A worthy end to Endeavor. After nine seasons, we're all done. Endeavour, the prequel to Inspector Morse (1987 – 2000), has come to an end with this season. Fortunately, it's a worthy ending. This last season has three episodes that show all the ingredients that made this series such a success. After nine seasons, we are definitely going to miss the regular characters. In fact, Inspector Morse spawned two other excellent series. In addition to Endeavor, that is of course Lewis (2006 – 2015) which focuses on Inspector Morse's assistant.
The end hurts.
It must be said that Shaun Evans does an excellent job of shaping his role as Endeavor Morse. In this final season, he sinks further into alcohol and becomes more and more the troubled, somewhat gruff man we know from the main series. The last shot speaks volumes. The two signature cars running into each other and the reflection in the mirror (which was also used in the beginning of Endeavor). The completion and transition could not be better visualized. Morse's love life also gets a fitting ending. The love he feels for Joan Thursday remains complex. Especially since Joan now has other plans.
For a moment, this season seems to want to go back a little too much to an old and radical case. Powerful demons threaten the various protagonists. The tangle of power games makes the story not exactly clear. It seems that the writers want to work a little too forced towards a rounded end. Fortunately, the outcome is not as dramatic as the start suggests. Moreover, the story about the private lives of the various main characters puts everything right again. These stories are the strength of this season. It ensures that we can once again empathize with the people we have come to love so much. It's sad and beautiful at the same time.
It's sad and beautiful at the same time.
The end hurts. We will absolutely miss the beautifully shot images of Oxford. Of course, we mainly see the tourist attractions of the city. It creates a very quirky and appropriate atmosphere. The haughtiness of student life gets the spotlight once again this season. The refined environment in which this happens is also beautifully portrayed. It's part appearance and show of power. It is one of the great appeals of the said series. The haughty versus the disgust and vulnerability of the protagonist. Endeavor says goodbye and hints at the sequel. That sequel is already there with Inspector Morse and Lewis. It's even possible that one of the introduced characters will get another chance at a sequel this season. We will see...
