Quartet
- Episode aired Jul 22, 2018
- TV-14
- 1h 29m
IMDb RATING
8.4/10
1.1K
YOUR RATING
An assassination attempt at an international sporting event opens a new case for Endeavour and Thursday, but their investigation is quickly brought to an unexpected end.An assassination attempt at an international sporting event opens a new case for Endeavour and Thursday, but their investigation is quickly brought to an unexpected end.An assassination attempt at an international sporting event opens a new case for Endeavour and Thursday, but their investigation is quickly brought to an unexpected end.
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- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaWhen Joan Thursday asks Morse how he's getting on living with Detective Sergeant Strange, he replies "It's not the Yellow House". This is a reference to the fact that the painters Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Gauguin lived for a short time together in the Yellow House in Arles, France. Their relationship was a stormy one and they often quarreled.
- GoofsThe phrase "window of opportunity" is used by one of the characters. The first recorded use of this phrase is in Time magazine in Nov 1979, but the story is set in the 1960s.
- Quotes
Chief Superintendent Reginald Bright: Good God! It's a machete-wielding West-Indian with a distinctive facial scar we're trying to find! In Oxford! It's not the Scarlet Pimpernel.
- Crazy creditsThe final credits clue is Royal Peculiar. A Church of England parish exempt from the jurisdiction of its diocese and archdiocese and subject to the direct jurisdiction of the monarch. Reference to the spies Morse deals with.
- ConnectionsReferences The Apartment (1960)
- SoundtracksMain Theme
Main Theme by Barrington Pheloung
Featured review
Cold War Endeavour
As said in my review for the entire show three 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.
The pilot was a very promising start if with an understandable finding its feet feel. Things got even better with the consistently outstanding first season, and the darker Season 2 was hardly inferior, with "Neverland" being an 'Endeavour' high point. Season 3 is considered by fans as nowhere near as good as previously. Will admit that it is not as good as Seasons 1 and 2, which had more believable stories and didn't try to do too much but count me in as someone who has still enjoyed the episodes and has found a lot to like, while finding "Coda" outstanding. Likewise with Season 4, with its weak point being the soap operatic Joan subplot in "Harvest".
There is not much else to say to what has been said already about "Quartet". Season 5 has been very impressive with it getting stronger generally with each episode, even the weakest "Cartouche" is still very good. It is agreed though that the season's penultimate episode "Quartet" is the best to date. It does make one highly anticipating the last episode, but there is a touch of sadness as well.
"Quartet's" mystery/story is the best, most thematically involving and dramatically and emotionally involving of the season. It is incredibly compelling throughout, with both alertness and breathing space and a suitably cold and intense spy thriller feel. It is eventful without being over-stuffed, complicated without being confusing and cleverly twisted without being improbable, complete with many layers, an interesting look at what was going on at the time how the period was on a social level and inspired visual references.
Morse continues to be a fascinating, complex and well rounded character that reminds one of the older Morse. The personal life elements do not get soapy, nor do they take over. Trewlove and George are very amusing and sweet, while never being corny or detracting from the dark subject and the generally darker and more serious tone of the season. Just for the record, am liking that 'Endeavour' increased in maturity over the years, not that it wasn't already but meaning that it got darker and tackled heavier themes yet still to me didn't feel like a different show.
Nothing can be faulted with the production values. It is exquisitely filmed and the idyllic and atmospheric setting is beautifully evoked, 1960s Oxford is always interesting to see.
There is something very nostalgic and charming about the atmospherically evoked 1960s period detail. Similarly, as always, the music is hauntingly beautiful with the way it's utilised never in question, the iconic 'Inspector Morse' theme will forever be immortal and it has always been a genius move to use it for 'Endeavour'.
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'.
As ever, Morse and Thursday's relationship was always one of the show's major high points, it always entertained and warmed the heart and with each episode it gets more so on both counts, with some moving and tense moments too. Especially the former, with a real air of melancholy.
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.
The rest of the regular cast are excellent, especially Paul Ready as one of the show's most loathsome characters. There's even a pretty freaky fish character to enjoy.
Overall, brilliant. 10/10 Bethany Cox
The pilot was a very promising start if with an understandable finding its feet feel. Things got even better with the consistently outstanding first season, and the darker Season 2 was hardly inferior, with "Neverland" being an 'Endeavour' high point. Season 3 is considered by fans as nowhere near as good as previously. Will admit that it is not as good as Seasons 1 and 2, which had more believable stories and didn't try to do too much but count me in as someone who has still enjoyed the episodes and has found a lot to like, while finding "Coda" outstanding. Likewise with Season 4, with its weak point being the soap operatic Joan subplot in "Harvest".
There is not much else to say to what has been said already about "Quartet". Season 5 has been very impressive with it getting stronger generally with each episode, even the weakest "Cartouche" is still very good. It is agreed though that the season's penultimate episode "Quartet" is the best to date. It does make one highly anticipating the last episode, but there is a touch of sadness as well.
"Quartet's" mystery/story is the best, most thematically involving and dramatically and emotionally involving of the season. It is incredibly compelling throughout, with both alertness and breathing space and a suitably cold and intense spy thriller feel. It is eventful without being over-stuffed, complicated without being confusing and cleverly twisted without being improbable, complete with many layers, an interesting look at what was going on at the time how the period was on a social level and inspired visual references.
Morse continues to be a fascinating, complex and well rounded character that reminds one of the older Morse. The personal life elements do not get soapy, nor do they take over. Trewlove and George are very amusing and sweet, while never being corny or detracting from the dark subject and the generally darker and more serious tone of the season. Just for the record, am liking that 'Endeavour' increased in maturity over the years, not that it wasn't already but meaning that it got darker and tackled heavier themes yet still to me didn't feel like a different show.
Nothing can be faulted with the production values. It is exquisitely filmed and the idyllic and atmospheric setting is beautifully evoked, 1960s Oxford is always interesting to see.
There is something very nostalgic and charming about the atmospherically evoked 1960s period detail. Similarly, as always, the music is hauntingly beautiful with the way it's utilised never in question, the iconic 'Inspector Morse' theme will forever be immortal and it has always been a genius move to use it for 'Endeavour'.
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'.
As ever, Morse and Thursday's relationship was always one of the show's major high points, it always entertained and warmed the heart and with each episode it gets more so on both counts, with some moving and tense moments too. Especially the former, with a real air of melancholy.
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.
The rest of the regular cast are excellent, especially Paul Ready as one of the show's most loathsome characters. There's even a pretty freaky fish character to enjoy.
Overall, brilliant. 10/10 Bethany Cox
helpful•247
- TheLittleSongbird
- Mar 4, 2018
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Filming locations
- Royal Standard of England pub, Forty Green, Buckinghamshire, England, UK(Thursday tells Morse he is retiring)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 29 minutes
- Color
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