Arcadia

I really love the detective series "Endeavour", in my opinion, this is a great prequel to"Inspector Morse" (one of the best detective shows in fact) and a good show in itself. "Endeavour "started with a solid pilot episode and got even better with "Girl" and "Fugue", two very solid episodes of the show, after which the first season ended with two decent episodes of "Rocket" and "Home". The second season got even better and darker, with the only bad episode "Neverland". After the flawed, ridiculous, and wacky first episode of the Ride season, "Arcadia" is a marked improvement and just a good movie in itself. In fact, my only complaint about the episode (as with the entire season 3) is that it's not as dark and stylish as seasons 1 and especially season 2. In this particular case, I would like to see a little more rigidity and tension in the finale, given how superbly intense the episode itself was. However, "Arcadia" does a lot of things well and I really liked the character development of Jakes (in fact, it's one of the biggest advantages of the show that it develops each of the regular characters, which detective shows rarely do). In General, there is nothing to add here - a good episode. 9/10

This is another episode related to specific political issues again that regarding Southern Rhodesia, by now it's blown up to a full blown international incident involving a trade embargo with Britain.

It impinges on Oxford in a rather tangled web having at its centre a local business family the Richardsons, the seemingly innumerable strands involving a kidnapping of the daughter for a large monetary sum under the pains of death.

A protracted campaign against the company possibly in relation to them trading in embargoed goods, that involved poisoning and contaminating food produce, produced by the company and sold through its stores.

The consequences of everything include explosions, murder and a lucky escape for a young baby from contaminated baby food, an abducted baby, and political intrigue.

A happy and momentous occasion occurs in the life of Cowley stations DS Peter Jakes, something that to all accounts comes completely out of the blue, a new love of his life, and new family, his new Spouse Hope has study, work, and family connections to the States.

Morse seems something of a rum cove, invited to his mates leaving do he prefers to lurk outside the pub, when Jakes asks why he's not inside, he rather lamely cites work.

Most peculiar especially as he has gone out his way to ensure that, he "someone single with no one in his life" should take Jakes place, in any possibility of danger.

Morse is not seen to be working rather lounging in his new home, but when Jakes and his new partner are on the bus out of town, he discovers a good bye note to Peter from Morse, accompanied by some postal orders for their new child's future.

A young woman 'Lorraine Figis' departs Richardson's Supermarket, collapses outside and later dies, soon a young artist 'Simon Hallward' dies at home, when a cigarette catches in his studio and causes an explosion. A lead takes Morse and Thursday to a commune, House Beautiful, where Simon had spent six months. The team are joined by beautiful WPC Shirley Trewlove, who has a definite effect.

For the main I enjoyed this one very much, the 60's vibe was excellently captured as always, the Supermarket itself looked great, just as I imagined. I love the house doubling up as the Richardson's property, definitely used in other dramas before, it's stunning.

I'm a huge fan of Genevieve O'Reilly, she's a brilliant actress, loved the scenes between her and Shaun. My favourite performance too from Jack Laskey as DS Jakes, he really is a brilliant actor, it's no wonder his career is on an upward trajectory, a real shame this was his last one.

A few scenes were reminiscent of a Taggart episode from a few years ago, could be Dead Giveaway, not sure. The scenes with the baby food etc.

Almost small scale for an episode of Endeavour, especially in comparison to the opener. The usual mix of wonderful production values, great script, first class acting makes for an excellent ninety minutes. 8/10

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.

"Ride" started off Season 3 and was mostly a solid episode let down by the ending. The succeeding episode "Arcadia" is even better, this time having a final solution that makes much more sense and is easier to swallow, this one was pretty unexpected in terms of the identity of the perpetrator and how you feel about them after. It's not quite one of the best 'Endeavour' episodes with for my liking a few too many characters and red herrings that occasionally convoluted the story.

"Arcadia's" production values are faultless. It 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', with the references to 'The Graduate' amongst others giving off a real sense of affectionate nostalgia. The story is very gripping, with two of the most tense scenes of any 'Endeavour' episode put together, those being the ransom drop off and the tunnel bomb threat (the latter especially was a nail-biter where one really cares what happens to the characters involved).

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. 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.

Even more impressive here in "Arcadia" is the softer and heartfelt chemistry between Morse and Jakes, and the wonderful character development on Jakes. The new WPC character is a lively addition with a positive attitude and she gels quite well, though maybe she could have had a little more to do.

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.

Jack Laskey's acting is similarly a revelation and there are fine supporting turns from Richard Dillane, Genevieve O'Reilly and sparkling Dakota Blue Richards (yes, former child actress Dakota Blue Richards of 'The Golden Compass' and 'The Secret of Moonacre' fame).

Overall, very solid episode. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Still well worth watching but a couple of slip ups in the usually impeccably plotting of the puzzle. Why Morse chose to go in one direction with Jakes after the discarding of the hold-all, the ease of racing down the tunnels, Jakes miraculous carrying of a torch on a bright morning (ok possibly from the night before) and Morse's unexplained re-attendance at the tunnel entrance (only to miraculously find the battery cable) all seemed a little too rushed. His polite but curt interaction with Monica the nurse (and his former lover) also lacked the nuance required. Perhaps far too many strands in the plot but too uncharacteristically unexplained.

Quibbling I may be but jarring maybe but no failing at all in the enjoyment this series brings though.