It's been a long wait for fans, but Endeavour finally returned to screens on Sunday evening. The ITV drama, which stars Shaun Evans as titular character Inspector Endeavour Morse and Roger Allam as DCI Fred Thursday, aired its first film in the final series and it seems it's not holding back when it comes to heartbreaking storylines. Warning! Spoilers ahead…
The episode focused on the murder of the leader of the Oxford Concert Orchestra, Margeaux Quincannon, after suffering a fatal anaphylactic reaction from exposure to nuts.
Shaun Evans as titular character in ITV's Endeavour
But it was the personal story behind the detective work that prompted an emotional response from viewers. After Endeavour returned from his stint in rehab, he was stunned to learn that his former love interest Joan, Fred's daughter, had got engaged to DS Jim Strange (Sean Rigby).
The news prompted a devastated Morse to head to the pub and order a drink, hinting that he's going to fall off the wagon, and the poignant moment between him and Fred sparked some tears from the audience. Watch the video below to see the heartbreaking scene…
WATCH: Fred and Endeavour's poignant moment in Endeavour premiere
Fans flocked to social media to share their thoughts. One person tweeted: "Oh Morse, my heart broke right there with you #Endeavour." A second wrote: "Omg... so good to have you back! That last snippet really got me, coming from a parent who drank... sensitively done."
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Endeavour will end after series nine
A third added: "My heart is breaking and my mind working overtime. Chuck in the navy blue shirt and that's bloody perfection. Cracking start!" As a fourth joked: "No YOU'RE crying."
The synopsis for series nine reads: "In the opening film it's Spring, 1972. Two unexplained deaths seem to lead to the Oxford Concert Orchestra, while a body discovered in a derelict warehouse stokes fears that 'London business' involving the criminal underworld has again found its way to Oxford.
"Thursday and Endeavour's investigation unearths some unsettling connections to cases the duo believed were well and truly behind them."
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