Sylvia Smith

I’ve hung in until series 3 just because it’s difficult for me to give up on British crime dramas. But it just gets worse. The lead character isn’t likeable. Hot tempered. The family relationship makes no sense. The worst is the middle school student, Jamal is played by a 25 yr old actor that looks 40.

Endeavor is so multi-layerd it took viewings to appreciate the nuance. The characters are all well developed, especially Shaun Evans whose subtle acting, is mesmerizing. The hands-off unspoken romance between he and Joan Thursday is excruciating. The cast, the beautiful cinematography, Oxford, and of course the stories. The operatic musical score fits so well. I love this series but because so much is underplayed and subtle, it took me a bit to warm up. Now it’s my favorite along with George Gently & Foyle’s War.

Some of the acting is good. Patricia Arquette comes out the gate a little too special needs but fairly quickly settles down and plays Tilly well. Score is surprising. Johnny Cash & Bob Dylan and the Modern Lovers? Sweet. But there’s about enough material for a full length Lifetime Movie. That’s it. Leaving work. Arriving at work. Sneaking off for sex. Meandering through tunnels. Reaffirming Matt’s badassness. We get it. Groundhog Day. I started to feel like I was in jail. But we still don’t know what motivates the characters. Five minutes on Wikipedia gave me more insight into who they are than watching 4 episodes of the series. It just didn’t hold my attention. I’ve suffered through 4 episodes and will probably skip to the end though I know what happened. Really can’t beleive it’s receiving awards and accolades. Just goes to show you it’s all name recognition not quality.