name and dismiss her!  

1 hour ago, 2727 said:

Given Russell Lewis' naming idiosyncrasies, I wondered if the Councilor's assistant being Miss Lansbury had any significance? Perhaps an Easter egg reference to the body counts of both Oxford and Crabapple [Cabot] Cove?

[atlantaloves]

Can't wait until Morse gets his fabulous Jag. Didn't they have a scene showing it all beat up and needing repair this season? And, he bought a house where he lived out his life. I tell you I loved how they tied everything up in a bow this season and we still get another one, GOOD THINKING.

[magdalene]

http://dmbarcroft.com/the-endeavour-interviews-2019-simon-harrison/

This site has some lovely interviews with the Endeavour  cast - here's one with Ronnie Box himself, there is also one with Anton Lesser, etc.

[Suzn]

I love this show and found the finale of the season spectacular.  I couldn't take my eyes off the screen, even though I had been somewhat spoiled for what was to come.  It was fully engaging in a way that few things are for me these days.

The only flaw in it is intrinsic to where Morse goes eventually.  I am saddened by seeing the sensitive, winning man we see on his way to bitter, cynical and lonely and I think, hopeless.  Maybe I am not remembering Morse well.  I liked the show and found the character interesting, but I don't think all that likable.  I haven't made an effort to see the original show and I'm not sure I want to.

I am, however, looking forward to another season of Endeavour.

[Driad]

1 hour ago, freddi said:

That the British did what so many Ellis Island officials did in getting names wrong seemed a stretch to me!

Ellis Island officials did not.  Smithsonian article.

[freddi]

58 minutes ago, atlantaloves said:

Can't wait until Morse gets his fabulous Jag. Didn't they have a scene showing it all beat up and needing repair this season? And, he bought a house where he lived out his life. I tell you I loved how they tied everything up in a bow this season and we still get another one, GOOD THINKING.

Yes, I think we saw his eventual Jag (and license plate) in the first episode of this season.  

[sugarbaker design]

1 hour ago, Suzn said:

The only flaw in it is intrinsic to where Morse goes eventually.  I am saddened by seeing the sensitive, winning man we see on his way to bitter, cynical and lonely and I think, hopeless.  Maybe I am not remembering Morse well.  

I was a huge fan of the books before I even knew about the show.  Probably the only instance of a show improving on the original source material I can think of.  I loved Morse!  He didn't suffer fools, he was a straight shooter, didn't care what people thought about him and he solved crimes!  He had joys in his life:  The Archers, opera and crosswords.  And although he wasn't part of a couple, I never, ever thought of him as lonely.  Here's to Morse, a life well-lived!

[Dessert]

5 hours ago, 2727 said:

Given Russell Lewis' naming idiosyncrasies, I wondered if the Councilor's assistant being Miss Lansbury had any significance? Perhaps an Easter egg reference to the body counts of both Oxford and Crabapple Cove?

Then there the reference to The Third Man - Thursday saying he was more of a Holly Martins fan. Lewis was having fun this episode.

[graybrown bird]

What a thrilling finale to series 6!  It was deeply satisfying on every level, and redeemed the darkness of the earlier episodes. Gosh I loved the showdown at the quarry!

One question:  Can anyone (possibly someone who's watched it more than once) tell me WHY the librarian was killed? I missed how he got in the way of the faulty-cement thugs who did the killing. 

[Bunnyette]

44 minutes ago, graybrown bird said:

What a thrilling finale to series 6!  It was deeply satisfying on every level, and redeemed the darkness of the earlier episodes. Gosh I loved the showdown at the quarry!

One question:  Can anyone (possibly someone who's watched it more than once) tell me WHY the librarian was killed? I missed how he got in the way of the faulty-cement thugs who did the killing. 

The librarian was a close friend of the dead Horace Binks and was investigating his death...he figured out the councillor’s shady dealings and was murdered for his troubles.

[graybrown bird]

Thanks, Bunnyette!

[One4Sorrow2TooBad]

20 hours ago, magdalene said:

Well, Ronnie Box wasn't the villain I thought him to be and he actually saved the day there at the end. Fifty-fifty doesn't sound good but I hope he makes it.

This show is so smart.  That Bright's life was saved by the career low Pelican thing with the school girls swarming around him in a protective cocoon was a fantastic moment.

I almost cried when they all came to save Morse at the quarry. What a payoff to a sometimes very frustrating season.

I am glad that DeBryn is okay and Thursdays marriage is on the mend. But poor Bright is now back in charge and a widower.

What a great series, so many wonderful scenes, especially the quarry one!

[Suzn]

3 hours ago, sugarbaker design said:

I was a huge fan of the books before I even knew about the show.  Probably the only instance of a show improving on the original source material I can think of.  I loved Morse!  He didn't suffer fools, he was a straight shooter, didn't care what people thought about him and he solved crimes!  He had joys in his life:  The Archers, opera and crosswords.  And although he wasn't part of a couple, I never, ever thought of him as lonely.  Here's to Morse, a life well-lived!

I may be mis-remembering Morse and should try to watch it again.  Thanks for this!

[deirdra]

With withdrawal symptoms after Endeavour Series 5, I watched all the Inspector Morse episodes (on library CDs with full episodes + extra features, not PBS cuts) and really enjoyed them.  Old Morse was cynical but not overly grumpy or lonely; he was mainly solving cases. And near the end he found a nice girlfriend (played by Kate Beckinsale's mother, Judy Loe). Then I rewatched Endeavour Series 1-5 (uncut) with my undivided attention.  Little tidbits from Morse helped me more fully understand Endeavour, and vice versa.

[freddi]

I think I will see the John Thaw Morse very differently after seeing “Endeavour” — especially when Lewis can’t have drinks or has to leave a pub to get home to his family.  Morse’s life is bookended by two colleagues who have a family-first priority, while Morse has spent decades trying to create that connection for himself. More than romance is his quest for a family.  Always hopeful, always dashed, always seeing the Thursday and Lewis families from the outside.  

Edited July 9, 2019 by freddi

[Magnumfangirl]

Was there a cut scene with Joan in the finale?  The freeze frame on Amazon has a pic of her with Morse that did not appear in the episode.  Glad all the boys are together again, but I thought all of the cases in series 6 were too confusing and I don't like how they wrote Fred even if he did come to his senses in the end.

[rockchicknyc]

Okay, now PBS is just messing with my head. I just watched the repeat showing of “Degüello”, and yet more microcuts have been made, and I’m deeply, deeply annoyed. First, I never saw the reference to the history scholar (young Bill Clinton) or the Pelican PSA, in either showing. There’s the scene with the schoolkids running to get Bright’s autograph, which was in both showings, but no explanation either time as to why they wanted his autograph. Which puzzled me Sunday night and now again, though at least this time I knew what was missing from what I’ve read here.

But now the scene where the fading Mrs Bright calls her husband Puli is gone too, and also the devastating line where Bright says bleakly that the recommended specialist is the one who already pronounced his wife’s grim prognosis. Those are just the trims I actually noticed. Who the hell knows how much else has been excised?

What is the point of trimming crucial lines and scenes like this? All to fit in yet another commercial or self-aggrandizing promo? Well, I will not be pledging so much as a penny to this vile, high-handed excuse of a station (PBS New York) ever again. Rot in hell, money-grubbing pledgemeisters. From now on, I will be buying the DVDs of what I want. Not a perfect solution, but at least I will get to see a bit more.

Oh, and Miss Paroo the librarian? “The Music Man”? Okay, Lucy, not Marian, but still. More fun with names.

Edited July 9, 2019 by rockchicknyc

[freddi]

Several of the references you think are missing were in earlier episodes -- the Pelican PSA was in the first episode, the reference to Clinton was in the third episode.  Also in the third episode was the scene where Bright told Dr. DeBryn that his wife already was seeing the specialist he recommended.  These references carry across several episodes.

By the way, I thought it was exceptionally cruel to dangle the promise of treatment for his wife to Bright -- she was already too far gone for treatment to be of any use.  Of all the disgusting behaviour, that was vile.  

42 minutes ago, rockchicknyc said:

Okay, now PBS is just messing with my head. I just watched the repeat showing of “Degüello”, and yet more microcuts have been made, and I’m deeply, deeply annoyed. First, I never saw the reference to the history scholar (young Bill Clinton) or the Pelican PSA, in either showing. There’s the scene with the schoolkids running to get Bright’s autograph, which was in both showings, but no explanation either time as to why they wanted his autograph. Which puzzled me Sunday night and now again, though at least this time I knew what was missing from what I’ve read here.

But now the scene where the fading Mrs Bright calls her husband Puli is gone too, and also the devastating line where Bright says bleakly that the recommended specialist is the one who already pronounced his wife’s grim prognosis. Those are just the trims I actually noticed. Who the hell knows how much else has been excised?

What is the point of trimming crucial lines and scenes like this? All to fit in yet another commercial or self-aggrandizing promo? Well, I will not be pledging so much as a penny to this vile, high-handed excuse of a station (PBS New York) ever again. Rot in hell, money-grubbing pledgemeisters. From now on, I will be buying the DVDs of what I want. Not a perfect solution, but at least I will get to see a bit more.

[LennieBriscoe]

So there's a Lansbury and Teagarden, eh? Will Season 7 see Endeavour tracking a suspect to St. Mary's Mead? 😉

Loved the showdown between the "City Men" and the actual mason Masons!

I wonder if the opening plot was a take on the horrific fires from shoddy building and safety practices at Grenfell Tower public housing, June 2017. 

As soon as Morse ran the river sand through his fingers,  he knew.... 

deirdra, I assume you refer to an American library? Might you recall what one of those DVD boxes looked like? All the Amazon "Endeavour" ones,  even those described  as "UK full versions," have "PBS" on the covers.

Edited July 9, 2019 by LennieBriscoe

[tootsie]

11 hours ago, sugarbaker design said:

I was a huge fan of the books before I even knew about the show.  Probably the only instance of a show improving on the original source material I can think of.  I loved Morse!  He didn't suffer fools, he was a straight shooter, didn't care what people thought about him and he solved crimes!  He had joys in his life:  The Archers, opera and crosswords.  And although he wasn't part of a couple, I never, ever thought of him as lonely.  Here's to Morse, a life well-lived!

O, the same for me, SUGARBAKER (though I might quibble ever-so-slightly about the show improving on the books. Equal quality for the medium used, I'd say.) As a former choir director, I always loved the scenes with Morse singing in the choral group. The things that gave him satisfaction: music, word games, solving puzzles - all made sense to me. So I thought of him as a lover of beauty, a solitary, sentimental and sometimes curmudgeonly man, imperfect but not distinctively lonely or despairing. What I see again & again in the young Endeavour, however, that I don't recall seeing in Morse, is the man's remarkable courage. I'm happy to add that to the list of his finer qualities.

[sugarbaker design]

9 minutes ago, tootsie said:

 So I thought of him as a lover of beauty, a solitary, sentimental and sometimes curmudgeonly man, imperfect but not distinctively lonely or despairing. 

What a great way to describe Morse!  And thank you for that visual of him singing in the choir.

[JudyObscure]

18 minutes ago, tootsie said:

What I see again & again in the young Endeavour, however, that I don't recall seeing in Morse, is the man's remarkable courage. I'm happy to add that to the list of his finer qualities.

Now that you've put words to that, I realize that, for me, that demonstration of courage is the stand out feature of this whole series.   I'm used to crime dramas where we see lots of cars racing and guns blazing, but the courage required by police officers is most evident to my eyes when they have to stand and face danger the way Bright did with the tiger and the others do every day when they walk into domestic issues, or face down thugs in their own territory.

Bright said it in the finale, "Between a moments fear or a lifetime of regret, it's always the same choice."

[Rickster]

1 hour ago, LennieBriscoe said:

I wonder if the opening plot was a take on the horrific fires from shoddy building and safety practices at Grenfell Tower public housing, June 2017. 

I had the same thought the moment I saw it.

[ML89]

Someone on Twitter tipped me to the event that the tower collapse was based on:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronan_Point

[deirdra]

2 hours ago, LennieBriscoe said:

deirdra, I assume you refer to an American library? Might you recall what one of those DVD boxes looked like? All the Amazon "Endeavour" ones,  even those described  as "UK full versions," have "PBS" on the covers.

I'm in Canada, but they are in the format that plays on American/Canadian DVD players. They do have "PBS" on them; the library entry for Series 2, for instance, says "Publisher: [United States]:, PBS Distribution, 2014. Edition: Full UK-length edition". They're like movie DVDs with "bonus features" - extra scenes, interviews. So PBS owns the full-length shows, but chooses not to air them - I wonder if the discs they sell are the full versions.  What's interesting is I get PBS on two US stations (Spokane & Detroit) and they sometimes cut things differently when they need more time to beg for dollars.

I have other shows on British discs that won't play in the DVD-player connected to my TV, but they DO play on my laptop. 

Edited July 9, 2019 by deirdra

[Magnumfangirl]

Past seasons of the region 1 DVD and Bluray releases are UNCUT even if they have the PBS logo on them.  I own all of them and every episode runs about one hour and 29 minutes.  I don't have series 6 yet.

[Suzn]

2 hours ago, JudyObscure said:

Now that you've put words to that, I realize that, for me, that demonstration of courage is the stand out feature of this whole series.   I'm used to crime dramas where we see lots of cars racing and guns blazing, but the courage required by police officers is most evident to my eyes when they have to stand and face danger the way Bright did with the tiger and the others do every day when they walk into domestic issues, or face down thugs in their own territory.

Bright said it in the finale, "Between a moments fear or a lifetime of regret, it's always the same choice."

Very true and beautifully put.  The "demonstration of courage" felt more tangible and real to see them literally stand up against the evil and corruption, much more than in the shows filled with "action".

After reading the comments about the original Morse show, I realize that I do need to re-watch it now.  It appears that for some reason I was left with a more negative feeling about it than it deserved.

[12catcrazy]

I can't add much more to what has already been written- what a thrilling episode of TV!   I held my breath when the two thugs were coming for Bright and could finally breathe when the kids all ran up to Bright, thus protecting him.  So those PSA's with the pelican weren't for naught.

The levels of corruption were mind boggling  - from the politician, and even the top police brass, down the line, and how they would stop at nothing to remove the honest cops - either by dangling in front of them something they wanted so badly, or killing them if that didn't work.   Seems like the England of 1970 they are portraying is more like some 3rd World country rather than the England of Queen Elizabeth II.   Thank God the good guys won this battle.   And besides being fearful for Bright's life, I was also afraid that Strange was going to go to the dark side when they showed the Masonic involvement.  Good that he was an honest cop first and foremost.  

And never having watched "Morse" - what DOES happen to the Dr. DeBryn?  

[sugarbaker design]

8 minutes ago, 12catcrazy said:

 Seems like the England of 1970 they are portraying is more like some 3rd World country rather than the England of Queen Elizabeth II.   

Check out the Red Riding trilogy from 2009, it makes Endeavour look like Benny Hill.

[freddi]

Dr. DeBryn retires (to his beautiful garden, we now know!) after two seasons of Morse.  I think he just does not appear in season three -- his retirement is not an event. 

13 minutes ago, 12catcrazy said:

And never having watched "Morse" - what DOES happen to the Dr. DeBryn?  

Edited July 9, 2019 by freddi

[AuntiePam]

19 hours ago, Dessert said:

Then there the reference to The Third Man - Thursday saying he was more of a Holly Martins fan. Lewis was having fun this episode.

I loved that!  The Third Man is one of my favorite movies.  Joseph Cotten is my boyfriend, don'cha know?

All the mysteries/crimes this season were too complicated for me, but the ending was perfect.  So glad Thursday got back on track, and hope he stays there.

[Magnumfangirl]

4 hours ago, Magnumfangirl said:

Past seasons of the region 1 DVD and Bluray releases are UNCUT even if they have the PBS logo on them.  I own all of them and every episode runs about one hour and 29 minutes.  I don't have series 6 yet.

I wanted to add that past seasons on Amazon Prime are uncut, too.  When this one gets added  several months from now, it will probably be unedited too.

[SusanSunflower]

No one expects the Spanish inquisition or the sun breaking through the Oxford gloom! (with bonus domicile background. (strangely vaguely familiar)

I had to recount on my fingers that the happy ending was legit  -- my anxiety over Fred and Win was off the charts.  Sad for Bright but he is much loved and appreciated.

Almost no Joan -- as it should be --- just another woman who took advantage of his generous chivalrous nature

I couldn't find any "after" pix of Morse's home.... last few episode of the series, Lewis visited him at home and the fire in the sabotaged stereo.  Please share if you find!!?  

Nice to hiatus with the mind at rest.

[atlantaloves]

There are lots of scenes of Morse drinking and listening to opera at his house in the original series. I want to rewatch as well, but my Lord I never finished all of them the first time when I was renting the through netflix back in the day.

[2727]

13 minutes ago, SusanSunflower said:

Almost no Joan -- as it should be --- just another woman who took advantage of his generous chivalrous nature.

She went to Morse when she was down and out, but I never saw her as taking advantage of him. They've both been stubborn and hurtful towards each other and have refused to even acknowledge their feelings. Joan refused his proposal even when it would have benefitted her financially and socially to accept.

Their testy, strangled relationship is not my favorite plot point, but I can't entirely blame Joan for it.

I was thinking about Thursday's loan check to his brother being used against him as it can be twisted to have funded Charlie's illegal activities, and now I'm concerned about that for next season. I need Win and Fred to have some peace and quiet.

"Shall we say 2pm, then?"

[SusanSunflower]

I didn't get much Idea (or don't remember) the layout or landscaping, except lots of windows and light ..... Probably 2 bedrooms and a bath upstairs and walk-through to the kitchen/dining to the back  yard.  I remember basic but abundant landscaping .... I wondered then too....

I was also thinking of the killer moms this season ... I think Morse expected some appreciation.  Joan, as is not uncommon, almost treated him like a witness to her failure/shame. Win and Fred could barely thank him for helping her run away, etc. 

[M. Darcy]

22 hours ago, sugarbaker design said:

I was a huge fan of the books before I even knew about the show.  Probably the only instance of a show improving on the original source material I can think of.  I loved Morse!  He didn't suffer fools, he was a straight shooter, didn't care what people thought about him and he solved crimes!  He had joys in his life:  The Archers, opera and crosswords.  And although he wasn't part of a couple, I never, ever thought of him as lonely.  Here's to Morse, a life well-lived!

In the end, he was dating someone -a nurse I think - if not still dating at the end, they were still very close. She’s  the woman who got him to tell Lewis his first name.  I believe she was mentioned is his will. 

I hope he starts listening to the Archers on the show next season. I recently started listening myself- it’s great.  I’m not sure what’s going on but it’s very relaxing. (You can listen in the States either on the BBC iPlayer Radio App or they have the episodes available as podcasts). 

[deirdra]

1 hour ago, M. Darcy said:

In the end, he was dating someone -a nurse I think - if not still dating at the end, they were still very close. She’s  the woman who got him to tell Lewis his first name.  I believe she was mentioned is his will.

Adele Cecil, who taught singing and liked scotch and crosswords.  https://morseandlewisandendeavour.com/2017/04/17/judy-loe-as-adele-cecil-in-the-inspector-morse-series/

And if you share Morse's taste in music, this website has compiled spreadsheets of all the music used.

Edited July 9, 2019 by deirdra

[SusanSunflower]

Perhaps I should explain that Joan 's taste in men from the first episode (iirc) was "dangerous"  ..  The cop's daughter (and everyone knows Thursday) liked to walk on the edge of the wild side, and it got worse.  I don't think -- no matter how much "older and wiser" she is -- that she developed much insight.  I expected her to end up with super-macho Box.  

We know, I think, she got her stubborn punishing nature from Win (Quelle surprise!) who is masterful. 

The children of clergy, teachers. the police and others are watched and judged .... Joan seemed to oblivious to the stereotypes.  And when the storm passed, and/or the need arose, it looks like she used her dad's name to get her her current so respectable job.

Compare to Morse.

Edited July 9, 2019 by SusanSunflower

[WatchrTina]

On 7/8/2019 at 4:23 PM, Suzn said:

I haven't made an effort to see the original show and I'm not sure I want to.

I'm taking the plunge.  I subscribed to BritBox and watched the first season (3 episodes) yesterday.  It's not nearly as engaging to me (yet) as Endeavour nor Inspector Lewis (which I've watched via Masterpiece Mystery in the past.)  But I've read that it is included in one of those "Top 100" lists of the all-time best UK TV series so I'm hanging on to the hope that either it will get better or I'll get used to Morse not being the crackling-smart 20-something detective I developed a wee crush on.  

I'm surprised to discover that I'm actually older than John Thaw was when he shot season 1.  With that grey hair of his -- which came on VERY early apparently -- he looks much older than his age.  I think that's part of the disconnect I'm feeling in trying to transfer my affection for the character of young Morse to old Morse.  But I'll try a few more episodes before giving up.

[freddi]

"Inspector Morse" was a different type of show, and our expectations are much higher now, in terms of production values and plots.  I suspect there is a certain nostalgia factor in rating the original "Morse" high, nostalgia espeically on the part of anyone who saw it in the 1980s (I did, and what I remember is where I watched it, and with whom, and that colors my nostalgia).  I think I have seen all of the episodes several times over the years; some are much better than others.  I will watch it again, and as I said above, my next viewing will have a very different tinge because of the "Lewis" and "Endeavour" series.  You have to see both Lewis and Morse differently, knowing what was to come for Lewis, and what was in the past for Morse.  Of the three shows, I do think "Endeavour" is the most atmospheric and nuanced, which I appreciate.  All the shows inform the others -- it is quite a complex web they have created!  

1 hour ago, WatchrTina said:

I'm taking the plunge.  I subscribed to BritBox and watched the first season (3 episodes) yesterday.  It's not nearly as engaging to me (yet) as Endeavour nor Inspector Lewis (which I've watched via Masterpiece Mystery in the past.)  But I've read that it is included in one of those "Top 100" lists of the all-time best UK TV series so I'm hanging on to the hope that either it will get better or I'll get used to Morse not being the crackling-smart 20-something detective I developed a wee crush on.  

I'm surprised to discover that I'm actually older than John Thaw was when he shot season 1.  With that grey hair of his -- which came on VERY early apparently -- he looks much older than his age.  I think that's part of the disconnect I'm feeling in trying to transfer my affection for the character of young Morse to old Morse.  But I'll try a few more episodes before giving up.

[rhys]

On 7/8/2019 at 4:25 PM, Driad said:

Ellis Island officials did not.  Smithsonian article.

Thank  you! I turn into such a grump when I read that some people still want to believe that the Ellis Island workers were uncaring or understaffed or didn't speak the language. So I always am appreciative of the correct story.

[mrsnolatron]

I had to laugh at the end when Bright was handing out promotions like Oprah, but when he gets to Morse he just says, “Eh, good job.” 

[tootsie]

Looks like this is the end both of this season and of this forum for 2019. Thank you to all participants. I appreciated those who shared details of cut and missing scenes, the closing red letter message (try as I might, I could never see it,) memories of pertinent precursor Morse moments, and details of Endeavour scenes that slipped by too fast for me to absorb. Your insights and comments were always interesting, even when I didn't agree with them. Honestly, I don't see how a season could be any better than the one we just saw, but here's to a season 7 that soars even higher! 

[deirdra]

On 7/9/2019 at 10:18 PM, rhys said:

Thank  you! I turn into such a grump when I read that some people still want to believe that the Ellis Island workers were uncaring or understaffed or didn't speak the language. So I always am appreciative of the correct story.

It was also common at certain times for immigrants to truncate or alter their own names to sound more "American" when starting their new lives so that they would have a better chance of getting a job.  The workers would write down what they heard, but immigrants who couldn't read English couldn't verify what was written down.  And people who type/transcribe documents into databases don't always read the flowery handwriting correctly when they don't recognize a name. My grandfather had a British surname for a first name and half the transcribed versions of the censuses misspell it; I have to view the original to see if it is my grandfather since I know what to look for.

Edited July 12, 2019 by deirdra

[atlantaloves]

To WatchTina: And, anybody else who is interested in a good ole retro detective story: Give the British series George Gently a try, it is set in the 60's with an older and very attractive detective, and his cockney sidekick.  I think it is on Britbox, I know it is on Acorn. It's totally wonderful! Flawless!

[WatchrTina]

10 hours ago, atlantaloves said:

 Give the British series George Gently a try, it is set in the 60's with an older and very attractive detective, and his cockney sidekick.  I think it is on Britbox, I know it is on Acorn.

Thank you for the recommendation but, alas, it is NOT on BritBox (I just checked).  It's just as well -- I have several seasons of the original Morse to get through now (and then I'l probably have to just sit down and re-watch all of Endeavour again.)

But I had to laugh at the name, George Gently because now I assume the recent show -- Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency -- was given that name as a nod to the prior show.  Maybe.  The Dirk Gently show was based on a book series by Douglas Adams (whose work I LOVE) and the book series might have pre-dated the George Gently TV series.

I'm so confused.  Let's get back to Endeavour.  Great show and I am overjoyed that it has been renewed.

Oooh, here's a little note from my Morse watching that relates to Endeavour.  Last night I noticed for the first time that John Thaw DOES have a slight limp. (There was a close-up on his distinctive gait.) This was, of course, alluded to in an episode of Endeavor when he's being treated for a gunshot and his doctor warns him that a limp might surface later in life, especially when he is tired. That was a clever work-around because it avoids the need for Shuan Evans to have to alter his own natural gait in the next season. 

The episodes I watched yesterday also included references to Morse's having dropped out of Oxford before completing his degree.  Apparently his scholarship was pulled due to his declining performance, thus forcing him to leave, and reference was made to his declining performance having had something to do with a woman.  In Endeavour we don't really know WHY Morse left Oxford before completing his degree, do we?  We saw in the pilot episode that he had some reluctance to return to Oxford and probably would not have done so had he not been ordered there for that special, all-hands-on-deck assignment.  

Bottom line:  I'm enjoying spotting these breadcrumbs in "Morse" that shed light on the character of "Endeavour."

Edited July 13, 2019 by WatchrTina

[SusanSunflower]

Alas, george gently "shows" on a Rocu app but is absent on the web ??britbox?? site.  Martin Shaw won me over as Adam Dagliesh and I saw and early seasons.   His side kick takes some getting used to (Lee Insgley(   Another middle aged widow .... but with presence and intelligence. 

Seasons are available from Amazon .... via Acorn .... go figure. Early seasibs I thought were well plotted and thought out   -- ran for many seasons so lots to watch. 

Edited July 14, 2019 by SusanSunflower

[Dessert]

On 7/13/2019 at 8:33 AM, WatchrTina said:

The episodes I watched yesterday also included references to Morse's having dropped out of Oxford before completing his degree.  Apparently his scholarship was pulled due to his declining performance, thus forcing him to leave, and reference was made to his declining performance having had something to do with a woman.  In Endeavour we don't really know WHY Morse left Oxford before completing his degree, do we?  We saw in the pilot episode that he had some reluctance to return to Oxford and probably would not have done so had he not been ordered there for that special, all-hands-on-deck assignment.  

It’s alluded to here and there in Endeavour. In the first season, he meets a woman who was in love with him at Oxford and she discusses Susan. In Lazaretto, he runs into his former fiance’s mother. I think the cause of his broken heart is referred to in one or two other episodes, but you have to watch Inspector Morse to get the full story.