Apollo

I see that whoever is writing the script for the series now has spent way too much time under the influence of American TV series. This was a great series filled with compassionate people and well written scripts. Now it's butchered with backstabbing, double crossing sniveling people. Why in the world would you think this is what people want to see??? Give me old series!

The writing, directing and acting were sub-par. This episode had too many characters and the characters were not even likeable in the least. I didn't care who did what or how anyone died. I just wanted this to be over. Colin Dexter should be turning over in his grave. Skip this one - you'll be glad you did!

I'll agree with reviewer Paul Scales on this. It is too complicated.

But I'd go further. The whole thing seems to be based on a rather implausible series of events relating to the history of the car central to the story going back several years. Anybody who has watched detective shows will have heard someone at one point say something like "I don't believe in coincidences". Well, nobody says that in this episode but they wouldn't dare as the entire complicated chained plot line is based on one coincidence after the other with much of that not being revealed until the end. The Eddy Nero connection with the car towards the end (glossed over really quickly) was the final straw as far as I was concerned.

My wife and I discussed this episode after viewing it and even the following day after reflecting on it a bit and decided in the end that, really, much of this simply doesn't make a lot of sense.

Just one example: at one point DCI Box tells Morse and Thursday to "leave it to me" and clearly removes them from any more involvement in the case. And yet in the next scene, there the two of them are still conducting inquiries. We though, "gee, they're really going to be in trouble when Box finds out" Yet a few scenes later it seems that Box has absolutely no problem with Morse and Thursday are still investigating and implicitly they have his approval.

Time and time again Box tells Morse to keep out of it. Time and time again Morse ignores him. In any real life situation, Morse would have been dismissed, transferred or up on disciplinary charges for the way he was ignoring explicit orders. But not in Oxford.

As to the use of coincidences.... last week we had the implausible coincidence of Morse stumbling across the bodies of not one but two missing people in two quite different places. A little far fetched perhaps?

Sorry, but this is one of the poorest episodes in my recollection.

As always, well acted but the writers need to up their game and not just coast on acting and directing alone.

I have watched all Morse, Lewis and previous episodes of Endeavor. This is the only one that had me yawning and weary. It was awful/ Other reviewers said it was complicated. They were generous. It bordered on nonsensical. Simplify the plot. Bring back Mozart and Wagner. Don't end with a discussion tying all loose ends together. For goodness sake, look at the first three seasons.

This episode sees Morse back in CID at Oxford but as the evidence officer rather than actually investigating... at least officially. Set shortly before the Apollo 11 a young astrophysics professor is found dead in a crashed car along with an unknown young woman. At first glance one might suspect it was a tragic accident but it is clear that the woman was dead before the accident and the car had been tampered with. As Thursday is on 'light duties' following a run in with a pair of crooks he ends up working with Morse. There are several anomalies to be investigated... why was the professor driving somebody else's car and why does he have another set of car keys, also not his, in his pocket?

While I didn't think this was quite as good as the season's opening episode I still thought it was rather fun. The central mystery was solid; I liked the fact that its link to the moon landings was only ever tangential; the professor did present a TV programme on the subject but his work as an advisor on a sci-fi puppet show was more important. This provided as good excuse to show some 'Thunderbirds' style puppets that anybody growing up in the '60s of '70s are likely to find nostalgic. As the investigation progresses various suspects and motives emerge to keep the viewer guessing. Away from the central mystery the office politics continues; it is clear that Box isn't pleased to have Morse back in CID, doesn't want him investigating and will take credit for any breakthroughs Morse makes. The episode also hints at a larger case that will no doubt become more important in future episodes. Overall I'd say this was a solid enough episode that fans of the series should enjoy.