Endeavour (TV Series) Neverland (2014) User Reviews

A dark conclusion to series two

[Tweekums · 10/10 · 20 April 2014]

The final episode of the second series sees Morse investigated the disappearance of a boy. Meanwhile a prisoner escapes from jail and the body of a reporter is found on a railway line; could his death be linked to his investigation into the sale of Blenheim Vale; a former borstal where the escapee was in the fifties? This will prove to be Morse's toughest case yet as the investigation starts to point to powerful people… some of them members of the police. Not knowing who they can trust Morse and Thursday must find out how the cases are linked and discover the dark secrets concerning the Blenheim Vale.

We were told that this series would be darker than previous series about the Oxford detective and this episode certainly was that! There was no petty jealousy in academia here; just some sordid behaviour involving the young boys at Blenheim Vale and the corrupt individuals who are determined to keep that secret buried. There is a sense of danger; even though we know Morse and Strange can't be killed off that doesn't mean they aren't in peril and other key characters don't have the protection of us knowing they will appear in 'Inspector Morse'! The story was gripping and the body count surprisingly high enough to make Midsomer look peaceful! The fact that the story involves the murky world of police corruption where we don't know who can be trusted might make some people think this isn't 'classic Morse', which I can understand, however I thought it was great… I just hope we don't have to wait too long for the next series as the ending left so many questions to be answered even though the case gets solved.

Outstanding episode, a real highlight.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 10/10 · 26 July 2018]

As I impatiently wait for the sixth series I'm revisiting all episodes, so many classics, but Neverland in particular still sits top of the illustrious pile for me. The plot is deeper then most, and to this day is the darkest yet. No simple murders here, Morse and Thursday get drawn into a web of deceit and cover ups, one of them seeming to pay the ultimate cost in the line of duty.

So many things happen throughout, you fail to see how there can be any links between them, but of course, Russell Lewis has the ability to weave all events together neatly.

I love the historical references, we're given the name of Desmond McNutt, Morse's old boss who's seen in Masonic Mysteries, plus we get some wonderful references from previous episodes, things as simple as billboards, minor, but pleasing to the keen eye.

Gripping, dramatic, fast paced, this is ninety minutes of almost perfect drama, Evans and Allam shine as always, but huge credit to the performance of Jack Laskey (Jakes) who is incredibly good.

Intense, 10/10

Best Endeavour episode!

[laurasiple · 10/10 · 24 July 2014]

This has to be the best Endeavour episode thus far and possibly one of the best programs I've ever seen on television. It is suspenseful, riveting, terrifying and heartbreaking! I cried and gasped as the ever shocking story evolved. The suspense is unbelievable! Who is good? Who can be trusted? Will good overcome evil? If you are not familiar with the series, please start at the beginning! Only then can you truly appreciate and understand "Neverland". Morse and Friday have to be the best crime fighting duo ever! I love how Friday has taken Morse under his wing and can see his strong character underneath his "all corners" personality. There is nothing on American television that comes close to the quality of this series! I honestly never thought I would prefer watching British "coppers" catching the bad guys!

Outstanding

[tim_dearing-1 · 10/10 · 20 April 2014]

The last in this present series doesn't fail to impress.

The understated acting and inspired writing have made this whole series an exceptional viewing experience, and the cliff hanger ending leaves a huge question mark as to the future of the series. To say more may spoil it for those who have not already seen it.

This final program is a somewhat convoluted series of events and as had already been hinted at earlier in the series, inner traitors.

Great tie ins make the everything easy to understand at the finality that is the cliff hanging ending.

Suffice to say, we can only hope that the next series is already in the planning.

Rotten from the Inside Our

[Hitchcoc · 10/10 · 26 January 2018]

This is a sensational episode. When politicians and police hook up to their mutual "benefit," it puts together a formidable wall of deceit. As Morse and Thursday go through layer after layer of obfuscation, they become prime targets themselves. What we have here is coverup after coverup, primarily based on greed. The bad guys even betray their own families. Back at the "nick," our superintendent is so jaded by his connections to theses people that he literally orders his best people to stand back. Unfortunately, although the cover up continues, there are still shards of glass stuck in the fabric. We have a true cliffhanger setup for another season.

Cliffhanger ending

[blanche-2 · 8/10 · 10 August 2014]

The second season ends in a cliffhanger, which has has become de rigueur with most series since "Dallas."

"Neverland" has interconnected plots: A reporter is found dead after being seen arguing with an Alderman about the site of a former boys' school, Blenheim Vale. A construction company is developing the site as a new police department.

In the second plot, a ten-year-old boy runs away from home.

In the third plot, a man in prison, George Aldridge, escapes and is later found dead. Of interest, Aldridge attended Blenheim Valley School. Morse begins to think that the ten-year-old, Tommy, saw the killer and went into hiding.

Then there's another murder, and as Morse tracks down former students at Blenheim Vale, he learns of situations that occurred there, as well as some evidence that some of Morse and Thursday's colleagues are corrupt.

Very disturbing and well-done episode. At the end, we don't know what the future holds for Morse or Thursday. It will be exciting to see what happens next season.

Dark yet fantastic.

[twopipes-23091 · 10/10 · 6 February 2020]

Best episode yet. For my taste, the British detective shows are superior to our American shoot'em-ups. Of course, if you need flash, effects, bullets, and a lack of depth, then Endeavor is not for you. Rarely is there gun play and such. What you get are actors/actresses who know their craft without necessitating hard guys and good looks. I absolutely love our dynamic duo of Thursday and Morse. This episode seals their bond.

I'll be sorry when the series ends.

Exceptional

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 5 July 2017]

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.

Season 2's best episode to me is "Neverland". What an exceptional way to end the season and it is agreed that it is one of the best episodes of 'Endeavour'. It is one of the episodes that both disturbed and moved me most, even more so than two of the show's darkest and most tense "Nocturne" and "Fugue".

Once again, cannot fault the production values. "Neverland" 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 has tension, a good deal going on and little feels improbable or too obvious while being suitably complicated. There is plenty to be shocked, and there are not many episodes to leave me disturbed or heart-broken but "Neverland" did, especially one of the shocking endings seen for any episode of any show.

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 and there is some good suspense. How great to see a younger Max and Strange well before he became superintendent.

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.

Overall, exceptional and recommended without hesitation. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Sadly, truer to life than we dare to think

[ffcyfzzw · 10/10 · 9 October 2022]

With gut-wrenching tension and genuine fear, this episode links to Masonic Mysteries and the Remorseful Day. Even the knowledge that Morse, Max and Strange appear in later stories does nothing to diminish the dark and frightening atmosphere.

As so often with Endeavour, not everything is spelled out in detail and the episode benefits from a second viewing.

A sickening storyline which is treated sensitively for a modern audience but also in keeping with the language and customs of the 1960s. Riveting from beginning to end: Well done to everyone involved in bringing such 'fiction' to light. Absolutely one of the best.

Excellent episode,but

[user-40-170165 · 9/10 · 25 July 2014]

Honestly speaking,it is worthwhile to have a fell mark.The story itself is complicated but clear.ACC Deare is such a 'experienced' officer that he cheated all the people including Morse.When the truth,the heavy truth floated,not only did surprise us(about Jakes),but also made us worried the bad world Morse and Thursday lived in.The abuse of children,the inhuman behaviour of high-class officers and their evil partners. Everybody lives in lies.These children,once lovely with no worries,was totally spoiled by the power of darkness.Rainbow disappeared,clouds increased its power.Even if Morse and Thursday try to change.there's nothing they can do. The topic of this episode is dark,the police,the children,the fight,the defence.Will a good man deserve a good finale or be regarded as bad apples?And who knows? Finally talk about my rate.Personally I think as a finale episode some riddles should be answered.S02E01 the notebook,S02E02 the ring,etc.I think those matter,so I felt a little strange about the finale.But the episode itself is fantastic undoubtedly.

"It's 28 years to the day, not counting the war"

[ygwerin1 · 8/10 · 1 June 2022]

One thing that I like about this show and its incarnation of the younger and up and coming Morse, it's relative settings in this case I can pin it down to 1965 courtesy of a radio news broadcast, it's only a brief hearing but the mention of politicians gave me the clues, that it referred to the Declaration of UDI by Ian Smith the self declared Supremo of Southern Rhodesia.

Do I discern a hint of office politics within Endeavour Morse's police station, in the conversation between the Chief Superintendent Reginald Bright, and Detective Inspector Fred Thursday, concerning possible station mergers? The whiff I discerned was regarding Thursday mentioning, "ground work done by Morse" to which Bright quickly corrected him that it was, actually "based on notes made by him" coupled with something that could result in promotion for someone.

Can this really be the end of the line for a "good old copper" like DI Fred Thursday, what would he do to save his job if push actually came to shove, what options if any would circumstances provide? And where might this leave Di Thursday's 'Bagman' DC Morse, could he conceivably try a totally new working endeavour, with his new girlfriend nurse Monica as "a couple"?

This programme can normally be relied on for keeping to its period but something that jarred for me in this episode is of Bright mentioning the word "crèche" in relation to a young runaway brought into the station, but that term didn't come into parlance until much later.

A bit predictable

[vitoscotti · 7/10 · 29 July 2020]

Of course, the first half is a draggy, rough watch. Followed by a spectacular second half. The story is well crafted. But, rotten cops, builders, and doctors has been done so many times by Brit crime mysteries. It works here. The cliffhanger ending was ingeniously laid out. But, not really surprising

Some holes for me, as in all mysteries. Why did Morse know exactly where to find the boy the first time. He asked the other kids but no mention as to how. Then Deare working on the hush with Morse & Thursday? It was obvious Deare was to be revealed rotten. When Angela answers the doctor father's door I knew she would be in the ending knee deep. Coincidence Angela shows up at Thursday's setup with a gun? Then, Angela is Wintergreen's secretary? Her abuser?

A tense second half made it a good watch. But, a few too many holes in a interesting script. Vito S 7-28-20

Worst episoded yet

[hannalynnjedamski-13787 · 1/10 · 8 April 2018]

I really love this show but there was just nothing good about this episode- not even an interesting secondary storyline. I was outraged by the fact that everybody just trusted Deare, although there was no reason to when they suspected everybody else. And they should have realised his involvment at the very latest when they found out he worked on the old case. I'm rather dissapointed by the fact that the continued story with the freemasons isn't realy resolved (or is is? I couldn't tell.). But what really pissed me off was the DVD. I don't know whether it's the same with the original but on the german version they show a clip of Deare shooting Thursday in the menu where you choose the episode- biggest spoiler ever! What idiot did that?! All in all, I was just shaking my head about all the stupidity. The only interesting Thing was Jakes' connection to the case.

Childish corruption plot

[sherlockshen · 8/10 · 1 May 2022]

To tell the truth, this kind of police internal corruption plot, seems very childish to me, a Chinese. Therefore despite of massive praises from others, I didn't feel special for this episode.

Still,I didn't expect the ending. It appeared that the conspiracy started from the first episode, didn't come to and end this season. The ending of the fourth episode looked like only an intense climax of that conspiracy, which makes me can't wait to start the next season. What a trick.

Lousy episode, lazy writing.

[thnninen · 1/10 · 9 January 2015]

An awful, awful episode.

Would have been excellent otherwise, if it wasn't for the lazy writers and their unexplained stuff and cliffhangers. What do they think they're writing, the Dynasty? I really thought that by watching British quality shows I would be safe from the idiotic American writing, but apparently that's not the case any more.

This series just became a waste of time. I'm not going to watch a single episode anymore, no matter how many they are going to make.

Obviously I'll just have to keep watching Inspector Morse over and over again.