Neverland

With gut-wrenching tension and genuine fear, this episode links to Masonic Mysteries and the Remorseful Day. Even the knowledge that Morse, Max and Strange appear in later stories does nothing to diminish the dark and frightening atmosphere.

As so often with Endeavour, not everything is spelled out in detail and the episode benefits from a second viewing.

A sickening storyline which is treated sensitively for a modern audience but also in keeping with the language and customs of the 1960s. Riveting from beginning to end: Well done to everyone involved in bringing such 'fiction' to light. Absolutely one of the best.

The second season ends in a cliffhanger, which has has become de rigueur with most series since "Dallas."

"Neverland" has interconnected plots: A reporter is found dead after being seen arguing with an Alderman about the site of a former boys' school, Blenheim Vale. A construction company is developing the site as a new police department.

In the second plot, a ten-year-old boy runs away from home.

In the third plot, a man in prison, George Aldridge, escapes and is later found dead. Of interest, Aldridge attended Blenheim Valley School. Morse begins to think that the ten-year-old, Tommy, saw the killer and went into hiding.

Then there's another murder, and as Morse tracks down former students at Blenheim Vale, he learns of situations that occurred there, as well as some evidence that some of Morse and Thursday's colleagues are corrupt.

Very disturbing and well-done episode. At the end, we don't know what the future holds for Morse or Thursday. It will be exciting to see what happens next season.

As I impatiently wait for the sixth series I'm revisiting all episodes, so many classics, but Neverland in particular still sits top of the illustrious pile for me. The plot is deeper then most, and to this day is the darkest yet. No simple murders here, Morse and Thursday get drawn into a web of deceit and cover ups, one of them seeming to pay the ultimate cost in the line of duty.

So many things happen throughout, you fail to see how there can be any links between them, but of course, Russell Lewis has the ability to weave all events together neatly.

I love the historical references, we're given the name of Desmond McNutt, Morse's old boss who's seen in Masonic Mysteries, plus we get some wonderful references from previous episodes, things as simple as billboards, minor, but pleasing to the keen eye.

Gripping, dramatic, fast paced, this is ninety minutes of almost perfect drama, Evans and Allam shine as always, but huge credit to the performance of Jack Laskey (Jakes) who is incredibly good.

Intense, 10/10

One thing that I like about this show and its incarnation of the younger and up and coming Morse, it's relative settings in this case I can pin it down to 1965 courtesy of a radio news broadcast, it's only a brief hearing but the mention of politicians gave me the clues, that it referred to the Declaration of UDI by Ian Smith the self declared Supremo of Southern Rhodesia.

Do I discern a hint of office politics within Endeavour Morse's police station, in the conversation between the Chief Superintendent Reginald Bright, and Detective Inspector Fred Thursday, concerning possible station mergers? The whiff I discerned was regarding Thursday mentioning, "ground work done by Morse" to which Bright quickly corrected him that it was, actually "based on notes made by him" coupled with something that could result in promotion for someone.

Can this really be the end of the line for a "good old copper" like DI Fred Thursday, what would he do to save his job if push actually came to shove, what options if any would circumstances provide? And where might this leave Di Thursday's 'Bagman' DC Morse, could he conceivably try a totally new working endeavour, with his new girlfriend nurse Monica as "a couple"?

This programme can normally be relied on for keeping to its period but something that jarred for me in this episode is of Bright mentioning the word "crèche" in relation to a young runaway brought into the station, but that term didn't come into parlance until much later.

Having recently been, and just finished being, on a roll reviewing all the episodes of 'Lewis', which generally was very enjoyable before having some disappointments later on, it occurred to me to do the same for 'Inspector Morse's' (one of my favourites for over a decade, and all the episodes were also reviewed in my first year on IMDb eight years ago) prequel series 'Endeavour'.

As said in my review for the entire show two 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.

Was very impressed by the pilot episode, even with a very understandable slight finding-its-feet feel (that is true of a lot of shows, exceptions like 'Morse' itself, 'A Touch of Frost' and 'Midsomer Murders', which started off great and were remarkably well established, are fairly few. The first season was even better, with all the episodes being outstanding. Season 2 took a darker turn, but once again all the episodes were great (even with "Trove" having one of 'Endeavour's' most far-fetched and over-complicated endings, great episode otherwise), with the weakest one "Sway" still being very good.

Season 2's best episode to me is "Neverland". What an exceptional way to end the season and it is agreed that it is one of the best episodes of 'Endeavour'. It is one of the episodes that both disturbed and moved me most, even more so than two of the show's darkest and most tense "Nocturne" and "Fugue".

Once again, cannot fault the production values. "Neverland" is exquisitely photographed and there is something very nostalgic and charming about the atmospherically evoked 1960s period detail. It was also a genius move to keep Barrington Pheloung on board, with his hauntingly beautiful scoring and immortal 'Inspector Morse' theme.

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'. The story has tension, a good deal going on and little feels improbable or too obvious while being suitably complicated. There is plenty to be shocked, and there are not many episodes to leave me disturbed or heart-broken but "Neverland" did, especially one of the shocking endings seen for any episode of any show.

Morse and Thursday's father/son relationship, while even stronger later being more entertaining and heartfelt, has a lot of warmth, is so well written within the story and is a large part of the series' appeal and there is some good suspense. How great to see a younger Max and Strange well before he became superintendent.

The pacing is restrained, but that allows the atmosphere to come through, and pretty much all the same it excels in that aspect. The characters are interesting, lead and supporting, with Morse displaying more recognisable character quirks with each episode and as aforementioned it is impossible not to love his relationship with Thursday.

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. All the acting is very good.

Overall, exceptional and recommended without hesitation. 10/10 Bethany Cox