Endeavour (TV Series) Coda (2016) User Reviews

Superb

[Sleepin_Dragon · 10/10 · 27 January 2016]

I am so gutted that this series has come to an end already, but they certainly saved the best for last, each episode in this third series has been excellent, but this concluding part was the best yet, I absolutely loved it. Some great character development for Morse once again, we are seeing how his actions are shaping the future of the character that we would see through John Thaw.

All the elements were there once again, fabulous production values, glorious music throughout, a wonderful script and some superb performances, the regulars were utterly brilliant once again, I'd argue that's perhaps been Shaun's best outing to date, Sean Rigby is very much coming into his own as DS Strange.

I am already excited for Series 4.

This was virtually perfect, 10/10

Caught in a bank robbery

[Tweekums · 10/10 · 25 January 2016]

This, the final episode of the current season opens with the police watching the funeral of a local gangster; Thursday is sure that younger members of the family will by vying to take over as head of the family. Shortly afterwards the manager of a local business is shot dead as he was collecting two thousand pounds from the bank… Thursday is sure this is the first move by the gangsters and starts 'talking to' his sources. This violent interrogation leads to his suspension. Meanwhile Morse bumps into his old tutor who asks him to check up on his estranged wife who he believes is now involved with somebody dangerous. When Morse talks to her he learns of a connection to the dead man and another possible motive for the murder; she tells him that she once starred in a blue movie made by the man and that he had a notebook containing details of his customers… something that could be useful to blackmailers and may have been the real motivation for the robbery. It is speculated that he may have left the book in the bank so Morse goes to investigate… and is there when the gangsters attempt to rob the place; things are further complicated by the fact that DI Thursday's daughter works at the branch.

The best episode of the season was clearly saved till last; this featured an interesting mystery that contained a decent number of twists as well as prolonged tension when the bank robbery becomes a siege; we may know that Morse must survive but there is still concern for others. There is definitely a feeling that DI Thursday might not survive after he says that his doctor has given him three weeks to live because of the bullet rattling around inside him… thankfully something we see later implies that he will survive into the next series. The cast do a fine job; Shaun Evans is great as DC, soon to be DS, Morse and Roger Allam is outstanding as DI Thursday; the rest of the cast are of a high standard too. Fans of Terry Pratchett's Discworld should be pleased with a subtle reference to the works in this episode; DI Thursday mentions that he served under Sgt Vimes at Cable Street when he was younger! The ending proved to be poignant without being tragic and left me looking forward to the next series.

Superb episode, if only ....ending

[ldlazarus · 10/10 · 25 January 2016]

This was one of the best 1960's period police dramas I have seen. The acting was excellent and the story line was realistic given the times.

We learned more about Morse and his emotions particularly with respect to women in general and to his boss's daughter in particular. Only those who have seen the later Morse incarnation (the John Thaw version) would know how it was going to end. It somewhat explains his later emotional and troubled issues toward the women who come into his life.

The episode centering around a bank robbery and an old mentor from Morse's university days was well paced and full of twists and turns.

An entertaining time. I hope there will be a series 4. I think that the Morse evolution still has a long period to cover to catch up to the original series.

A tricky one

[blanche-2 · 9/10 · 11 July 2016]

The final Endeavour of the season, aptly named Coda, is a surprising one as Endeavor takes his sergeant's exam and Thursday receives some news.

Thursday and other police watch the funeral of Cedric Clissold, a garment factory owner, sure that the Matthews brothers will be taking over the crime organization led by the late Harry Rose. They are taking film of the different men. Meanwhile, Morse is taking his sergeant's exam.

Morse runs into an old professor, Felix Lorimer, who is now separated from his young and beautiful wife Nina. He asks Morse to investigate her boyfriend, Paul Morlock -- someone in cahoots with the Matthews brothers - as he is afraid Nina is in danger.

It turns out that Morlock is also seeing Thursday's daughter Joan. Nina thinks that Felix killed Cedric. Morse does learn that Felix has a connection to the seedier parts of Oxford.

Thursday has been suspended after his attack on a suspect previously, and he now receives devastating news from his doctor. Then Morse, Nina, and Joan Thursday are held hostage when the Matthews gang robs the bank where Joan works. While being held there, Morse manages to figure out just what's going on, and who killed Cedric Clissold.

A very poignant episode, with Morse coming to a realization, Joan making an important decision, and Thursday coughing incessantly. It really tugged at the heart, besides offering up a few twists. Probably the best of the season, and it makes me look forward to the next one. Hope we see it soon.

Outstanding. The whole series is outstanding.

[walker4-1 · 10/10 · 24 February 2016]

Outstanding. The whole series is outstanding.

I was a teenager then and remember the period. Everything about the period is true even down to the beer jugs of the time. I do not know how they do it.

The story lines are brilliant. There is always a twist in the tale. Brilliantly written.

The acting is superb. Especially Shaun Evans as the young Morse and Roger Allam as Inspector Thursday.

An outstanding piece of work. I have no hesitation in giving the whole series 10/10.

One the best and most powerful episodes

[tomgoblin-44620 · 10/10 · 28 December 2020]

Intense from the start. Thursday, stalwart as ever but, his old school (experience) offends Morse. Old friendships intervene. It's clear Thursday needs his "Bagman" more than ever. Thursday doesn't trust Strange the way he did Morse. Meanwhile, Morse seems blind to the best match he could make with the lovely female Constable Vines. Poor Morse. Doomed or blessed with bachelorhood.. It is interesting to see Morse acting as a "Private En query Agent".. If he quit the force, I could see him going that route (successfully) in the path of a Phillip Marlowe or Lew Archer, or even a modern Sherlock Holmes. But, Morse is a "Company Man"for good or ill. Bright (again) shows himself as a real Copper and not just a "Suit".

Sadly, the real story here is the traumatic effect the bank hold up has on Joan Thursday who becomes a hostage. Also, there is great stress on many of the other well known players including DeBrynne, the police surgeon.

As one would expect the acting is always brilliant. But, in this, the writers nd director have given them full room to run. The climax is powerful. The combination of Morse, Joan and even Bright bring the best possible outcome.

So, all survive. But, not all recover so quickly. See the next season of this great series.

The Quality Returns

[Hitchcoc · 10/10 · 28 January 2018]

When a crime kingpin is buried, his successors feel it's time to make a big score, so a bank robbery is put in motion. Morse meets his old professor who wants him to check on his estranged wife, sensing she is in grave danger. Thursday continues to cough and appear to be on his way out. He is suspended for getting overly brutal with a snitch. The culmination involves Morse and Miss Thursday in the middle of the big bank robbery. The writing becomes stellar again. Fine conclusion to Season 3.

Best episode of Season 3 bar none

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 6 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, "Neverland" especially was exceptional and a show high-point.

Season 3 is considered by fans as nowhere near as good as previously. Will admit that it is not as good as Seasons 1 and 2, which had more believable stories and didn't try to do too much but count me in as someone who has still enjoyed the episodes and has found a lot to like. "Coda" however is to me and many others the best of Season 3, and to me, despite enjoying "Ride", "Arcadia" and "Prey" (although the last one is very divisive), the season's only outstanding episodes.

Production values in "Coda" are spot on. It is exquisitely filmed, with some extremely creepy low shots and how everything is lit which enhances the atmosphere hugely, and there is something very nostalgic and charming about the atmospherically evoked 1960s period detail. Despite loving the music in "Prey", which added enormously to that episode's atmosphere, to me it isn't really the same without Barrington Pheloung. He makes a more than welcome return as composer here, and as have remarked many times having him be composer on 'Endeavour' as well as 'Morse' and 'Lewis' is a masterstroke of genius. His music is still hauntingly beautiful, and the 'Inspector Morse' theme is still immortal.

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', with some funny lines from Max. The story is gripping, with the personal life subplots giving off a mournful and poignant quality and the skilfully done dovetailing of both the murder and robbery. How wonderful to learn more about Morse's past too.

Once more we are treated to references that feel affectionate and nostalgic rather than clumsy or gimmicky. There are direct references to "Promised Land" and "Greeks Bearing Gifts", and who can't help think of Lonsdale College without thinking of "The Remorseful Day" for obvious reasons. As well as to 'Dirty Harry' and the case reminding one of 'Dog Day Afternoon'.

Morse and Thursday's father/son relationship, has grown more entertaining and heartfelt with each episode, it has a lot of warmth, is so well written within the story and is a large part of the series' appeal. 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 (apart from the slight disappointment of Bright being closer to what he was like before getting some development for the better in "Prey"), 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. Mark Heap is particularly excellent in support, and Sean Rigby is indeed coming into his own.

In summary, outstanding and Season 3's best episode bar none. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Nice episode, but some period details are difficult to perfect

[enoughtoil · 8/10 · 23 July 2016]

We enjoyed this episode, but I'd like to add my choice of anachronism, although of course there are so many efforts in the series to avoid such errors. It's the use of the word "Chair" for "Chairman" of a department at Oxford. I don't have any personal knowledge of Oxford, as another person does here, nor have I done any research, but in the 1960s the gender-neutral term was not really in use anywhere with a long tradition. The idea of such a word I think was lampooned for another two decades as implying that a piece of furniture was running the show.

I wanted to make this comment rather than wanting to review the show, but it was a good entry in a good series.

She's leaving home

[ygwerin1 · 8/10 · 4 June 2022]

A large scale funeral of an kingpin of the Oxford underworld, quickly followed by the death of a garment factory owner in a wages snatch, and a stash of blue 'Stag' films in the car boot.

Is there any chances that someone seeks to step literally into the dead villains shoes?

Morse finally takes his Sergeants exam, and seemingly has time enough to complete his crossword puzzle in the allocated time available, but is there really any room for more than one DS in Cowley Nick?

DI Fred Thursday has been suspended following an altercation he had with an old grass, when Morse questions old school tactics Thursday suggests, that if he can't hack it perhaps it was time that he left town.

In pursuit of a lead Morse goes to talk to his bank manager about possible information, unfortunately for him he gets trapped in there, along with Joan Thursday who works at that branch, when an armed bank raid kicks off.

A mixed feeling

[sherlockshen · 8/10 · 9 June 2022]

Novelty it is to see a bank robbery in this series. I don't want to judge the quality of the plot, and it doesn't matter anyway. However, such kind of action-film-liked scene is not what I expected in this series. I don't want Morse become some sort of action star. I'd like to see more mysteries and reasoning and fighting against the dark.

Inevitably, I have some comments about the ending of this episode. Actually, regardless how touching the moment was, I didn't figure out what's the purpose of Joan's leaving and where did she go. Does her leaving have be arranged so that we can avoid finding that Joan and Morse become a couple in the next season? At least for me, I'm glad to see this happened. On one hand, I'm not fond of Joan, due to her affairs with both Jack and that Fraud. Consequently, I have a perception that she had a bad taste in men. On the other hand, since my first reading of Sherlock Holmes, I insist that a detective should not fall in love with someone. I don't want a detective genre converts into a romance genre.

I can see how Morse arose the love feeling for Joan which it's human nature. And I appreciate the leaving of Joan.

Less good than the others in this season

[DearDRE · 7/10 · 20 February 2016]

I enjoyed this, but thought it less good than the Endeavour episodes leading up to it. The love story bit was thrown in far too heavily, I thought, but has obviously made it popular, with such a high IMDb score... It is not really a murder mystery in the usual genteel Morse mode, but a period action movie. Exciting, but less sophisticated, somehow. Roger Allam is fantastic, though. I do have one gripe as someone born and bred in Oxford: can't they pronounce things right? It would only require some local on hand to help. It's not Holywell Street as in Hole-ee-Well Street, it's pronounced "Holly-Well Street"! In a previous episode Morse pronounced Osney as "Oz-nee" when it is in fact "Oze-nee"! This won't matter to those who haven't been to Oxford, but I thought it no less important than the cars used :)

Did he fire six shots, or was it only five?

[greenf74 · 7/10 · 4 February 2016]

Russell Lewis once more demonstrates that he's seen a lot of films and read a lot of books, which some may think doesn't need to be made clear to us yet again. This time, the central situation is taken directly from Sidney Lumet's "Dog Day Afternoon", with a bank stick-up going wrong and the staff and customers (who include the soon-to-be- promoted Morse) being taken hostage whilst police marksmen hover outside and a media circus starts to brew. During his desperate hours as a hostage, Morse manages to find new evidence for the case he's working on (actually on bank premises), and solves the case rather cleverly. We then get the second homage to "Dirty Harry" in this brief season, as he bluffs the chief robber into believing his gun is empty. Russell Lewis must really like that film. Still, Morse is the underdog in the scene (unlike Harry Callahan), which gives it a bit of extra edge, and the episode is generally enjoyable. It could be that Lewis intends all his little allusions to form one big allusion, to the habit French film-makers had in the 60s of including "hommages" to other directors and writers they admired. One may murmur, not for the first time, that Jean-Luc Godard has a lot to answer for.

Love the series, dislike this ep and consequences it entails

[phlbrq58 · 7/10 · 27 April 2022]

The hostage situation is such a tv cliche... The Joan Thursday spiral doesnt make dramatic or emotional sense. The plot contrivances are not clever, just clumsy. I'm surprised so many thoughtful viewers dig it where i see it as a very wrong turn for the series.

....

Entertaining but lacks attention to period detail.

[pricetom-52944 · 7/10 · 24 January 2016]

The series is very entertaining. Capturing the attention of the viewer.

However the poor choice of vehicles is irritating. This episode is set in 1967 but a Triumph 2000 MK 2 is visible, though not introduced until 1969. It is also unlikely that the Police would be driving about in a Jaguar Mk 1 which would be at least eight years old by 1967. Several other vehicles are used which either are too old or not yet released on to the market in 1967. I know most people will not be bothered by this but it does make me wonder what else is badly researched.

The story lines are varied and not repeated from episode to episode. They often have a twist at the end.