"Endeavor," through every episode of the first season, presents a smart, sensitive, thoughtful, beautifully filmed and well-written series. It is a huge improvement on "Lewis," and in some ways is better than the original "Morse." This episode is equal to the previous ones. Great performances, good editing, good pace.
"Lewis" has been held back by the limitations of the character the wonderful Whately plays, the too-one-note Fox, and shabby writing. It has been pretentious. "Morse" had the matchless Thaw, and with Whately and other good supporting actors it managed to seem intelligent, if in a heavy- handed way.
Noir forgives unbelievability. In fact, it requires it. A realistic, don't-call-it-cozy, near- contemporary treatments of crime in academia yielding to American influences demands believability - and a firm brake on formula. "Academia is Byzantium" and "Scholarship is Corruption" are heavy-handedly repetitive themes.
But "Endeavor" does not stretch for significance and achieves it in the process. Shaun Evans manages to create his own character and presents him as a troubled young man with a reserved but expressive demeanor. He remains inscrutable enough to convey depth but maintains a fuller humanity than Thaw could as a finished (in more ways than one) character.
The plots pull back from the Sturm und Drang of both "Morse" and "Lewis," showing a more realistic world. And the setting of the show in the 1960s permits a design that lends detachment and style. (Sometimes the 1960s effects are over-played - not EVERY young woman wore an impeccable bob and sported perfect mod colors and tailoring mid-decade. Call it the "Mad Men" influence, via Thames Valley. But that's not really a complaint since the look is gorgeous.)
The message of "Morse" was that life is cruel and people are miserable but art can help if you drink enough booze (and good colleagues make life bearable).
The message of "Lewis" is that life is cruel and intelligence comes at a price, but love can make it worth the harm (and good colleagues make life bearable).
The message of "Endeavor," however, at least through the first set, is that life is life. One has a chance for both peace and damage, and it's better to take both with open eyes (and good colleagues make life bearable - Roger Allam's Thursday is a marvel).
Evans just has to avoid appearing like Dr. Who on an undercover mission in the near-swinging Earth of 1966.
Well, maybe he doesn't have to avoid it, at that.
