User Reviews

After 13 years and 33 episodes, Inspector Morse finally came to an end in November 2000 with The Remorseful Day. It was certainly the end of an era with the legendary Oxford detective meeting his maker, as writer Colin Dexter thought Morse had run his course....

The year long investigation into the death of wealthy business woman Yvonne Harrison is sparked into life with the promise of new evidence.....Morse finds himself back on duty and learns that Lewis is in charge of the case....Will he agree to this situation? There is also the case of Morse's deteriorating health....

The very poignant image of Lewis kissing his mentor's forehead, and uttering the words "Goodbye, Sir" at the end, no doubt struck a chord with the millions of TV viewers who grew fond of this detective drama. Well done to Kevin Whately for that memorable performance.

Sadly, it wouldn't only be the demise of Inspector Morse the public would have to get used to. The untimely death of John Thaw from cancer in February 2002 not only left a big hole in the legacy of British television, but also in the lives of his many long-time fans. Suffice to say he will be fondly remembered for the many roles he played in his long career as an award-winning actor, including the classic Inspector Morse. The Remorseful Day is 10/10.

I love Inspector Morse. I have all the books and episodes at home, and it is one of my all-time favourites. I loved this episode. It was so heart-rending at the end, when Morse died, seeing as he was such an iconic character. John Thaw, one of Britain's finest actors, was brilliant here, as he was consistently in the series. His heart-attack was so well-acted, I was in tears before I knew what was happening, the shot with Morse saying absolutely nothing and doing little, letting his eyes and facial expressions do all the work is one of the series' most remarkable and moving moments. I read the book recently, and I cried at the end. Kevin Whately and the guest stars especially Paul Freeman also shone considerably in this episode, and the use of Faure's Requiem was truly effective .Thank you to everyone for a wonderful series, and may the spirit of John Thaw live on. I am kind of glad that Morse stopped, because I just can't imagine someone else playing Morse, I just can't. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Colin Dexter added a codicil to his will stating that no other actor can play the role of Morse as long as his estate owns the copyright to the post 1987 stories and based on this episode it is clear why.

Many of the Morse episodes were either uneven or had plot holes but that wasn't the point. The Morse stories were studies of character rather than crime and no one can replace the near perfect casting in this series.

Watching Morse attempt relevance as he faces the inevitable is a difficult thing to watch. His dual peptic ulcer has taken his toll and he can't bring himself to be anything but the real deal. Lewis, his longtime Sergeant knows what is going on but also knows that death is in the offing. The case of a womanizer who has been killed is at the center of this final episode. But Morse, for the first time, is involved directly in the case. His boss knows this and makes a decision he never would have done had Morse not been on the verge of retirement. There are some great scenes here and Thaw plays the incredibly consistent character that charmed everyone for thirteen years. But one couldn't help realize how alone this man was (often of his own choosing). He just couldn't bring himself out of his true nature.

Well, an era comes to a close. I just watched this final episode about an hour ago. I knew it was coming. I had heard that Colin Dexter finished the stories with Morse dying, on duty and doing what he loved. I also saw the documentary produced where all the actors and main crew talk about the experience of being a part of 'Inspector Morse'. For many, this is all old news. But not for me, since I had only seen a handful of episodes back when they originally aired in the late 80's and early 90's.

Mystery Channel here in Tokyo had been airing this series for the last few months, every weeknight at 6pm. This was a real treat, to come home, have dinner and watch an episode of 'Morse', as it is simply known here.

I was happy they didn't 'retire' him, in the earlier episode, as it seemed that they might. But in a way, Morse was gone for me even before this last episode started.

The reason is this. These newer episodes, ones shot in widescreen, didn't really do it for me. Everything seemed different in them. The camera work, the editing, the sound, the way the characters behaved, sometimes out of character, all were very different in style and execution and I can only describe as 'softened' or 'watered down', compared with the more abrupt and much more likable earlier episodes.

The camera work in this episode especially was so smooth and lovingly slow that it was almost putting me to sleep. The seemingly endless and far-too-slow zoom-ins and zoom-outs, as well as the smooth as butter panning shots didn't fit the series as I had come to know it. This smoothness was out of place more than a glass of orange juice in Morse's hand in a pub would be (of course fans know he did just that in Australia!). I found myself missing the rougher, more cinematic style of the series, as much as Morse missed having a pint with Lewis. In this later series, everything was so polished and smooth and proper, it was like I was watching 'Downton Abbey' instead of 'Inspector Morse'.

This was the same way I felt with the later episodes of 'Hercule Poirot' after Hastings and Miss Lemon and Inspector Japp were gone and they stopped using the great theme music by Chris Gunning. From that point on, the series changed dramatically. I didn't like it. There was also more blood and gore, which I also didn't care for. From the mid 90s onward (coincidentally Morse started to change around this same time) I don't consider as true 'Poirot' episodes. They are far too polished, affected and not nearly as fun without any of the chemistry, magic or clever filming style that previous years contained. It was as if someone else took over the shop and decided to change everything but keep a few things for old time's sake. These episodes fill me with a odd coldness, like meeting an old friend who's changed too much to stomach.

And cold is how the last episode left me. It was very sad, and I teared up quite a bit. But still, it was a cold feeling I had watching it and in a way, I wish I hadn't seen that last episode at all.

So for me, as I stated in the subject line, the series had already come to a close earlier on - at least by a few years - than that fateful day on the grass at Oxford and his last, almost meaningless (for me) conversation with "Robbie", over the phone.

As I understand it, actor John Thaw was also eager to finish up the character of Morse, as he wanted to play other roles, in other productions. Author Colin Dexter had decided that he had murdered off enough residents, students and staff at Oxford for several lifetimes (perhaps this is why they began to re-open old cases of victims long dead - no fresh corpses, nor ever-diminishing faculty).

But sadly, John Thaw was himself to pass away only two years later. For me, that's doubly tragic, since he didn't get to pursue those other roles that he wished to, and also that Inspector Morse's demise was 'rushed' to make way for other, better things, which never came.

We've seen this more times than I can count. A highly successful and popular series is ended because the cast or crew wish to move on to bigger things. But it is a rare instance when those bigger things ever eclipse the original work in popularity or quality. It's in the nature of acting and actors to love and seek to perform various roles, never to be typecast, associated with any one character. But when a lovable and extremely popular character such as Morse comes along, an actor would be well advised to revel in it as long as the audience will have him.

Inspector Morse had a very good run, and many fine years of productions. However, I wish it had gone even longer, perhaps right up until John Thaw's death, having the actor, like the Chief Inspector he portrayed, leave this earth doing what he was very best at.

(10/10 for the series, 7/10 for the last few episodes)

The filmmakers got it right, John thaw died in November 2000 when this episode was broadcast not in February 2002. The plot has the usual machinations of an episode of Inspector Morse but oh the irony that the doctor who tells Morse is seriously ill and cannot get better turns out to be the murderer. Also liked it was TP McKenna who was a slimy DCI in a fantastic episode of The Sweeney , boss of Jack Regan, was one of the last characters to talk to Inspector Morse or was that Chief Inspector Morse?!?

Almost too sad to describe in any detail. Lewis is itching to get on with an old case that's been assigned him but Morse, recovering from two peptic ulcers, keeps getting in the way and sticking his nose in. When John Wayne put everything he had into his production of "The Alamo," he had the same trouble with John Ford.

There isn't really much else for Morse to do. "Never too late to take up a new interest," he advises Lewis, peeping at a dreary bird in his back yard feeder. "Common house sparrow," says Lewis, deflating the white-belt birder.

A good deal of time is devoted to the case, which is as convoluted as most of the cases in this series, but resolves itself at the end into a case of familial jealousy and a daughter killing her sluttish mother with the connivance of some other kin.

Still, it's Morse's physical decline that occupies the viewer's attention and it must be said he handles it with as much panache as a gravely ill man can be expected to muster. At least when he collapses for the last time it's on the campus of his beloved Oxford.

I am only giving this episode 10 stars out of respect to the whole series.

The final Morse should never have been made. Theres absolutely no reason to end it this way. I've just watched it and it's way too painful to enjoy.

John Thaw looks especially ill. Not as Morse, but as himself. That's not a pleasant sight.

The story is irrelevant and lost in the shocking condition of Morse. The continual attention of the letter is drivel. It's just a letter and has zero significance. But they keep on bringing it up as if its important. My view is that it's padding as there's little story in this sad and painful finale.

The remorseful day should never have been made. I shall never watch it again as I prefer to enjoy Morse rather than suffer this final insult to a brilliant legacy.

Shame on ITV for making this.

I feel compelled to write a review for this single episode because I was so disappointed after finishing the finale. I have been slowly working my way through this series over the past few years and without a doubt this is one of the best detective series of all time.

However this final episode just doesn't do the show or characters justice. It feels disjointed, rushed, and many hanging issues and subjects were never closed. It was almost comical how Morse goes down in the middle of Oxford university. I understand the production budget of the show but it still came off as a bit off the cuff. The whole episode Morse looks like a corpse. He is still hitting the bottle mixed with a tonic here and there despite his constant health issues. The case they are working on isn't all that interesting and attempts to make a connection to Morse's past but again it just feels all a bit rehashed and forced. The subject and tone of the case is over the top and too dark for what should be a sending off. This would have been better dealt with as a mid-season noir episode.

Then Morse is in hospital, the case gets wrapped up, and Lewis says goodbye and then boom cut to credits all in the span of the last 10 minutes. I just sat there a bit stunned at the end. I would have loved there to have been a more poignant or light hearted case. The sending off of Morse's love interest to Australia is really lazy writing and the handling of Strange and Lewis could have used at least one scene where they each get to say their final words.

I guess now that I've finished the series the only option is to go back and start over from the beginning and enjoy it all over again.

Why was it allowed that a reviewer refer to an older woman as a "disgustingly sexual female?"

Was John Law "disgusting" as a 60 plus year detective flirting and coming on to women 30 years his junior?

How about Tom Selleck(72), Sean Connery (86), or Harrison Ford (72) still being paired off with women in their 20s and 30s? No one talks about their being "old and disgusting."

In fact that was my chief problem with John Law's "Morse." It seemed as if EVERY show had some younger honey either coming onto him or vice verse.

I was inundated with detectives and police officers when my husband was murdered and I wouldn't have cared if it had been Hugh Jackman investigating my loved one's murder, my mind was FAR AWAY from any casual affair with a copper! And if the detective had flirted with me I would have made sure that his career would have been over.

Is this a "British" thing? You just don't see this going on in our detective procedurals. SPOILER! Now Kevin Whately slowly falling in love in with the pathologist was delightful.

SPOILER! Even in the first three seasons of Endeavour Morse was pretty casual about "rumpy-pumpy" (really? That expression is used?) It just turned me off, but then Morse was a badly damaged man. SPOILER! If one reads the books one finds out that he sure likes his pornography too!