The final episode of the series, “All Clear,” is set in May, 1945. Foyle’s son Andrew is back, pleading with Sam to forgive him for being a cad. They were an item when he shipped out, whereupon he wrote her a “Dear Jill” letter telling poor Sam about his marriage to another. Sam never says whether she does but in the end they are going into the street to enjoy the festivities, hand in hand. DC Foyle, happy to see the end of the war, is not as happy about the Hastings police station being closed down in the aftermath of hostilities. DS Milner is anxious to find out about a promotion. Mixed into this cauldron is the stabbing murder of Austrian immigrant Doctor Ziegler (John Ramm). When one of his patients commits suicide, Foyle and Milner must move fast and into top secret circles to uncover the truth. That’s how the story ends, leaving a lot of questions not only for the cast but for the story. So much uncertainty for the future, so many unknowns in the post war world for Foyle and company; the viewer is left wondering what is going to happen next.
There are only three episodes in this series, something else the British do differently. Because series can be so short in the UK, more time is spent crafting each episode. In this series, the mysteries aren’t quite so mysterious as the stories are well done and in depth. If you are a fan of the British mystery, you will solve these reasonably fast. In fact, as the Foyle series have progressed, there seems to have been a purposeful shift away from the murder-mystery aspect and towards the historical life aspect.
Whatever is lacking in puzzles is more than made up for in side stories, plots, and feel. Each of the sidelines help makes the story deeper without taking anything away. Each thread is woven carefully, sucking the viewer in like a tractor beam. There is no escape.
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