tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-918467087072199038.post3883470793986224211..comments2024-03-26T16:25:34.559-04:00Comments on Longish: Endeavour Season 3 - Coda - Episode ReviewHannah Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15529410255089707007noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-918467087072199038.post-22918453601869955252023-06-30T09:05:24.432-04:002023-06-30T09:05:24.432-04:00Can't really understand why the Don asked Mors...Can't really understand why the Don asked Morse to investigate his wife and her 'lover', or why she suggested to Morse that her husband could be the murderer of Clissold - when they all ACTUALLY WERE involved in it. Personally I'd be trying to keep the police away, not asking them to get involved and investigate me/us!! chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10973839648245998357noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-918467087072199038.post-49334736471959757992019-02-25T23:29:27.999-05:002019-02-25T23:29:27.999-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-918467087072199038.post-32104305230999308492018-09-01T19:47:52.008-04:002018-09-01T19:47:52.008-04:00Glad to see the "She's Leaving Home"...Glad to see the "She's Leaving Home" reference. I immediately felt it, when Joan puts her letter on the mantle while the clock pointedly reads 5 am (5 after 5 am, but whatever). The mum breaks down and cries to her husband, Daddy our baby's gone. Plus, PLUS, their name is THURSDAY!<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06678378702800289918noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-918467087072199038.post-23506997628869988292018-08-06T21:27:36.061-04:002018-08-06T21:27:36.061-04:00Obviously very late to this post but just have to ...Obviously very late to this post but just have to say, I’ve only discovered this show a couple weeks ago and after Coda left me confusingly heartbroken and simultaneously disillusioned to tears at 3 in the morning I desperately scoured the internet for reviews to make sense of it (which I never do), thankfully coming across yours which not only pulled me out of my cognitive dissonance-driven despair but has also been a joy to dig into while working through the 4th series. As a fellow American, Im delighted to find a discussion board that indulges my obsession with British crime shows. Looking forward to following along for series 6 (and reviewing as I get through series 5!) Really well-written and insightful reviews, thank you!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-918467087072199038.post-68145272527770874082017-12-31T18:03:59.215-05:002017-12-31T18:03:59.215-05:00I think the episode glossed over it in the way sho...I think the episode glossed over it in the way shows usually do with sharpshooter characters. No one would really aim for the arm and hit it when there's a hostage - you always aim for center of mass. But there's a level of suspension of disbelief you have to accept. Joan left for a different reason.Hannah Longhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15529410255089707007noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-918467087072199038.post-23463767317860848552017-12-31T11:13:47.042-05:002017-12-31T11:13:47.042-05:00Fred Thursday fired a bullet at the bank robber wh...Fred Thursday fired a bullet at the bank robber while the man was holding his daughter Joan, and not only that, Morse egged him on to do that. This was the most disturbing scene in this episode. Is that why Joan left them all? No one mentioned that he put his daughter in real danger.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-918467087072199038.post-23374502616903008382016-07-19T14:04:15.158-04:002016-07-19T14:04:15.158-04:00Oh dear, I hope not. There is absolutely no chemis...Oh dear, I hope not. There is absolutely no chemistry there.Hannah Longhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15529410255089707007noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-918467087072199038.post-25776448208814872182016-07-18T22:43:54.188-04:002016-07-18T22:43:54.188-04:00I think the writers are working up to another char...I think the writers are working up to another character who will be the most important woman in his life: Morse's "true love," Constable Trewlove.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-918467087072199038.post-6097909583254473922016-07-13T21:14:39.775-04:002016-07-13T21:14:39.775-04:00What happens to Thursday is a huge question. Since...What happens to Thursday is a huge question. Since we've made it this far, I suspect death is off the table - instead, it seems to be building to an eventual retirement. After that, Morse will presumably meet McNutt and transition into a new phase. I'm fascinated - if a bit anxious - to see how Russell Lewis (the show's only writer) handles that relationship.<br /><br />Abigail Thaw is terrific. There is a slight physical resemblance to her father which is always a bit uncanny, but she's a delightful presence and a fun character.Hannah Longhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15529410255089707007noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-918467087072199038.post-24067081470478954812016-07-13T07:46:44.541-04:002016-07-13T07:46:44.541-04:00The writers and actors still have a fair amount of...The writers and actors still have a fair amount of territory to cover if the opportunity presents. I would think if Endeavour continues it will start to put the pieces together to show how Morse got to the degree of cynicism and regret he displayed. I suppose it depends on what happens with Thursday. Morse respects Thursday, but when you pull him out of the equation you'll have a very good detective surrounded by people he doesn't hold in professional regard. That's when the troubles will set in. Strange's promotion no doubt will set some of that up, even if Morse likes him personally.<br /><br />Different tangent, but I've really enjoyed seeing Abigail Thaw's performances. She's very good and not in any way that seems like her dad. Just makes good use of the time she's given.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-918467087072199038.post-10837435307399928922016-07-12T11:57:35.230-04:002016-07-12T11:57:35.230-04:00I do love the way the show designs the influences ...I do love the way the show designs the influences on Morse - Golden Age archetypes mentor him (Thursday is quite similar to Maigret), ushering him into his own age. Morse was one of the latest Golden Age style detectives, being out of step with his own time, so it feels quite appropriate.Hannah Longhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15529410255089707007noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-918467087072199038.post-13257583266812318332016-07-12T10:56:24.901-04:002016-07-12T10:56:24.901-04:00I think the parallel could be construed as Thursda...I think the parallel could be construed as Thursday seeing his young self reflected in D.C. Trewlove as well.Hannah Longhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15529410255089707007noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-918467087072199038.post-71050986215281267162016-07-11T21:36:30.304-04:002016-07-11T21:36:30.304-04:00Also, in Night Watch, Vimes is there both as himse...Also, in Night Watch, Vimes is there both as himself and as the sergeant who teaches him how to be a good and decent cop. So the implication I got is that Thursday was young Vimes and has become old Vimes. Of course it was timely homage to Pratchett, but it associated Thursday with what is now an archetype. However much it punctured the Morseverse, I loved it.ebtobiassenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09895976919311548282noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-918467087072199038.post-89923096938852802682016-07-10T23:31:51.930-04:002016-07-10T23:31:51.930-04:00There is still a lot of ground left to cover in th...There is still a lot of ground left to cover in the series as they haven't really taken Morse very far down to road to where he was at in the later series. But they have done something very interesting, which is to show the moral underpinnings which still stood for the rest of Morse's life, whatever his failings. The decency of men like Thursday and Bright (and Max de Bryn) shine through. It makes you think about the state of things when you realize few would even try to write such characters in anything set in 2016. Everything seems to tend to ambiguity these days. <br /><br />You can only speculate, this being a fictional world, that Morse was tough enough to survive in the world but never really quite tough enough to get over losing his family (the Thursdays). When the chocks were knocked out from underneath he slid down the rails, never quite strong enough to go it alone but doomed by his nature to be alone.<br /><br />In any case, for an episode to center on a hostage situation in a bank and avoid falling into cliche is really quite something. And spitting a bullet out? John Wayne never pulled that off. <br /><br />Enjoyed the review. Filled in some blanks for me.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-918467087072199038.post-55791750576572006792016-07-08T11:35:04.090-04:002016-07-08T11:35:04.090-04:00Yeah, I found it annoying too. Monica was by far t...Yeah, I found it annoying too. Monica was by far the most important woman in Morse's life. It just didn't feel realistic for him to drop her so suddenly and without any explanation. And I agree - any attempt to approach the topic in season 4 feels like it would be too little too late. Hannah Longhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15529410255089707007noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-918467087072199038.post-51551510473907241562016-07-07T22:17:28.595-04:002016-07-07T22:17:28.595-04:00I want to highlight the whole ordeal with Monica i...I want to highlight the whole ordeal with Monica is really unsettling. Him not addressing their issues, moving away, and giving a small customer service smile at the hospital really bugged me. <br /><br />I was hoping they would at least have some sort of resolution before he went off having small sexual scenes with other women, and then finally magically falling in love with Joan....left field much? I was put off Morse after seeing he clearly wasn't in a hurry to show some respect to Monica who clearly did all she could for him. It all feels a little sloppy, with a fairly crumbly suspension of disbelief. <br />At the end of that episode I was looking at Morse's face with snake eyes, like "uh huh" he is clearly not very grounded and failed to regain my respect. <br /><br />There is mention on the Endeavor facebook page that the screenwriter has said he will put in some kind of resolution for Morse and Monica, but --- kinda took a long time... 'gettin round' to a woman he was looking at rings for at one point. <br /><br />Anyway thank you for the review :)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14828345831371635057noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-918467087072199038.post-57608554205329510332016-01-26T20:31:16.358-05:002016-01-26T20:31:16.358-05:00Other commenters have mentioned the Battle of Cabl...Other commenters have mentioned the Battle of Cable Street. I'm sure Russell Lewis meant it to be understood, in-universe, as the real-life Cable Street encounter, but the reference to Sir Terry so soon after his death? Surely not coincidental, and I've never heard any evidence that Pratchett drew the name Vimes from anywhere but his imagination.Hannah Longhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15529410255089707007noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-918467087072199038.post-8411477037039928572016-01-26T17:26:59.269-05:002016-01-26T17:26:59.269-05:00Thanks for the great review. A point that's ni...Thanks for the great review. A point that's niggling me is the Sam Vimes reference, which seemed entirely inappropriate at the time. However, on reflection, I'm wondering if this is a case of putting the cart before the horse. Thursday says that Sgt Vimes was his old guv'nor at Cable Street. Then he says 'No Pasaran', which is associated with the real Battle of Cable Street in 1936. So, I'm wondering whether there was actually a Sgt Vimes at the real Cable Street, and it was Sir Terry who did the referencing by borrowing the names. That would be so like him.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08173557203489292769noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-918467087072199038.post-51509281002250423962016-01-26T14:03:06.907-05:002016-01-26T14:03:06.907-05:00OK, which one of you is Andrew Collins from the Gu...OK, which one of you is Andrew Collins from the Guardian? <br /><br />Sure, nick our original ideas without attribution . . .Darrellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11277966379512526469noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-918467087072199038.post-15472388724098423002016-01-26T13:36:42.322-05:002016-01-26T13:36:42.322-05:00Sure - but when the majority of an episode's c...Sure - but when the majority of an episode's cast are characters from a later episode (as they were in Coda), it's hard to drum up suspense. And this season has had far, far more references than the previous two. I just think they could dial it back a bit.Hannah Longhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15529410255089707007noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-918467087072199038.post-81327636274821297942016-01-26T08:19:07.060-05:002016-01-26T08:19:07.060-05:00Fascinating review. Russell Lewis has plenty of fo...Fascinating review. Russell Lewis has plenty of form for studding his scripts with in-jokes and sly references - Jaggers from Great Expectations in Neverland, for example. Not being a massive Pratchett reader, the Vimes line passed me by. <br /><br />Deciding hum much of Morse's backstory to use in Endeavour must be quite a balancing act. Hardcore Morse fans might decry overuse, but realistically wouldn't someone who worked the same job in the same city for thirty years run into people they know all the time?<br /><br />Just my humbles, of course - mileage may and so forth.DAVID BISHOPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17342376036664282348noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-918467087072199038.post-39207349614248711742016-01-26T07:47:51.906-05:002016-01-26T07:47:51.906-05:00@Ray - Thanks for that!! Very interesting.
The s...@Ray - Thanks for that!! Very interesting. <br /><br />The stuff about Cable Street is in "The Nightwatch" and from what you have said the plot in the book sounds very much like the incident in 1936 and I expect thats where Sir Pterry took his inspiration from, so yes a double reference or even a tripple? <br /><br />https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_Watch_(Discworld) Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-918467087072199038.post-924308859688332832016-01-25T19:41:49.406-05:002016-01-25T19:41:49.406-05:00I'm not that into Indiana Jones, so I probably...I'm not that into Indiana Jones, so I probably wouldn't have even noticed the Temple of Doom thing if it hadn't been pointed out in discussions, which might be why having a reference I do actually recognise didn't bother me so much :)<br /><br />Now, we know that Morse ends up alone, so I don't think anyone was expecting a happily-ever-after with him and Monica, but to just drop her without explanation is careless writing. At the very least a short scene of him breaking up with her because he thinks being with him puts her in danger, or her breaking up with him because his life is too complicated and she doesn't fancy being scared for her partner's safety all the time, would have been welcome. Surely, there would have been time for that.<br /><br />Exactly. If we can say, "oh that's why he's got a limp", or like in that episode he was climbing across the clockface to get to Thursday, we can say, "no wonder he's scared of heights," it makes sense to include Morse-in-danger scenes. And things like the tiger work because it happened so fast. But the bank raid was a substantial part of the episode that depended to a large extend on us worrying about that bloke telling the bankrobbers that Morse is a policeman, and them threatening his life, etc, and because it was so drawn-out, there was plenty of time to consider that Morse isn't really in any danger. So yeah, no narrative purpose at all.Maxienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-918467087072199038.post-8299127307707151152016-01-25T19:17:29.494-05:002016-01-25T19:17:29.494-05:00I think, if it hadn't been a feature of the sh...I think, if it hadn't been a feature of the show already (last week's Temple of Doom reference, for instance), I would have loved the Vimes thing. A couple years ago I picked up a Watch novel and ended up reading the whole series straight through (or rather, that thread of the Discworld).<br /><br />Monica was one of my favorite characters. I hate to see her overlooked. <br /><br />And I agree that the Morse-in-danger thing isn't really effective. It's only interesting to the extent that it makes him who he is later in life. When he was shot in the season 1 finale - that began to send him spiraling into darkness, and also cleverly gave him John Thaw's limp. The bank raid served no such narrative purpose. Hannah Longhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15529410255089707007noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-918467087072199038.post-36649674645552011762016-01-25T17:56:18.463-05:002016-01-25T17:56:18.463-05:00Excellent review, as always!
Now, I will say that...Excellent review, as always!<br /><br />Now, I will say that I had no problem with the Vimes reference at all - it made me laugh at a tense moment in the storyline, and apart from that, the main effect it's had is that I now badly want Roger Allam to do audio book versions of the City Watch novels ;)<br /><br />I also admit to being rather fond of the references to the two related series - I love coming across characters we've already met before - as long as the writers are careful that it doesn't take away from the character development in this show.<br /><br />I agree that the romance with Joan came completely out of left field. Their last moment was beautifully acted, and I was certainly willing Morse to say what was clearly on the tip of his tongue, just because you could feel his agony in that performance, but in hindsight, it made no sense at all. And it doesn't help that we've had no explanation whatsoever about what happened between Monica and Morse - one moment she's the only one who can contact him when he's in hiding, the next they barely acknowledge that they've met before. What the hell?<br /><br />I'm far too relieved that Thursday made it through the episode alive to worry too much about the credibility of coughing up a bullet. As for the rest of his behaviour, I'd probably attribute that to PTSD, although if that's the case, it might have been interesting for the show to go a bit more into that.<br /><br />And that brings me to an issue I do have: the writers need to acknowledge that this is a prequel, and embrace that, rather than treating it as a standalone show. What I mean is, trying to get suspense from Morse being in danger or considering his future in the police force is considerably less effective than getting suspense from properly exploring Thursday's issues would be (e.g. yes, what happened to him causes him to lose control sometimes now; what does that do to him, how does it affect him, etc). Because let's face it, we all know Morse survives and stays with the police. Not saying seeing Morse in danger doesn't can't be suspenseful - I was certainly at the edge of my seat when the tiger was getting ready to jump in the previous episode - but it might be time to explore other options. Would the conclusion of the Morse episode "The Way Through the Woods" have been half as suspenseful if it had been filmed after Lewis already had his own show taking place years after that episode? I think not.<br /><br />All that aside, it's one of the best things on TV at the moment (technically, I prefer Lewis, but that's as much down to Laurence Fox as anything else ;)), and I definitely hope we'll get at least one more series of it. Preferably more.<br /><br />I hope this was semi-coherent. I should probably go to bed ;)Maxienoreply@blogger.com