The Last Enemy

Once more, I have to check my files to see if I graduated from college. This episode of Morse, like so many others, convinces me that I lack the intelligence to follow a plot that millions of other people seem to follow with ease. From the start, the story is murkier than the canal where the headless body is found. The body launches an investigation that meanders from Oxford to London to someplace near South Bend, Indiana (I think). Evil professors, haughty civil servants, and rugged policemen fill the story with memorable characters but little logic to tie them together. At the end, someone in a hospital bed spills the beans to Morse in a scene that should be dubbed into Croatian to make it all clearer. On the positive side, it's a treat to watch the fabulous Barry Foster and the rest of the impressive supporting cast as well as the totally reliable main leads. The Oxford scenery doesn't hurt either. All in all, a worthwhile if exasperating show, especially for Americans who are sick unto death of the simplistic and violent trash on American TV.

2024 is the year I started watching this remarkable series. Over the years, Ive heard my father talking about it and watching it but nit until recently did I begin ti watch it chronologically. My father has always been a huge Inspector Morse admirer. John Thaw is brilliant as the somewhat acerbic, sharp and immensely likeable Morse.

The Last Enemy does not disappoint at all. From the twisted and over the top plot it always manages to be tempered by Oxford's grayish hues and solid setting and backdrop. I love English humour and dry hued exchanges between characters. The last scene had me feeling poignant for Morse. Buying drinks for others who are more selfish and self-serving than grateful. The pathologists loss. Morse is great company even when he's brooding. He's an original. That's what makes this series wonderful to witness.

Maha.

A decapitated body is found floating in a canal, someone has gone to great lengths to disguise the identity of the body.

It's a solid episode, it's a a clever mystery, it has some wonderful characters, if also benefits from a truly wonderful performance from John Thaw, he really is at his absolute best here, some great interplay between him and Lewis, he's quite amusing here too. Terrific production values as you'd expect, not just the idyllic countryside, that goes without saying, but the shots of both the High Street and busy train Station, they look impressive, and natural.

Two things spoil this episode for me, first, the performance of Michael Aldridge, I get that his character is supposed to be larger than life, but I would say he's overacting, it's too much. Secondly, without giving away any clues as to the identity of the murderer, I would say I struggled to believe in the killer's identity to physically carry out the murders, it takes a real stretch of the imagination.

I loved Sian Thomas in this, she defines the whole era here, wonderfully 1980's, so elegant, she is wonderful in this. Teniel Evans is excellent also.

This is a reworking of Colin Dexter's novel - "The Riddle of the Third Mile".The plot line keeps well with the book though character names are changed and the other alterations were principally to remove a London Strip Club.Visually with a canal plenty of Oxford scenery and an exceptionally strong supporting cast in particular involving Tenniel Evans,Michael Aldridge and Barry Foster.Morse's conversations with Sian Thomas and Amanda Hillwood in their way show how much he seems to miss a possible opportunity for happiness and with Beatie Edney the female support whilst less experienced is no less strong.I must wonder if Oxford University can approve of academics being portrayed as double crossers and jealous schemers but then it makes life more interesting.

By an Oxfordshire country mile this is my favourite Morse: the subject matter, revolving around a headless corpse washed up in The Thames is grim enough; but the sub plots make the story even grimmer: collegiate machinations; sexual jealousy and rivalry and intellectual rivalry and jealousy. There are moments of levity, but most are tinged with sadness: Morse developing a very understandable (and obvious) crush on Reece's PA; Morse morally berating the happily married Lewis for offering assistance above and beyond the call of duty to an attractive young female boat skipper; Morse pressing an attractive young female witness to a further alcoholic beverage; the interrogation of Riverman Geoff where he claims that "even the fish jump about laughing" and, best of all, Morse offering one of his witnesses' juvenile sister an ice cream whereby she buries her face in her older sister's stomach as though being propositioned by a paedophile. Star turns abound in this episode as with all Morse's: Here we have Michael Aldridge, Tenniel Evans and Mary Morris - none of whom could turn in a bad performance to save their life; but it's Morse's main adversary and historical bete noir Barry Foster who really and nearly gives Morse a run for his money: who is the taller when they face off? You decide. 10/10 Mark James Burden