13th - RIDE: Even lesser episodes of Endeavour are more than
a match for the better episodes of many police procedurals, but Ride’s tangle
of plot threads and a lack of characters with whom to empathise make this a
hard effort to love. The opener of Series Three gets plenty of marks for
panache but the script lacks the show’s usual wit and the surprises feel
forced, rather than the twists that feel inevitable in retrospect.
12th - NOCTURNE: A creepy, almost empty countryside boarding
school, missing girls, a hundred-year-old massacre to solve, all set against
the backdrop of the 1966 World Cup - yet somehow this episode is less than the
sum of its parts. Since the show is based in a logical world, the ghost story
is too obvious a red herring while the explanation for the killer’s action
takes nearly six minutes to unravel. All in all, a curate’s egg.
11th - GIRL: Series openers are not a strongpoint for
Endeavour, though there’s nothing fundamentally wrong with Girl. By comparison
to the stories that follow, this episode’s only issue is being a bit low-key.
Girl could just as easily have been set a decade earlier or later, making
little use of the 1960s period. But the arrival of new regulars like Constable
Jim ‘Matey’ Strange is a big plus, pushing it close to the top ten.
10th - ARCADIA: This episode fully embraces its Summer of
Love setting, and throws plenty of references to that late 1960s classic, The
Graduate - plus an extended homage to Dirty Harry. The script is witty and
looks luscious, but lacks the element of surprise that would elevate it further
up this list. A few too many red herrings and a small-scale story keep Arcadia
below the level it would otherwise deserve here.
9th - ROCKET: Plenty of wit and style on show here, with
Craig Parkinson proving his star turn in Line of Duty was no fluke. This
factory-based mystery based around a royal visit also digs into the past of young
Morse as he gets intimate with an old acquaintance from his student days in
Oxford. Some excellent work all round here, just edged out by the extra sizzle
found in the episodes ranked higher.
8th - TROVE: A series opener that grips from start to
finish, full of twists and turns, alarms and surprises. Fans of the original
Inspector Morse series will enjoy the early appearance by a repugnant academic
whose true evil will only become apparent in future. Lashings of noir styling,
a painful trip to the big smoke for Endeavour and the arrival of Nurse Monica
Hicks combine to make this the best series opener to date.
7th - PILOT: This is a corker from start to finish, with few
things to complain about - so why isn’t it rated higher? The reason is not for
what is here, but what isn’t. Regulars like Bright, Strange and Jakes would
only appear when Endeavour got a full series, and they add another extra
dimension to the show that’s a little absent here. The spy subplot is also
superfluous to requirements, which explains why it was cut for US viewers.
6th - FUGUE: The obligatory serial killer toying with the
police episode. Clever, canny and creepy in equal measure, this is a compelling
tale with Morse and others in jeopardy as a high functioning sociopath [no,
Sherlock, not you] performs a series of opera-inspired killings. The only
frustration is it takes Endeavour and co so long to figure out what is obvious
to any regular viewer of serial killer thrillers.
5th - SWAY: The margins between each episode at the top end
of this list are finer than gossamer thread. So what lifts Sway above the likes
of Fugue? It’s the supporting cast of characters at Burridges department store.
They all seem like real people, with individual flaws and foibles, rather than
temporary fodder for a crazed killer. Thursday’s heartbreak only adds to the
impact of this high quality drama - a real gem.
4th - CODA: If the opening episodes of Endeavour can be a
problem, series finales are almost always crackers. This was the endgame of
Series Three, with a bank heist in the middle and the departure of Joan
plucking the heartstrings at the end. Thursday coughing up a bullet will strain
credulity for some viewers, but this is still a very strong effort - even if it
can’t match the gut punch drama found in the other series finales.
3rd - PREY: The ultimate love it or hate it episode of
Endeavour, the one with the tiger stalking people in leafy Oxford. Even
attempting this storyline seems like an act of madness, but pulling it off
verges on miraculous. Surprise, wit, panache - this really ticks all the boxes,
hence it’s bronze medal finish here. Hard to imagine any other police series
delivering this story with a straight face and making it work - masterful.
2nd - HOME: This episode is heart-breaking. Thursday faces
his past as London gangsters come to claim Oxford, while Morse must confront
his estranged family. In the midst of all that is a huge conspiracy, amazing
snow-bound visuals and a genuinely surprising murder with the unlikeliest of
culprits pulling the trigger. A stunning finale for the first series, exceeded
only the next series finale a year later...
1st - NEVERLAND: Dark, bleakly funny, and profoundly
disturbing are all accurate descriptions for the Series Two finale. Alas,
shocking stories about cases of historic sexual abuse and their cover-ups
remain timely, so the narrative behind this episode continues to resonate. The
shocking cliffhanger left viewers gasping, while the 21-month wait for Series
Three even more agonising. A stone cold classic in every aspect.
Series Four of Endeavour starts at 8pm, Sunday January 8th,
2017 on ITV. Where will those four episodes end up on this list? Can the series
opener overcome the curse of the first story? Will the finale match the likes
of Coda, Home and Neverland? We shall see...
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