  |
This article's content is marked as Mature The page contains mature content that may include coarse language, sexual references, and/or graphic violent images which may be disturbing to some. Mature pages are recommended for those who are 18 years of age and older. If you are 18 years or older or are comfortable with graphic material, you are free to view this page. Otherwise, you should close this page and view another page. |
| “ | Thank you for the steer. | „ |
| ~ Tessa to Morse whilst stealing away his notebook. |
| “ | Tessa Knight: I resign. The Sketch saw my piece. If I can come up with another one like it, there's a job waiting for me there. That's right. Fleet Street, London! Dorothea Frazil: Good luck. Tessa Knight: Next time you see my name, it'll on page one. |
„ |
| ~ Tessa as she resigned from Frazil. |
Tessa Knight is the secondary antagonist of "Game", the first episode in Series 4 of Endeavour.
She was a novice journalist working in the Oxford Mail under Dorothea Frazil. However, unknown to Frazil, she had been stealing secret information from Morse and Oxford City Police regarding the serial murder in this episode, even with illegal methods when Morse tried to evade her. She later became the fourth victim in the story after her tracking down of the killer had her killed.
She was portrayed by Ruby Thomas.
Biography[]
Tessa Knight was a novice journalist working in the Oxford Mail, under Dorothea Frazil as her editor. She first presented herself during the conference about the newly deployed computer called JASON, and sarcastically asked Dr. Broderick Castle what would the computer fed on. To which, Dr. Castle jokingly answered "journalist".
After the double deaths of Dr. Richard Nielson and Ms. Palfrey, Tessa participated the duel between JASON computer and Soviet/Russian chess champion, Prof. Yuri Gradenko. During the moment, when Morse and Pal Avory were on a conversation, Tessa interrupted it and tried to pry more information. Regarding the investigation's secrecy, Morse refused, but the awkwardness was ended when Frazil arrived to the scene.
Later, Morse was called away by Shirley Trewlove, who discovered the death of Edison Daniel Smalls in Cowley Pool just like Ms. Palfrey, albeit in a swimming pool instead of a bathtub. During his next phase of the investigation, Morse encountered Tessa, who tried to seduce him and ask him about any details regarding the recent deaths from him. Holding on to his mission's secrecy, Morse had to give irrelevant information like those being deaths of unnatural causes. In exchange, Tessa told him about something she knew about a doctor (later revealed to be Dr. Leighton-Asbury) who was once the superior of Ms. Palfrey, as well as Edison Smalls' full name, before kissing his collar and bid him farewell.
Nevertheless, Tessa stole Morse's notebook in his pocket and all of the informations in secret. Late in that night, in the Oxford Mail, Tessa handed her reports to Frazil, who posted on the next day's newspaper, right on the front page. The news was soon to be known by Thursday, who bought the next day's newspaper, whilst Morse discovered that Tessa stole his notebook. They immediately went for the Oxford Mail and informed Frazil about it. Frazil became furious towards Tessa and tried to make an apology to Morse, but Morse refused to listen before storming away with Thursday.
After Morse and Thursday had left, Frazil rebuked Tessa on stealing Morse's notebook, but Tessa believed she had done nothing wrong. Instead, she revealed that she was disappointed over Frazil and believed she thought too little. Tessa then resigned from her post and proclaimed she would go to London and join the Daily Sketch. Frazil merely gave good luck to Tessa. Just before she left, Tessa proclaimed the next time Frazil saw her, she would make the front page.
On the same night, Tessa went to Cowley Pool alone to find out the truth, but was ambushed by the killer and subsequently murdered. A death mask modeled after her face was later placed on exhibit within Dr. Leighton-Asbury's house, like other victims before her, and her body was also discovered in the same place by Morse and Thursday inside a water tank.
Ironically, after her murder, it was implied that Tessa really got her to wish to make the front page by becoming a victim.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Initially, the killer was intended to kill Dorothea Frazil as his fourth victim, judging by his empty mail leaving in Cowley Pool. However, the killer had killed Tessa out of pragmacy instead because of her action, before going after Frazil for real.
- The date on the edition of the Oxford Mail with Tessa controversial story on the front page is Thursday, July 6th, 1967. It served as a pun on Fred Thursday who had bought the newspaper.
- When Tessa announced that she is quitting her Oxford Mail job for a London job on the Daily Sketch, there is a certain amount of hindsight irony in the announcement. By 1967, the year in which this story is set, the Daily Sketch was nearing bankruptcy, and had been in very poor shape for a number of years. It finally ceased publication in May of 1971, but only after over 800 members of staff, including some very well-known journalists, had lost their jobs. Therefore, had Tessa taken up her appointment, the likelihood is that she would, on the "last in, first out" principle, have been sacked by the paper pretty quickly.
[]
 Villains
| ||
|
Inspector Morse Accomplices Non-Culprits Lewis Endeavour Culprits Non-Culprits | ||