User reviews

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.

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.

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

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!

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.

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.

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.

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?

Preachy, politicized, too many caricatures for characters, foreshadowing of ending too obvious