Foyle's War (TV Series) All Clear (2008) User Reviews

WW2 is over and everyone is having a hard time adjusting to peace...

[Doylenf · 8/10 · 14 June 2009]

A very interesting drama from the FOYLE'S WAR series called "All Clear," it's especially engrossing for me because I just watched a series of color films on the Military Channel about WWII with all of the footage photographed entirely in color dealing with the end of the war.

The writer has managed to dovetail all the details of the close of the war into his story about Foyle (MICHAEL KITCHEN) announcing retirement, his son (JULIAN OVENDEN) returning from war as a flier and meeting up again with Samantha (HONEYSUCKLE WEEKS). A few other sub-plots all deal with average British men and women all trying to make the difficult adjustment to peacetime after four or five years of separation, during which time all of them have changed.

The mystery involves the suspicious death of a man who commits suicide and the sudden murder of another man because of political ambitions gone awry. The clues are neatly tied together before the finish and altogether it's one of the best episodes in this highly satisfying British series.

All the performances are first rate. Well worth watching.

It's Over....I Guess

[Hitchcoc · 8/10 · 21 September 2016]

Much of the story is about the anticipation of VE Day. Everyone knows the war is over, but the bureaucrats are holding things up. People want to celebrate. Soldiers are returning home but the job market is tight and they are dealing with the ugly experiences they have had. A council has been convened to deal with potential problems that could occur. Two men in particular are the focus. One is a sort of wimpy man who begins to receive threats from someone. He is obviously carrying around incredible guilt concerning something. The second is the commander who came to the town when the air strip was being built, the first appearance of American soldiers. He is filled with anger about something and has resorted to drinking too much. He was a pleasant fellow in the other episode. He is now cold and humorless. I could go on to other plot elements. Sam is looking for work and tries to help a man whose wife has been up to something while he was away. A politician is gathering forces, setting up a huge celebration for the end of the war. There is a murder and a suicide and Foyle has to look into them. What should be a grand celebration is anything but.

Top episode

[evans-15475 · 8/10 · 13 February 2021]

Another top episode to round off the war but I thought it was in very poor taste to find out folye could drive it made a mockery of sams entire war effort

An Incredible episode.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 10/10 · 15 April 2019]

All Clear is one of the very best episodes from this wonderful series. There is a notion many have, that once the war ended, life suddenly became wonderful, but of course, for many, life was incredibly tough.

One of the best written episodes, it's a terrific script, with some tremendous characters. I love that we get the story of a man, Edward Hylton, who's returned from the horror of war, and now has to face real life, but of course things change over a matter of time. Paul Thornley is superb as the shell shocked soldier, a truly memorable performance.

It really is the end of an era, the end of the war, the end of Foyle in the Police, and of course the end of Milner. We also learn that Foyle has hidden a secret well.

Moving, engaging, witty, captivating, will we ever get a show this good again? 10/10

Foyle and the VE Day celebration

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 5 November 2017]

Loved 'Foyle's War' and was immediately hooked when first getting into it. Love it even more now, on re-watches things that didn't quite make sense at first are clearer and things that were not noticed or appreciated before are and much admired. Everything that came over as brilliant on first viewings still are brilliant on re-watches.

"All Clear" may not have the vast emotional impact of "Broken Souls" (not many 'Foyle's War' episodes do), but what it does have is a hugely absorbing and suitably complicated story in classic 'Foyle's War' tradition and everything done to an impeccably high standard. Like with many 'Foyle's War' episodes, on re-watch there was much more appreciation had for how well established the character development, tone and themes are and things that didn't quite connect entirely at first made more sense on re-watches.

Have always admired the visual detail that went into 'Foyle's War' and how high quality the production values are, with beautiful costumes, the evocative way the characters are made up, the look of the houses and cars, pretty locations and authentic-looking scenery. The music is in keeping with the mood and doesn't overpower the drama while still making an impact.

Writing is intelligent, sophisticated and thought-provoking, establishing Foyle's personality with so much depth already and providing some tense and heart-tugging moments. The story is complicated, with a lot of strands that requires full attention, but clever and from start to finish intriguing. It paces itself deliberately but with so much going on it's never once dull and the twists and turns that slowly unfold keep coming. All the conflicts, social/ethical themes and how the period is portrayed are handled beautifully and tastefully and there is a real sense that war itself is a central character and has terrible implications.

One thing that wasn't picked up by me but now is and admired hugely is the tackling of what was seen as truths but some really misconceptions and seeing British during the war in a new light. This was a bold move and dealt with a lot of honesty and tact. The background information is so well researched and is every bit as interesting as the mystery itself. The character tensions were also handled very well and added a lot of intrigue.

Michael Kitchen is truly superb as Foyle, subtle, intensely determined, commanding and above all human. One of the most interesting television detectives there's ever been and Kitchen has rarely been better. Honeysuckle Weeks is charming and loyal, with some nice touches of subtle humour as ever, and Anthony Howell is wonderful. Julian Ovendon's Andrew gets more and more interesting with every episode.

The supporting performances all round are of very high quality, with no weak links.

Altogether, another wonderful episode. 10/10 Bethany Cox

The green cardi!

[marqueii · 10/10 · 13 May 2009]

This final episode of Foyles War is the perfect closer for the series. As an avid knitter though, I would love to find the pattern for the green cardigan that Honeysuckle Weeks wears in the last scenes. If anyone can point me in the right direction to find this I would be very grateful, or even a really good photo would be helpful. I believe that the pattern is based on the Japanese Honeysuckle plant,but I haven't been able to look at the piece closely enough. I love the shape of it and the colour. This series came to an end as all must but left the eager viewer with many questions as to the future of the characters. It was an enticing period for a lot of us to watch and the period costuming was done quite well.

I look forward to seeing Ms Weeks in more dramas and comedies, along with the rest of the cast.

The War is Over, But Not the Anguish

[lewis-51 · 8/10 · 24 April 2024]

I love Foyle's War. It is one of the best serials ever on television. My wife and I first watched it between about 2010-2012 here in the U. S. on P. B. S. It is great to be rewatching it now, 2024. I find that I have no memory whatever of most of the episodes.

Here, we are in May of 1945. Everyone knows the war is about over and the Germans must surrender, but it seems to keep dragging on. Foyle is ready to retire, but has been roped into being on a committee to oversee the expected celebrations as soon as the final peace is declared. Also on the committee is a U. S. Army major who Foyle met a few years earlier when he oversaw the construction of an air base. The major seems older, worn out, and preoccupied by something.

Also on the committee is a thirty-something man, a British army veteran, who seems to be very anxious, to the point of mental illness, and a doctor who is concerned about him. We see that at his home this nervous man is being harassed by odd letters and papers posted on his door. Before long both the doctor and the nervous man are dead.

There are two other threads, wonderfully interwoven, about a soldier returning home to his wife who has not seen him for four years, and Milner's pregnant wife about to give birth. The stress and strains of war are everywhere.

As usual everything is extremely well done. But I was disappointed in the ending. As in a few other episodes, Foyle confronts the person he has deduced to be the murderer, on the murderer's territory. Foyle is alone. Doesn't he want backup when he confronts a violent person? He explains his deductions and the murderer immediately confesses. Really?? It's that simple? I don't buy it. It's not realistic. I would have rated it a 9 with a better ending.

All Clear

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 19 March 2020]

All of a sudden it is the end of the war or should I say the head honcho of ITV did not like Foyle's War. So Anthony Horowitz had to bring forward the end of the war and conclude the series.

Martin Longmate the owner of the Majestic hotel is vying to be the new Tory MP in the 1945 General Election. He wants a glorious celebration which might coincidentally help his election cause.

Foyle has been asked to assist the local council's celebrations. However one of the attendees Dr Henry Ziegler, an Austrian GP is found stabbed to death.

Ziegler who had been in Britain for some years had received anti German abuse. One of them was the curator in the museum where the celebration committee meetings were held.

Soon another member of the committee commits suicide and Foyle is wondering if there is a link.

The American Colonel that Foyle went fishing with in an earlier story returns but he is angry about an incident that happened in the war an he blames someone in Hastings.

Horowitz paints a picture of a post war Britain where some problems still remain. Bitterness and recriminations. People rewriting their back history and the issues regarding demobbed soldiers returning home. Issues Horowitz will revisit when a new head of ITV resurrects the show.

An end of term atmosphere in this episode. Foyle contemplates his future, Milner looks forward to a promotion. A new Britain is dawning but not the one Longmate is envisaging. The future will be bright but it will be red.