Endeavour: Series 2

The second season of this Inspector Morse prequel, centering on the early days of Detective Inspector Endeavour Morse (Shaun Evans) in the Oxford City Police during the 1960s, opens with young Morse recovering from a gunshot wound that almost killed him. His superior officer and mentor, DI Fred Thursday (Roger Allam), nurses worries that Morse may have lost the passion for police work that made him a standout in a department filled with compromised and corruptible officers. But in his first investigation after returning to the job, Morse is quickly knee-deep, uncovering evidence that a suspected suicide is actually murder. Morse still alienates colleagues with his intellect and argumentative attitude, and Thursday still protects him from the older commanders. But more interesting than the personal conflicts is how the four mysteries compiled here reveal an environment of intolerance, abuse, and culture of corruption that goes back decades and involves the most powerful people in Oxford—all of which is enough to make Morse consider leaving, especially as Thursday is being pressured to retire. On a lighter note, Morse starts dating Monica (Shvorne Marks), a nurse in his apartment building. This series forges its own identity apart from the beloved Inspector Morse, developing into one of the better British mysteries airing today. Presenting four episodes from 2014 (in the complete British versions, rather than the slightly edited broadcasts on PBS's Masterpiece Mystery!), this is recommended. (S. Axmaker)