I have watched every episode of Inspector Morse, Lewis (the sequel) and Endeavour ( the prequel). Many episodes I have watched many times. It is fair to say that I am a fan but after a quite appalling last ever Endeavour, I now welcome the end. Morse is left hanging as a Sergeant in 1972 with a 15 year gap until he comes back to Oxford after a spell in the Met in 1987.
The last ever Endeavour had the usual hints of what is to come, with a casual mention of a young bobbie in Newcastle Robbie Lewis. The main theme was again Blenheim Vale although the resolution of that mystery was something of a disappointment. The first sub theme was Morse’s love for miss Thursday as she marries another man. But, as we Morse groupies know, his real love was not Joan as he almost blurted out last night, but Susan Bryce Morgan. In fact, in Morse and Lewis the Thursday family never feature. Morse’s mentor is Inspector McNutt, again mentioned en passant last night, a suggestion that Morse will go on to be his bag man next.
The big sub theme was the murder of two dons and attempted murder of a third. The dead men were targeted for being supporters of Britain joining the Common Market, the third man was an open supporter of gay rights. The white working-class killer really hated the Common Market and wanted us out, a true Brexiteer, who also hated blacks, Jews, Asians, Europeans and gays. His wife said he was triggered into his killing spree by Asians moving in next door. In the end the killer having ranted about everything under the sun said that there is nothing wrong with being proud about being English.
I imagine Gary Lineker and other remoaners lapped it up. My, Mrs of Asian origin, my Brexit supporting, England supporting wife just laughed as did I. You are not meant to laugh at interviews of murderers in the Oxford nick. This is serious stuff but the storyline was just so wretched, the fevered product of a remoaner’s wet dream. I can imagine Euroloons such as my friend Jonathan Price, whooping with triumph as a TV drama “sets the record straight”. That murderer, who was also not as clever as he thought he was, was just like all of the 17.4 million
Endeavour started with promise but as time has gone on it has become more historically inaccurate and more concerned with chipping in to today’s culture wars and less concerned with driving a real story. It is a relief that it is all over.