Hello and welcome to the Colin Dexter universe where the planets of Lewis, Endeavour, Morse, Hathaway, Strange, Debryn, Griffin and Hobson align to create a pleasurable and contented galaxy. Wow, I’m getting florid in my old age.

Here we are at the fifth part of this thirteen part series of posts. This particular post marks the end of the first series of Endeavour and allowed us a glimpse into Endeavour Morse’s family background.

For those who haven’t read the first four parts of this particular series of posts here are some links. For part one click here. For part two click here. For part three click here. For part four click here. And for a picture of me naked click here. Eack link will open in a new window.

As before the first connection should be the man who devised and wrote all thirteen of the Endeavour episodes and that is Russell Lewis. Here below is another reminder of what else he has written within the Morse universe.

Lewis (TV Series) (screenplay – 4 episodes, 2010 – 2012) (story – 1 episode, 2006)
– Fearful Symmetry (2012) … (screenplay)
– Old, Unhappy, Far Off Things (2011) … (screenplay)
– Falling Darkness (2010) … (screenplay)
– The Dead of Winter (2010) … (screenplay)
– Reputation (2006) … (story)

He also wrote the Morse episode, ‘The Way Through the Woods’. (One of my favourite Morse episodes).

CHARACTERS

Apart from the usual suspects, James Strange and Max DeBryn we do have two characters who appeared in another series, primarily, the original Morse.

Firstly we have Endeavour’s sister Joyce played in this episode by Sonya Cassidy.

The character of Joyce also appeared in the Morse series episode, ‘Cherubim and Seraphim’ (series 6, episode 5). Then she was played by Sorcha Cusack.

Also appearing in this episode of Endeavour was the character of Gwen Morse, Endeavour’s stepmother. In this episode she was played by Lynda Rooke.

Gwen Morse’s character also appeared in the Morse episode, ‘Cherubim, and Seraphim’. In that episode she was played by Edwina Day.

To the best of my knowledge those were the only two characters with a connection to a previous series.

Actors who appeared in the Endeavour Series 1, Episode 4 ‘Home’ and/or Morse or Lewis.

In this section we have six actors who have appeared in either a Lewis or Morse episode. Firstly we have Paul Venables. Paul played Professor Coke Norris in the Endeavour episode.

Paul Venables as Prof. Coke Norris.

Paul Venables also appeared in an episode of Lewis, ‘Music to Die for’ (Series 2, Episode 2) as Hansi Kriel.

Paul Venables as Hansi Kriel.

Our second recurring actor is Louis Dylan. In the Endeavour episode she played Judy Vallens.

Louis Dylan as Judy Vallens.

Louis Dylan also appeared in the Lewis episode, ‘Allegory of Love’ (Series 3, Episode 1) playing the character Melanie Harding.

Louis Dylan as Melanie Harding.

Just as an interesting aside. Melanie Harding was Australian and the Harding family who were portrayed in the Morse episode, ‘Promised Land’ were living in Australia. The Hardings had three children, Karen, who was about 11, and the twins whose names were never mentioned. The twins were around 5 years old. The Morse episode, ‘Promised Land’ was set in 1991 and the Lewis episode was set in 2009. This would make one of the female twins around 23 by my reckoning. Melanie Harding could have been in that age range. Co-incidence? I don’t think so. 

Anyway, on to the third actor who is Lloyd McGuire. In the Endeavour episode he played Charlie Ayers.

Lloyd McGuire as Charlie Ayers.

Lloyd McGuire played a Prison Officer called Clough in the Morse episode ‘The Day of the Devil’ (Series 7, Episode 2).

Lloyd McGuire as Clough.

Next up we have Richard Hawley. He played the slimy Morris Cubitt in the Endeavour episode.

Richard Hawley as Morris Cubitt.

In the Morse episdoe, ‘The Secret of Bay 5b’ (Series 3, Episode 4), Richard played an orderly.

Richard Hawley as an orderly with the lovely Amanda Hillwood in the background.

The fifth actor is Lynda Rooke who played Gwen Morse in this episode as mentioned above. Lynda also played Joyce Gaitteau in the final Lewis episode, ‘What Lies Tangled’ (Series 9, Episode 3).

Lynda Rooke as Joyce Gaitteau.

Last but not least is Sonya Cassidy who as already mentioned played Joyce Morse in the Endeavour episode. In the Lewis episode, ‘Quality of Mercy (Series 3, Episode 2), she played Alison. Now I had a little difficulty in pinpointing who Alison was as her name never seemed to be mentioned but I think this is Sonya Cassidy in the picture below.

MUSIC

At the very start of the episode we hear Faure’s Requiem: VII In Paradisum. This piece is of course very significant in the world of Morse as the same piece of music was playing when Morse collapsed to the ground with a heart attack in the episode, ‘The Remorseful Day’.

MISCELLANEOUS

Endeavour mentions that in Professor Coke Norris’s briefcase there were essays on the Sophocles play, ‘The Trachiniae’. Sophocles has turned up before in the Morse universe, specifically in the very first episode of the original series, ‘The Dead of Jericho’. In that episode the play mentioned was ‘Oedipus the King’.

John Thaw as Morse reading Anne Staveley’s copy of ‘Oedipus the King’ in the ‘The Dead of Jericho’.

As all fans of John Thaw know he walked with a limp, an accident that occured in his youth. In this episode of Endeavour he is is hit by a bullet. When visiting the doctor he is told that he will probably develop a limp sometime later in life. A very nice touch that gives viewers of the original series a reason for Endeavour Morse’s limp.

WHERE’S COLIN?

Colin as a professor at 3 minutes and 3 seconds.

Well I think that concludes this post. As always I hope you enjoy it and feel free to let me know if I have omitted something.