usedtobeljs: (the Avengers LP cover)
[personal profile] usedtobeljs
Tonight here in the States, the penultimate episode of Endeavour airs.

It's bittersweet, this ending. Baby Morse (well, he's hardly a baby any longer) has been broken so that we see where the grouchy elder Morse has come from. Because I know the spoilers from when the series aired in the UK, I know that we'll learn (alas) why Fred Thursday is never mentioned in Morse. Still, as always I love the beauty of the show and the brilliance of Shaun Evans, Roger Allam, et al. I think the ending will work, and we'll always have nine series of wonderfulness to hold onto.

The other great British detective I've been spending time with is Adam Dalgliesh. I've rewatched Series Two of Dalgliesh -- I heart Bertie Carvel so, so much -- and I've managed to read five of the later P.D. James novels.

For many years I've bounced off the James novels, but now that I have BCarvel in my mind's eye and ear, I can soldier on (at least with the later novels). I realize why I've had such difficulty in the past, though: there's something not just austere but also rather humorless in James's work, which is also my only qualm with the Dalgliesh series. It's hard to understand how James would have liked Jane Austen so much, because those Austenian delicious ironies are just not present in P.D. James' work at all. Ah well, I'm still fascinated by the attention PDJ pays to enclosed societies (church, hospital, Cornish island, etc) and the way she analyzes the faultlines therein.

Still, I love the TV show more (you know, because Bertie Carvel), and unless or until the producers and writers give us Emma Lavenham, I am happy to ship TV Adam Dalgliesh and TV Kate Miskin.

So I've written this: "Proper Date," in a world where after Series 2's "The Murder Room," Kate Miskin goes off to work elsewhere and she and Adam try to date. If only their schedules would cooperate.... (This is also set in the late 70s, as is the TV show so far.)

Who's your favorite TV version of a great British detective? Whoever it is, may you enjoy the question. Hugs to all.

Date: 2023-06-25 10:24 pm (UTC)
kathyh: (Default)
From: [personal profile] kathyh
There are some lovely touches to the last episode of Endeavour but it is very bittersweet.

I am too addicted to detective series to even begin to pick a favourite. Bertie Carvel is definitely my favourite Dalgleish but, like you, I have trouble with later P.D. James and haven’t read them all. For female detectives Harriet Walter is perfect as Harriet Vane :)

Date: 2023-06-26 02:01 pm (UTC)
janus_74: (Default)
From: [personal profile] janus_74
I mostly enjoyed Endeavour, but I do wonder what they could have done with the series if they didn't have to tie it to Morse, which I tried to watch but it was a different era of detective show and just not for me.

Date: 2023-07-02 01:34 pm (UTC)
desdemonaspace: by <lj user="Teragramm"> (Default)
From: [personal profile] desdemonaspace
I don't know Morse, but I'm so pleased you wrote an Adam/Kate fic. And with Cleo Laine! So romantic. I didn't comment there because I'm not logged into AO3 (on vacay here.)

Please write more!

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