Ride

Is it possible for former child actor Russell Lewis to write anything which doesn't contain multiple references to the earlier works of other people? He's forever doing it, not just in "Endeavour", but in his "Lewis" episodes, too. This particular segment is so blatantly pinched from Scott Fitzgerald that even the illiterates at the "Radio Times" noticed it, but it also has a surprise twist at the end which could hardly be more clearly derived from Christopher Priest's "The Prestige" (or, more likely, its 2006 movie version), and here and there can be found stray references to other things, too - a sinister fairground out of 1967's "Torture Garden", dark doings aboard its "Ghost Train" attraction (remember "Brighton Rock"?) and Morse interrupting a performance like Hitchcock's Richard Hannay in "The 39 Steps". Oh, and he gets to quote a famous line from "Citizen Kane" as if he'd just thought of it. It wasn't unenjoyable, by any means - but shouldn't Russell Lewis be inventing his own stories?

Having recently been, and just finished being, on a roll reviewing all the episodes of 'Lewis', which generally was very enjoyable before having some disappointments later on, it occurred to me to do the same for 'Inspector Morse's' (one of my favourites for over a decade, and all the episodes were also reviewed in my first year on IMDb eight years ago) prequel series 'Endeavour'.

As said in my review for the entire show two years ago, 'Endeavour' is not just a more than worthy prequel series to one of my favourite detective dramas of all time and goes very well with it, but it is a great series on its own as well. It maintains everything that makes 'Inspector Morse' so good, while also containing enough to make it its own, and in my mind 'Inspector Morse', 'Lewis' and 'Endeavour' go perfectly well together.

Was very impressed by the pilot episode, even with a very understandable slight finding-its-feet feel (that is true of a lot of shows, exceptions like 'Morse' itself, 'A Touch of Frost' and 'Midsomer Murders', which started off great and were remarkably well established, are fairly few. The first season was even better, with all the episodes being outstanding. Season 2 took a darker turn, but once again all the episodes were great (even with "Trove" having one of 'Endeavour's' most far-fetched and over-complicated endings, great episode otherwise), with the weakest one "Sway" still being very good.

Starting off Season 3, "Ride" is not on the same level as the absolutely exceptional "Neverland" (then again it is very hard to follow on from one of 'Endeavour's' best episodes), but a huge part of me couldn't help liking it a lot on the most part. Its biggest problem is the ending, which is even more far-fetched and over-complicated (to the point of incomprehensible convolution) than the ending for Season 2's "Trove" and the explanations did feel rather rushed through. Just for the record, following a story and understanding it fully is hardly ever a problem for me, there have been occasions like this and most even worse but usually my attention span is just fine.

Maybe there is a little too much filler at times too.

Conversely, as always, cannot fault the production values. It is exquisitely photographed and there is something very nostalgic and charming about the atmospherically evoked 1960s period detail. It was also a genius move to keep Barrington Pheloung on board, with his hauntingly beautiful scoring and immortal 'Inspector Morse' theme.

Writing, as has been said many times in my reviews for the previous 'Endeavour' episodes, is every bit as intelligent, entertaining and tense as the previous episodes and as the best of 'Morse'. The story is mostly very clever and engaging, and the 'Great Gatsby' and 'Prestige' influence and atmosphere was a great touch, a good deal happens and while suitably complicated it's rarely incoherent. What a relief too to see the shocking events at the end of "Neverland" resolved, really cannot imagine the show without Thursday or without the partnership between him and Morse or Morse in his situation he found himself in.

Morse and Thursday's father/son relationship, while even stronger later being more entertaining and heartfelt, has a lot of warmth, is so well written within the story and is a large part of the series' appeal. The pacing is restrained, but that allows the atmosphere to come through, and pretty much all the same it excels in that aspect. The characters are interesting, lead and supporting, with Morse displaying more recognisable character quirks with each episode and as aforementioned it is impossible not to love his relationship with Thursday.

Shaun Evans as ever does some powerful, charismatic work as younger Morse, showing enough loyalty to John Thaw's iconic Morse while making the character his own too. Roger Allam is also superb, his rapport with Evans always compels and entertains but Thursday is quite a sympathetic character, as well as loyal and firm, and Allam does a lot special with a role that could have been less interesting possibly in lesser hands. All the acting is very good.

All in all, engaging and clever though with a disappointing ending. 8/10 Bethany Cox

The highlight of this convoluted episode was to hear the Velvet Underground's lovely song "Sunday Morning" playing as Morse meets his new friends. I also noticed that all the rock songs from this show is from American artists. The Velvet Underground, The Electric Prunes, The 13th Floor Elevators, Herb Alpert, and Julie London. When you add that the story is influenced from the American novel "The Great Gatsby", I would have to say this episode is more influenced by America than Oxford.

I'm not one to throw stones, but for the first time, I didn't particularly enjoy an episode of this series. Morse has been released from prison and there are still bad guys out there, but.... He decides to hide out in a shack by a river, across from an enormous mansion, run by a Jay Gatsby kind of guy. Because of his connections to Oxford, he finds himself embraced by the masters of ennui! He goes to parties, invited by a former classmate, and wastes a lot of time. However, a young local woman has been run down. Thursday, who is experiencing respiratory problems after his shooting in the last episode, is on the case. Morse refuses to help at first because he feels so betrayed. I think, though, the plot is so convoluted, that I started needing a program to keep track of things. It also took so long to figure out who these people were. Of course, their snobby, self-centered being was a turnoff too. I'll be interested to see things going forward. It wasn't terrible, but the show has set a high standard.

Shaun Evans and Roger Allam are always wonderful to watch. I love the relationship between Morse and Thursday. Bright is allowed to become more human, and Anton Lesser does a fine job with his hesitant efforts to welcome back Morse into the fold. The entire ensemble is so good that I barely even care about the plot, which is this case was quite derivative (as other reviewers have pointed out).

The plot here is so convoluted that I couldn't follow it all (and I've read The Great Gatsby). There are just too many moving elements, and the eventual solution pulls in facts that haven't even been hinted at. Morse appears almost psychic, although the verbal tic that gives away the killer is clever. Here's hoping the writing improves.