Inspector Morse: The Dead of Jericho (1987)

I never watched Inspector Morse when it appeared on television during the 90s. It was Inspector Lewis and especially the prequel Endeavour that caused me to see the first Morse episode, in which Morse and Lewis start to work together. I can see how in 2012-14 the writers of the prequel and Shaun Evans developed the earlier Morse, with his high intelligence, his moody awkwardness, his tendency toward alcoholism, his unorthodox police methods, and his disregard for authority. What a combination of motives: Morse’s eagerness to find the truth and comfort the wronged even as he’s overwhelmed by melancholic doubt in his own character, by doubt in the character of humanity. For me, however, the most interesting element is the tangled motives for murder that Morse puzzles over as he listens to operatic and orchestral greats. And I enjoy the well-placed use of morse code: It “punctuates” the wistfulness of Endeavour with wry knowledge of a disappointing world.