Colours is another excellent episode from this highly impressive fifth series of Endeavour. So much going on, but once again it's cohesive, it flows, it's engaging, and as always Shaun Evans continues to dazzle in the role as Morse. It's his character's development that has impressed me throughout this series, and that trend definitely continued here, the intelligent, womanising character we all loved in the form of John Thaw is being skillfully crafted here. A clever story, deep and multi layered. A tough watch for many reasons, the tensions and racism that was prevalent in the Sixties was shown here for what it was, sickening. My parents confirmed with me that signs were indeed put up barring black people, it's unimaginable. Excellent performances once again, great to see Jack Bannon back, even if just for one episode, I thought Caroline Goodall was superb as the despicable Lady Bayswater, she played the character with such belief and sincerity. As always it's Shaun Evans and Roger Allam that impress. Only two more to go, let's hope it returns.
11 Reviews
Murder on an Army base
Tweekums2 March 2018
Warning: Spoilers
While racial tensions are still high in Oxford with a debate on repatriating non-natives and a protest outside a hairdressers with a 'no-coloureds' policy the main story follows the investigation into the murder of a model during a photoshoot on a military base. There is a greater than usual sense of urgency as the troops are due to deploy to a base in West Germany in two days. Early evidence points to Private Oswald, whose cap badge was found near the body and whose blood-stained beret was thrown into a minefield. Morse is doubtful though and starts to dig deeper. It turns out that the model was part of the Mudford family and her step mother was a Nazi sympathiser who still has racist views. As the investigation continues more suspects emerge; these include a Colonel who is clearly affected by what happened to him during the Korean War; a historian who was involved with the victim ten years previously and was on the base working on a history of the regiment; and even DCI Thursday's son who is in the regiment and found the body.
This was another impressive instalment in this enjoyable series. Early on I feared the racial aspects of the story may have been dealt with in an overly heavy handed way but needn't have worried. Plenty of detective series have featured murders on army bases and most involve the military trying to obstruct the police activities; refreshingly there was no such problem here. The suspects are nicely varied and when the killer is ultimately revealed it is neither no obvious nor a total surprise. There are some good exciting moments including a police officer accidentally entering a minefield and Morse being attacked by the traumatised colonel. As expected the acting is solid throughout. Overall another impressive episode that manages to deal with '60s politics and provide an interesting mystery.
This was another impressive instalment in this enjoyable series. Early on I feared the racial aspects of the story may have been dealt with in an overly heavy handed way but needn't have worried. Plenty of detective series have featured murders on army bases and most involve the military trying to obstruct the police activities; refreshingly there was no such problem here. The suspects are nicely varied and when the killer is ultimately revealed it is neither no obvious nor a total surprise. There are some good exciting moments including a police officer accidentally entering a minefield and Morse being attacked by the traumatised colonel. As expected the acting is solid throughout. Overall another impressive episode that manages to deal with '60s politics and provide an interesting mystery.
Tensions and murder at the army base
TheLittleSongbird27 February 2018
As said in my review for the entire show three 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.
The pilot was a very promising start if with an understandable finding its feet feel. Things got even better with the consistently outstanding first season, and the darker Season 2 was hardly inferior, with "Neverland" being an 'Endeavour' 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, while finding "Coda" outstanding. Likewise with Season 4, with its weak point being the soap operatic Joan subplot in "Harvest".
Season 5 has been very impressive so far and generally has been getting better with each episode, though to me the still very good second episode "Cartouche" is the weakest. "Colours" is my favourite of the season so far.
It balances mystery and personal life beautifully. "Colours" contains a mystery that is very eventful yet not too hard to follow (while suitably twisty and complicated) and paced with the right amount of alertness but also enough breathing time. Morse continues to be a fascinating, complex and well rounded character that reminds one of the older Morse. The personal life elements do not get soapy, nor do they take over. The chemistry between Trewlove and George is very amusing and sweet, while never being corny or detracting from the dark subject and the generally darker and more serious tone of the season. Just for the record, am liking that 'Endeavour' increased in maturity over the years, not that it wasn't already but meaning that it got darker and tackled heavier themes yet still to me didn't feel like a different show.
"Colours" tackles some heavy themes, primarily racial tensions (which happened a lot in the 1960s and a lot of it horrific), and gives them the full impact. All the while handling them with tact and restraint and not the potential heavy-handedness seen in some of "Cartouche". Showing that a glamorous decade had a dark side.
Nothing can be faulted with the production values. It is exquisitely filmed and the idyllic and atmospheric setting was a very nice change from Oxford. There is something very nostalgic and charming about the atmospherically evoked 1960s period detail. Similarly, as always, the music is hauntingly beautiful with the way it's utilised never in question, the iconic 'Inspector Morse' theme will forever be immortal and it has always been a genius move to use it for 'Endeavour'.
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'.
As ever, Morse and Thursday's relationship was always one of the show's major high points, it always entertained and warmed the heart and with each episode it gets more so on both counts, with some moving and tense moments too.
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.
The rest of the regular cast are excellent, as is Caroline Goodall who brilliantly manages to bring nuances to a hateable character rather than going over-the-top.
Ending is clever, tense and unexpected without being convoluted, though 'Endeavour' has shown in the past that it can still make impact at the end without needing to finish bold and big.
Overall, another fine episode of a hugely impressive season. 9/10 Bethany Cox
The pilot was a very promising start if with an understandable finding its feet feel. Things got even better with the consistently outstanding first season, and the darker Season 2 was hardly inferior, with "Neverland" being an 'Endeavour' 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, while finding "Coda" outstanding. Likewise with Season 4, with its weak point being the soap operatic Joan subplot in "Harvest".
Season 5 has been very impressive so far and generally has been getting better with each episode, though to me the still very good second episode "Cartouche" is the weakest. "Colours" is my favourite of the season so far.
It balances mystery and personal life beautifully. "Colours" contains a mystery that is very eventful yet not too hard to follow (while suitably twisty and complicated) and paced with the right amount of alertness but also enough breathing time. Morse continues to be a fascinating, complex and well rounded character that reminds one of the older Morse. The personal life elements do not get soapy, nor do they take over. The chemistry between Trewlove and George is very amusing and sweet, while never being corny or detracting from the dark subject and the generally darker and more serious tone of the season. Just for the record, am liking that 'Endeavour' increased in maturity over the years, not that it wasn't already but meaning that it got darker and tackled heavier themes yet still to me didn't feel like a different show.
"Colours" tackles some heavy themes, primarily racial tensions (which happened a lot in the 1960s and a lot of it horrific), and gives them the full impact. All the while handling them with tact and restraint and not the potential heavy-handedness seen in some of "Cartouche". Showing that a glamorous decade had a dark side.
Nothing can be faulted with the production values. It is exquisitely filmed and the idyllic and atmospheric setting was a very nice change from Oxford. There is something very nostalgic and charming about the atmospherically evoked 1960s period detail. Similarly, as always, the music is hauntingly beautiful with the way it's utilised never in question, the iconic 'Inspector Morse' theme will forever be immortal and it has always been a genius move to use it for 'Endeavour'.
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'.
As ever, Morse and Thursday's relationship was always one of the show's major high points, it always entertained and warmed the heart and with each episode it gets more so on both counts, with some moving and tense moments too.
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.
The rest of the regular cast are excellent, as is Caroline Goodall who brilliantly manages to bring nuances to a hateable character rather than going over-the-top.
Ending is clever, tense and unexpected without being convoluted, though 'Endeavour' has shown in the past that it can still make impact at the end without needing to finish bold and big.
Overall, another fine episode of a hugely impressive season. 9/10 Bethany Cox
Love Akin to Death
ngsueling18 November 2020
Thematically, this episode seems to explore the relationship between love and death. Morse's intimate talk with his lover, wrapped in sheets, reveals his dark view of humanity and oddly enough, congruently, his great respect for love. Her degage attitude seems to suggest this will only be a summer romance. Love and its link to death, also permeates the passionate protests against racism that the episode focuses on. Strong feelings often lead to violence. Kindness to a close associate as shown by DS Strange can also become a lack of concern for those considered different. The binaries in this episode are well explored, suggesting that cool heads, like Morse's, are best able to be fair, however it seems to doom him to slightly set apart.
Deep undertones of fascism, prejudice and the price of peace aside, this episode was very comedic. The salon owner had perfect comic delivery, Morse whispering romantic repartee, Superintendent Bright engaging in gossip, what a juicy episode!
Well Structured Military Tale
Hitchcoc17 July 2018
This brings Morse into the world of a military base where rules are different. This also focuses on racism and the issues of integration. We are used to these being American issues but we forget that racism exists throughout the world. Here there is a group of people who hate minorities and bask in their "superiority." This is a finely put together episode.
Please research!
jamesabchmorgan31 October 2021
I enjoy Endeavour, as I enjoyed Morse and Lewis, but this episode has major weaknesses. Is nobody in the varied ranks of the production company ex-army? Some errors made are so basic as to be bloody annoying. Please hire an expert.
Interesting contrasts
epacrisimpressa11 April 2020
The winds of change are blowing, the swinging sixties are happening, the civil rights movement is sweeping away racism, but the army and the police remain stuck in the past. The contrast is quite shocking, especially when we see a model in a psychedelic dress posing on a tank, while Jimi Hendrix plays in the background. The "colours" of the title have several meanings, most prominently the military one of the flag that represents a regiment's honour; there's also the colour-sergeant, who is addressed according to tradition as "Colour". At the same time, black people were referred to at the time as "coloureds", and blatant discrimination was happening in Britain. All these strands are woven together, along with ugly hangovers from the fascist/nazi period, to create a suspenseful mystery for Morse to solve. For once the (main) victim has a developed personality. I agree with another reviewer that this Morse is quite different from that of the eponymous TV series, in that he treats his dalliances with women carelessly, whereas the older Morse was always falling in love.
The "mid range" reviews nail it
rujane25 October 2020
Warning: Spoilers
We are late to the game in "Endeavour", and enjoy the series overall. I think it is one of the best-looking programs on television, and that whatever the budget may be, they are spending the money in al the right places. I also think that something "Inspector Morse" did well, and "Endeavour" does superbly is give us fully, realized, three-dimensional characters in the supporting cast. The downside of this is that often we find the character of Thursday more interesting than Morse.
Racism is central to the plot, and one thing we wondered about was whether, in the late 1960s, a beauty parlor in a major English university city would have posted a sign that said "No Coloureds". 1950s, maybe, but for us, it just rang false. Frankly, it's been an issue, that the writer(s) do(es) not seem well versed in the era - many of the depictions of 1960s culture seem taken from pop culture and border on stereotype. But you do get to see Fred and Win dance the tango (I think.) Made the somewhat predictable plot worthwhile.
Too preachy to be enjoyable
lilyrowan19 July 2018
I remember the days when good mystery programs would be much more subtle with social issues. With this latest "Endeavour", it seems they're using a sledgehammer to get their viewpoint across. It's too much and does not make the program enjoyable. I understand social unrest was a sign of the 1960's, but it appears unrealistic as they are bringing in attitudes from 2018.
What's even more shocking is how Morse has gotten lucky more than once this season. He's a regular stud, so unlike our beloved Morse as portrayed by John Thaw. Also unlike the original Morse, this one never really goes off on wild goose chases. He's always right with his theories.
Thursday has always been a favorite, but we are still trying to figure out how his kids went from adoring Fred to practically hating him this season. I did like seeing him and the missus dancing their little toes off.
Lastly, it seems as if the University of Oxford isn't as prevalent in "Endeavour" as it was with "Morse" and "Lewis". I miss the emphasis on the academic setting.
What's even more shocking is how Morse has gotten lucky more than once this season. He's a regular stud, so unlike our beloved Morse as portrayed by John Thaw. Also unlike the original Morse, this one never really goes off on wild goose chases. He's always right with his theories.
Thursday has always been a favorite, but we are still trying to figure out how his kids went from adoring Fred to practically hating him this season. I did like seeing him and the missus dancing their little toes off.
Lastly, it seems as if the University of Oxford isn't as prevalent in "Endeavour" as it was with "Morse" and "Lewis". I miss the emphasis on the academic setting.
The Last Straw For Me - Clearly Fantastical
helendental-566-7930910 June 2020
Sorry, just no. This is a murder based drama set in 1960s Oxford; it shouldn't be a platform for more social preaching and blatant falsehoods. 01:35 and we're being told that immigrants in England far preceded the native Brits?! You've lost the plot. You go to the trouble of making everything authentic in this show; why not how things really were culturally?
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