Further Endeavors for Endeavour

It’s been almost a full year now since the fourth season of Endeavour (which we learned recently is one of singer Patti Smith’s favorite programs) was broadcast on PBS-TV in the States. But the wait for more finally ends tomorrow, Sunday, when Season 5 of that popular historical mystery series—inspired by Colin Dexter’s Inspector Morse novels, and starring Shaun Evans and Roger Allam—debuts on Masterpiece Mystery! While previous runs of this Oxford, England-set drama have comprised a mere four 90-minute episodes, the latest season promises half a dozen, to be broadcast on PBS every Sunday at 9 p.m. ET/PT through the end of July.

Wikipedia offers the following synopsis of Season 5:

Picking up the narrative in April 1968, the various investigations continue during the creation of Thames Valley Constabulary from the city and county police forces. The Cowley police station has its future in question along with some of the key members of the team there. Morse, now a DS [Detective Sergeant], is assigned with a new DC [Detective Constable], George Fancy [played by Lewis Peek of Poldark fame], and becomes annoyed with his lack of focus initially. Joan [Thursday, played by Sara Vickers] is back in town and bumps into Morse off and on around Oxford. DCI [Detective Chief Inspector] Thursday’s plans for retirement hang in a balance. The final episode, with the gang rivalry looming all over town, ends with a death of one of the police members (who gets caught in the crossfire between gangs) and the departure of another to Scotland Yard, while the rest come to terms with the death and the closure of the Cowley Station. The series concludes with Morse asking Joan for coffee, which she had declined in previous episodes. It is not known if she takes up this latest offer or not.

A preview video can be enjoyed below, with more to see here.



The Masterpiece Web site explains that in tomorrow’s episode, titled “Muse,” “past and present collide in Oxford, as the auction of a priceless Faberge Egg gets underway at Lonsdale College. It soon attracts the attention of an infamous international thief—and the police—when a failed burglary attempt is reported. However, they soon have a bigger case to solve, as a series of gruesome deaths have Morse and Thursday searching for a serial killer. Meanwhile, newly promoted Endeavour struggles with his role as he’s forced to mentor young detective constable George Fancy.”

If you need to refresh your memory of Season 4 before diving into these new Endeavour episodes, check out Leslie Gilbert Elman’s fine reviews for Criminal Element, here, here, here, and here.

READ MORE: “Q&A: Dakota Blue Richards Answers Your Questions,” by Chris Sullivan (Morse, Lewis and Endeavour).