History Recap / EndeavourS4E04Harvest

* AluminiumChristmasTrees: When discussing Laxman's disappearance, which happened in 1962, Selina Berger mentions that she was "returning books to Boots" on the day in question. Boots, the well-known chain of pharmacies, included for many years small lending libraries in some of its branches in areas where proper public libraries were not to be found. They were discontinued after the passing of the Libraries Act (1964), which required local councils to provide at least one public library for each community that they served.

** Selina mentions that, on the day Laxman disappeared, she went to a cinema to see a film about "the Borstal boy who became a runner". That's ''Film/TheLonelinessOfTheLongDistanceRunner'', in which Creator/JohnThaw starred in an credited role.

* BombproofAppliance: Not exactly an appliance, but still ... in the denouement, [[spoiler: Morse dumps the grenade inside a lead-lined drum intended to hold nuclear waste. The heavy drum acts as a sump, funnelling the blast upwards]].

* RealAwardFictionalCharacter: At the end of the episode, [[spoiler: Thursday and Morse are both awarded the George Medal for preventing an act of terrorism at the nuclear power station]].
* RealLifeWritesThePlot: The body found at the beginning, that of a man who'd been strangled some 2,000 years previously, is a clear reference to [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tollund_Man the Tollund Man]], who was found in a bog in Denmark in 1950, 2,300 years after his death, with a leather garrot about his neck. When that body was found, it was so well-preserved that it was initially assumed to be that of a recent murder victim.
-->'''Strange''': We'll have trouble notifying next of kin.
** Also, Dowsable Chattox shares her surname with one of the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pendle_witches Pendle Witches]].

** [[UncannyVillage Brampton]] could be a shout-out to many cop/mystery dramas -- but, given the villagers' overt paganism, the most likely is ''[[Film/TheWickerMan1973 The Wicker Man]]''. One of the villagers in this episode shares a surname with a character from that film (Morrison) and the novel on which ''The Wicker Man'' was based, David Pinner's ''Ritual'', was published in 1967 -- the year in which this episode is set. [[spoiler: That said, the paganism sub-plot is largely a RedHerring]].

** Professor Bagley is said to be the author of an influential book about nuclear energy called ''Prometheus Unbound''. In [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Greek mythology]], Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to mankind, thus incurring the wrath of the gods and an everlasting punishment in which he was bound to a rock. ''Prometheus Unbound'' was the name of a play about the myth, written by Creator/PercyByssheShelley.

* CallBack: Discussing with Bright the incompetent handling of the Laxman case five years earlier, Thursday refers, with obvious distaste, to his former colleague Detective Sergeant Lott, who appeared in [[Recap/EndeavourS1E01Endeavour the pilot episode]].

** Selina mentions that, on the day Laxman disappeared, she went to a cinema to see a film about "the borstal boy who became a runner". That's ''Film/TheLonelinessOfTheLongDistanceRunner'', in which Creator/JohnThaw starred in an credited role.

* AluminiumChristmasTrees: When discussing Laxman's disappearance, which happened in 1962, Selina Berger mentions that she was "returning books to Boots" on the day in question -- a reference to a feature of British life which had vanished by 1967, the year in which this episode is set. Boots, the well-known chain of pharmacies, included for many years small lending libraries in some of its branches in areas where proper public libraries were either not to be found or else had only limited access for the general public. These libraries were begun as part of the service offered by the firm in 1898 and continued until 1966. It was only after the passing of the 1964 Libraries Act, which required local councils to provide at least one public library for each community, that they were discontinued.

* AmbiguousSituation: Did Joan Thursday have an abortion or was it a ConvenientMiscarriage brought on by her lover's violence? The hospital doctor is inclined to believe the latter, although he says it was because of an accident -- quite possibly because he's speaking to Morse, who he believes to ''be'' Joan's lover. Only Joan herself knows the truth, and she's not telling anyone.

* RealLifeWritesThePlot: The body found at the beginning, that of a man who'd been strangled some 2,000 years previously, is a clear reference to [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tollund_Man Tollund Man]], who was found in a bog in Denmark in 1950, 2,300 years after his death, with a leather garrot about his neck.

-->'''Bright''': Well, there we are. Not half an hour in the station, all back to normal. Carry on.

* AmbiguousSituation: Did Joan Thursday have an abortion or was it a ConvenientMiscarriage brought on by her lover's violence? The hospital doctor is inclined to believe the latter (although he says it was because of an accident, quite possibly because he's speaking to Morse, who he believes to ''be'' Joan's lover) -- only Joan herself knows the truth, and she's not telling anyone.

* DomesticAbuse: Joan is shown to be suffering from this at the hands of her married lover.

* AmbiguousSituation: Did Joan Thursday have an abortion or was it a ConvenientMiscarriage brought on by her lover's violence? The hospital doctor is inclined to believe that latter (although he says it was because of an accident, quite possibly because he's speaking to Morse, who he believes to ''be'' Joan's lover) -- only Joan herself knows the truth, and she's not telling anyone.

* AlwaysMurder: Lampshaded by Bright, who finds that as body has been discovered shortly after he has returned to work.

** [[UncannyVillage Brampton]] could be a shout-out to many cop/mystery dramas - but, given the villagers' overt paganism, the most likely is ''[[Film/TheWickerMan1973 The Wicker Man]]''. The novel on which that film was based, David Pinner's ''Ritual'', was published in 1967 - the year in which this episode is set. [[spoiler: That said, the paganism sub-plot is largely a RedHerring]].

A body is found during an archaeological dig is presumed to be that of a botanist, Matthew Laxman, who disappeared in the area five years before. When his glasses are found, Thursday wants to reopen the cold case.

-->'''Thursday''': If you ever see her again, I'll fit you up for a nonce [[note]] sex offender [[/note]] and have you in chokey [[note]] prison [[/note]] so fast you won't know what hit you!

A body is found during an archaeological dig is presumed to be the body of a botanist, Matthew Laxman. He disappeared in the area five years before and with the finding of his glasses, Thursday wants to open the cold case.

->'''Bright''': Well, there we are. Not half an hour in the station, all back to normal. Carry on.

* PoliceBrutality: Combined with PapaWolf as Fred Thursday deals with his daughter's married lover in his own, inimitable way.
-->'''Thursday''': If you ever see her again, I'll fit you up for a nonce and have you in chokey so fast you won't know what hit you!