So, after running a poll on the Endeavour Morse Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/groups/2400957493/) on which woman would have been the perfect partner for Morse, Judy Loe’s character Adele Cecil was the outright winner.
After this result I decided to make a video of all scenes that included Judy Loe as Adele Cecil. She appeared in two episodes, Death is now my Neighbour and The Wench is Dead.
I had always hoped that Morse would not be killed off in the series and the novel but be allowed to walk into the sunset with Adele. It’s the romantic in me. I hope you enjoy the video. Do be aware that if you haven’t seen the afore-mentioned episodes there will be spoilers.
Apr. 17-18
In viewing for the second time recently several Morse episodes,I was struck by how quickly he asked out women he had just met, who were often associated with cases he was working on. In one early episode, he even perjured himself in court so that his lady friend would receive a lighter sentence!
John Thompson
I really enjoyed watching this, and many other parts of your blog, Chris, thank you so much for all your wonderful work. And I cannot help thinking how right you were wishing for another ending of the Morse saga: that he and Adele should be seen walking into the sunset… Although I gather that would be a change from the original novels (C. Dexter) and on the whole a deviation from the dramatic sense of Fate that has always been hanging over Morse?
She was emphatically NOT the right woman for Morse!! The wench ABANDONED HIM to take a job in Australia – just because two people like music and a woman dares *gasp* drink a beer, does not mean they are “meant for each other”. A couple should have a few things in common and a few things they enjoy individually …. learn to share and enhance each others’ lives ….. she CHOSE to dump him for a new job. Nope, her character was devoid of the intense romanticism which informed Morse’s every moment. It was a meaningful fling for both of them but her character was not a match for Morse who would have made the right lady the core of his universe, job be damned!
I think you are being rather harsh on Adele. Remember she did ask him to join her in Australia.
I agree with Chris on this one. That Morse left one third of his estate to Adele is a good indication of the depth of his feelings for her. Morse did not expect her to drop her life for him; he fairly scoffed at the idea of her taking care of him after his hospital stay. Neither did Morse appear to feel deserted or bereft when Adele went off to see to her mother.
Women Morse was attracted to had a certain amount of personal strength, which he appreciated. Besides, when she took the new job, Morse was 2 months from retirement. He could easily have moved to Australia, and I imagine that Adel hoped he would join her – it would have been a complete change for him, something new to test himself against. After all, they had been keeping company for more than 18 months. (I could not place the time passed between “Death is Now My Neighbor” and “The Remorseful Day,” but these two time frames were quoted – by Strange, I believe – in the last episode.
Morse seemed a bit needy when it came to women, hence his quick attachments. It felt like he did not really think he deserved to be happy. Perhaps his failed engagement set the tone for his future expectations.
Neither of the two episodes with Judy Lowe are on Britbox or Itv Hub. Shame.
That’s strange!! Are they the only two episodes missing?
I just watched both episodes on Britbox. They are under “Specials” as opposed to a particular season.
You can find it on Daily Motion. But Morse hated Australia. I can see him in Ireland or Italy. Or Switzerland.
Was anyone able to capture a screenshot of the letter Adele sent to Morse & can share what it said with us? All I caught was “I’m sorry …” & the signature “Adele.” I try to stop the screen to read when there’s something written that’s important to a storyline, but that’s easier to do when watching a program on my smart t.v. than watching a program in BritBox on my iPad. I just wasn’t able to capture a screenshot no matter how hard I tried.
On another note, I don’t think I’ve cried more at the ending of a television series than I did this one ever before. My heart was truly broken. I did expect something more profound from Lewis, though, than “Goodbye, Sir,” even though he quickly kissed his forehead.
I did love seeing a more human & concerned portrayal of Strange in this episode. It just felt right, especially in that I came to the series first having watched the Endeavor series & then stumbling upon the Inspector Morse series. I think the emotions played across Strange’s face when he was sitting by Morse’s side in hospital, along with his expressions of angst when reading & contemplating what to do with the mysterious letter (I didn’t figure out what was going on there until he showed it to Lewis) & then tearing it up at the very end (I guess even he could break a rule!), made me think that he was remembering the long relationship he had had with Morse starting as equally ranked young D.C.s on the force, especially when they shared a flat together & were more friends than they ended up as Chief Superintendent & D.C.I.. It was a nice change to Strange’s character in this series & you could really feel the sadness in him as he realizes that time waits for no man & his days on the police force, himself, are short, too, much less how much time he, himself, might still have left on this earth weighed heavily on his mind, too. I loved it when he said “Cemetaries are full of irreplaceable men.”
Finally, thank you, Chris, for the fantastic & detailed reviews. I’ll be binge watching Lewis next & look forward to reading your episode reviews of that series, too.
Hi Pamela. We don’t see much of the letter. What can be read is, “I’m sorry that it’s taken me so…letter. I have been on the …at least three times, but have…suppose because I knew the conversation…difficult for us both. They say that distance…way it has…more than in England…certainly for the foreseeable…delight in your company as a…ever came out here for a holiday…of us would benefit from thinking…way we once did. I wish you all the luck in the …Ever, Adele. The letter from Adele is just to explain to the audience why she is not in the episode. Hope that helps.
Without giving anything away, I think viewers should read Dexter’s novel, “The Remorseful Day,” even if they did not read any of the other books. A much richer conclusion to the Saga of Morse, I believe. One quote from Remorseful Day, apropos to the comment above. Dexter notes. “It is possible for persons to be friendly towards each other without being friends. It is also possible for persons to be friends without being friendly towards each other. The relationship between Morse and Strange had always been in the latter category.”
Thank you for that excerpt from the Morse novels which I have not read. I love that explanation of Morse’s and Strange’s relationship and I think it is spot on.
I also thought more mention of Morse leaving 1/3 of his estate to Lewis could have been made sometime in the episode or even in the future Lewis series.
Is there no review of “The Wench is Dead” of the Morse series?