With a single swift motion, the Endeavour saga has concluded. The popular ITV crime drama’s ninth and last season ended on a cliffhanger, but it also resolved some lingering mysteries and explored a pivotal case from earlier in the show’s run. Although the Inspector Morse prequel series was able to wrap things up neatly, many fans entered the final episode unsure of what was going to happen because John Thaw’s Morse never makes reference to a character with the alias of DI Fred Thursday (played by Roger Allam). So, read on for a recap of all the action from the series finale of Endeavour.
In this episode, Endeavour is also looking into the secret of Blenheim Vale, but he is also attending a lot of burials as a result of researching a string of premature death notices that have appeared in the Oxford Mail. But he almost becomes a victim himself when the killer—later revealed to be local handyman John Bingley—publishes a suicide letter for Endeavour in the Oxford Times.
When Bingley tries to hit Endeavour with a hammer, Strange steps in to protect him. Bingley had knowledge of which stores and offices were vacant because he was hired to perform maintenance on them. When the Mail would call to confirm the death, he would answer the phone as the undertaker because he had the property phone numbers. Also, he would utilize his wife’s florist shop to switch out the cards for ones with his own secret Latin messages. He claimed he was doing the job the police should be doing and showed no regret for the murders that he committed because of his own homophobia, racism, and bigotry. In the meantime, there was a marriage in the Endeavour conclusion, which is not surprising given that the love story has been an underlying theme throughout the show.It was clear to viewers of the final episode of Inspector Morse, titled “The Remorseful Day,” that Joan and Morse were not meant to be together.
What happened to Morse and Fred Thursday?
Everything seemed to be connected, as it usually does on Endeavour, especially in this season finale. Although the long-running case has affected Endeavour and Fred professionally and personally, we also find that Charlie Thursday (Phil Daniels), Fred’s brother, has been drawn into the affair by Arthur. While the Endeavour arc was progressing, it became clear that corrupt police were still attempting to suppress news of the abuse. Arthur Lott, a detective investigator, was involved, and he had DCI Fred Thursday correct where he wished him. In season 5, Thursday lent his brother Charlie his entire life savings, only to have Charlie later tell him that he had lost it. It ended up turning out that Arthur Lott had coerced Charlie into giving them over and lying so that he could later offer to repay the funds for a fee.
This arrived in Exeunt at a time when he was trying to end the probe. Sam, Thursday’s son, showed up to have killed Raymond Kennett, aka Tomahawk, a member of a violent biker gang, which was a major plot point in the final episode. They had feelings against Arthur Lott for his role in the death of one of their own, and they decided to take his life as an act of vengeance.
There were a lot of other important events that played out in the background of this final episode, including Blenheim Vale, Joan and Strange’s wedding, Sam’s disobedience, Fred’s shifting moods, and the status of Fred and Endeavour’s friendship. Many viewers feel ambivalent about the wedding of Sara Vickers’s Joan Thursday and Sean Rigby‘s DS Jim Strange because of the series’ repeated hints at a romantic connection between the two characters. And the wedding of Joan and Jim is another evidence of that. In place of this, we are shown a dreamlike scene in which Endeavour and Joan visit a wedding ceremony and Endeavour confesses his feelings to Joan, culminating in a tender moment. In actuality, though, Endeavour gives Joan a bear embrace and greets her well before she and Jim leave on their honeymoon.
What happened to Morse and Fred Thursday?
Endeavour has identified Fred Thursday as Tomahawk’s murderer.
As the final moments of Endeavour came closer, the spotlight returned to Morse and Thursday. Even before Thursdays moved to Carshall, Morse clarified Arthur Lott’s fate to the investigators over a final point. However, he kept quiet about the fact that he had learned from Arthur Lott that Raymond Kennett was truly Peter Williams, the missing boy and that he had since joined a biker gang as their member Tomahawk. he was ending the Blenheim Vale exploration in order to protect Thursday. The arrival of the bikers is revealed, and it is assumed that Arthur Lott was killed.
When a distraught Morse faced Thursday about who had killed Tomahawk AKA Peter Williams and how he had learned that it wasn’t his son Sam, the stakes became even extremely high. In retrospect, we learn that when biker Tomahawk threatened an intoxicated Sam, the DCI shot and killed him. Before Sam used the bathroom, he was attacked by Tomahawk, who appeared to be preparing a strike with a knife. However, as Fred approached from behind Sam, he told Tomahawk to leave. But Tomahawk attempts a knife attack, and Fred stabs him rather. He would have done for Sam, Thursday told Morse.
What transpired with Aruther Lott and Tomahawk, Morse later assured the DCI, would remain between the two of them. However, he was concerned that the gang would soon come after Sam because an “eye for an eye” meant that no one was safe from reprisal. When Endeavour informs Fred that Sam must vanish, he and Win must go far beyond Carshall to find a new home for themselves and Sam.
Because of this, the detective duo can’t see each other again, but Strange and Joan can continue to live in Oxford without worry; in fact, Endeavour has promised to keep an eye on them. Endeavour hands up the cash-filled briefcase to Fred, and Fred hands over his revolver, before the two part ways. Just as Inspector Lewis said “Goodbye, sir” to Morse before he passed away, Endeavour does it to Fred. Shaking hands one final time, Fred lovingly refers to Endeavour by his first name, but the Detective Sergeant replies: “Morse, sir. Basically Morse Code.
In the Endeavour finale, Thursday and Morse finally broke up when Morse admitted he needed to relocate somewhere “much further” than Carshall. At Blenheim Palace, where Morse had been singing with his choir, the final scenes of Endeavour were filmed. A fantastic tribute to the original series and a thrilling conclusion to this prequel, the closing scene has Endeavour leaving Blenheim Palace in his black Jaguar and driving past John Thaw‘s iconic red Jaguar.
