Endeavour: ITV teases final season of detective drama series
The ninth and final series of Endeavour, returns to ITV next week, and actor Shaun Evans, who plays the eponymous Endeavour, has been speaking out about saying goodbye to the beloved character. First aired on ITV as a single film on 2 January 2012 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Inspector Morse’s TV debut, Endeavour serves as a prequel to that legendary show which starred the late John Thaw as the titular character. This season ties up the loose ends to set up Thaw’s incarnation, explaining how Morse and Fred Thursday (played by Roger Allam) parted ways since Thursday doesn’t feature in the later TV series at all.
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This is something actor Evans was very conscious of as he approached the final series.
Although the characters’ lives have been very entwined until this point as the three episodes progress, their bond unravels, something which was necessary.
“In terms of the story there needed to be a full stop between Endeavour and the Thursday family,” he said.
“All parts of the Thursday family. I felt that needed to be a very definite full stop.”
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The dynamic between Fred Thursday and Endeavour has been a surrogate father and son one throughout the past nine seasons.
However, the return of Thursday’s real son Sam (Jack Bannon), who had been serving with the British Army in Northern Ireland, affects that.
“He (Sam) is not in a great place and needs all of Thursday’s attention.
“That further isolates and pushes Endeavour outside of that particular family circle,” revealed Evans.
Something that further detaches Endeavor from Thursday is learning that Joan Thursday (Sara Vickers) is engaged to marry Det. Sgt Jim Strange (Sean Rigby).