History Series / Endeavour

''Endeavour'' (2012-2023) is the second {{spinoff}} series of ''Series/InspectorMorse'', after ''Series/{{Lewis}}''. A {{prequel}} set in [[TheSixties the 60s]], it relates the early cases of the young Detective Constable Morse, starting with his arrival at Oxford CID.

* HeelFaceTurn: In "Degüello", Thursday, horrified at what he has become by taking a share of departmental kickbacks from Box, returns the money he received in "Confection"; Box tries to persuade him to change his mind back with a visit to two occupants of higher rungs on the corruption ladder, [[spoiler:Councillor Clive Burkitt and construction mogul and prominent Freemason George [=McGyffin=], but this just enrages Thursday further. Box then confesses that he didn't start out corrupt himself, but one kickback led to another until he was in over his head. In the climax, Box takes a step toward redemption by gunning down the even more corrupt DS Jago, who has Morse and Thursday at gunpoint -- though he takes a bullet himself for his trouble, and it's never subsequently revealed whether or not he survives]].

%% * NaziNobleman: Charity Mudford in "Colours", since she's a Unity Mitford homage.

* NoSmoking: Very much averted; TruthInTelevision for the time period. Fred Thursday is rarely without his pipe, and quite a few characters smoke cigarettes. Even Morse picks up the habit in later epiosdes.

** RiddleForTheAges: We never learn of the fall-out of the climactic events of Series Seven. [[spoiler: Morse travelled to Venice to arrest the Talentis, with no explanation as to how he would manage to overcome the obvious JurisdictionFriction issues that would arise from this. Thursday followed him to Venice and shot Ludo, although it was not made clear, and has not been subsequently revealed, if he killed him or not. A shot of Morse in what looked like an Italian police interview room, shown as a teaser at the start of the series, was also shown at the end but not expanded on. In Series Eight, these events are barely mentioned, with the same going for the plan to have Morse transferred to work with [=McNutt=], the officer stated to have been his mentor in the original series but who has not been seen in this one.]]

** In Series Seven, no mention is made of whether or not [[spoiler: Ronnie Box survived after he was shot]] at the end of Series Six.

* CrosswordPuzzle: This is the [[Series/InspectorMorse Morse]] prequel, so it would be surprising if this wasn't present.

** Strange becomes a Sergeant in Series 3 and Morse's immediate superior when Jakes leaves. Morse himself finally decides to take his Sergeant exams during the finale; [[spoiler: Series 4 reveal that his exam paper went "missing" meaning he automatically failed.]]

* ResignedInDisgrace: The very first episode features Richard Lovell, a respected government minister with a taste for prostitutes (including several underage girls). When one is murdered and throws a spotlight on the issue, he initially believes he'll get through it with his career intact thanks to [=MI5=] covering up his involvement. However, in the climax, Agent Dempsey reveals that the government has deemed him too big a liability and he's been instructed to take early retirement. When he tries to protest, Dempsey makes it clear his orders come from Harold Wilson himself and if he does not agree, he'll shoot him dead on the spot and frame it as a burglary gone wrong.

''Endeavour'' (2012-) is the second {{spinoff}} series of ''Series/InspectorMorse'', after ''Series/{{Lewis}}''. A {{prequel}} set in [[TheSixties the 60s]], it relates the early cases of the young Detective Constable Morse, starting with his arrival at Oxford CID.

As of 2021, eight series have aired, with a total of 33 episodes being broadcast. (It shares the exact same number of episodes as ''Inspector Morse'' and ''Lewis''.) A ninth, and final series is due to air in 2022.

As of 2021, eight series have aired, with a total of 33 episodes being broadcast. (It shares the exact same number of episodes as ''Inspector Morse'' and Lewis''.) A ninth, and final series is due to air in 2022.

''Endeavour'' (2012-) is the second {{spinoff}} series of ''Series/InspectorMorse''. A {{prequel}} set in [[TheSixties the 60s]], it relates the early cases of the young Detective Constable Morse, starting with his arrival at Oxford CID.

** Blythe Mount School for Girls in "Nocture" is a relatively mild example, although [[spoiler:one of the girls does end up getting murdered]].

* WickedStepmother: In the episode "Home" Gwen is implied to be this. Morse's reaction to her is not one of friendliness. She [[TheBusCameBack returns]] in "Scherzo".
* YouMakeMeSic: In "Rocket", Morse tells a protestor wielding a placard that he does not doubt his sincerity, but that he might get more respect if he spelled 'Levellers' correctly.

* WickedStepmother: In the episode "Home" Gwen is implied to be this. Morse's reaction to her is not one of friendliness. She [[TheBusCameBack returns in "Scherzo".

* WickedStepmother: In the episode "Home" Gwen is implied to be this. Morse's reaction to her is not one of friendliness.

SavedByCanon: Morse, Strange and Max are all guaranteed to survive through this series, seeing how they're recurring characters in ''Series/InspectorMorse''.

* ConstructiveBodyDisposal: In "Degüello", Councillor Berkit and his partner [=McGryffin=] dispose of the local borough surveyor who discovered they were embezzling funds meant to go into building a tower block, by burying him alive in the foundations. His body is found a year later after the tower collapses as a result of them using unsafe building materials.

%% * NoSmoking: Very much averted.

* SerialKillerBaiting: Convinced that the police are not doing enough to catch the "Towpath" serial killer in "Zenana", students and teachers at Lady Matilda's College set up a trap -- one student acts as bait then the others swarm the attacker. During his ensuing escape the attacker is run over by a car and mortally wounded. [[spoiler: Unfortunately the attacker turns out to be a [[JackTheRipoff copycat killer]], leaving the real killer free to carry on]].

* TheSixties: The temporal setting, albeit not the "Swinging Sixties" but a much more true-to-life drab setting full of [[RealIsBrown grey cars, brown suits, beige sofas and olive green paint.]]

* AlwaysMurder:

** In the ''Series/InspectorMorse'' episode "Masonic Mysteries", Morse visits Desmond [=MacNutt=], a retired police officer who is introduced as having been Morse's mentor. In ''Endeavour'', however, the mentor role is very much filled by Fred Thursday, with [=MacNutt=] getting a few mentions in passing (in "Neverland", Thursday suggests that if he retires, DI [=MacNutt=] could take Morse under his wing; later, in "Zenana", Morse and Thurday's public falling-out leads them to agree that things will be best if Morse transfers to be [=MacNutt=]'s bagman) but [[TheGhost never being seen]].

* AnonymousPublicPhoneCall: Used in "Striker", the Oxford Mail receive a phone call claiming to be from the [[UsefulNotes/TheTroubles Provisional IRA]] threatening that if Jack Swift, the Northern Irish star player of the Oxford Wanders plays in upcoming Cup Rematch game they will shoot him dead. The police trace the phone call, but it turns out it was made from the public payphones at the Royal hotel. [[spoiler: It turns out the affair is in fact an elaborate FalseFlagOperation by a Loyalist militia who want him dead for raising money for Irish youth groups]].

* BadgesAndDogTags: Morse did his National Service in the Royal Corps of Signals. Thursday served in North Africa and Italy during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII. Bright has previously seen service in pre-independence India, although it's unclear whether this was in the military or the colonial police.

* BadgesAndDogTags: Morse did his National Service in the Royal Corps of Signals. Thursday served in North Africa and Italy during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII. Chief Supt. Bright was previously part of the pre-War Colonial military in India before its indpendence.

* BrandX: As usual in the Morseverse, all UsefulNotes/{{Oxbridge}} colleges are fictional and brand names generally fake. However there is one significant aversion: the ''Oxford Mail'' is real, as is its forerunner ''Jackson's Oxford Journal'' (referenced in "Trove"). It never had an editor called Dorothea Frazil, though.

* NotWhatItLooksLike: Morse asks his neighbour Monica out, then has to cancel (and lies about it) because he's previously promised to accompany Constable Strange to the cinema with Strange's girlfriend and her friend. The friend turns out to be Thursday's daughter... and, of course, Monica sees them together and draws the worst possible conclusion.
* NumberTwo: Morse is briefly this to Thursday, but his inexperience and Bright's criticism of the arrangement mean he's sent back to General Duties so Sgt. Jakes and later Strange take this role.

%% * OldCopYoungCop: Inspector Thursday and Constable Morse.
%% * OldFashionedCopper: Constable Strange, at the ''Series/DixonOfDockGreen'' end of the spectrum.

** Subverted in "To Say I Love You". Whilst on the run from the police Sean attempts to do this by using a payphone to contact the police about arresting his [[OutlawCouple girlfriend and partner]], however, his speech impediment means he's unable to even start the sentence, and failing to do so makes him so angry he just storms off.
** Floyd Malcolm the SerialRapist of "Men Should Weep" uses this to contact Fitz. First calling him on his radio show to try to get him to confirm his decision that he should just kill his next victim to avoid the police identifying him (and so he can pass the blame onto him), and then later at his home to confirm he took "his advice."

* NotSoDifferent: In "Fugue", the murderer claims that he and Morse are the same and share the burden of being intelligent.