by Julia Lawson
Manchester, Manchester, Manchester; the glossy town we all know and love. Although not quite on a par with Las Vegas, Scott and Bailey certainly gives the impression that the Brits are keeping up with the crime and murder rates of the American CSIs…
Manchester, Manchester, Manchester; the glossy town we all know and love. Although not quite on a par with Las Vegas, Scott and Bailey certainly gives the impression that the Brits are keeping up with the crime and murder rates of the American CSIs…
This week’s episode covers the strong relationships between the team, their families, victims and suspects, unveiling the complicated layers of emotions faced on a daily basis. In-house there is the new working relationship between DCI Gill Murray (Amelia Bullmore) and DS Rachel Bailey (Suranne Jones), who is adapting to her new role as Gill’s right hand woman. It is a difficult transition and it will be interesting to see if Rachel can handle the increasing pressure as the series continues.
For the most part this was due to her estranged mother’s return to the show; Tracie Bennet is fantastic as Sharon, finding the right balance of irritating recurring character and slight vulnerability. Like a bad penny she continually interferes with Rachel’s life, this time calling upon her to get her new fiancé out of the holding cells. Will she continue to appear in Rachel’s life, in work and at home, and with the appearance of the shadowy ‘fiance’ figure at the window is there an ominous side to this new storyline?
For the most part this was due to her estranged mother’s return to the show; Tracie Bennet is fantastic as Sharon, finding the right balance of irritating recurring character and slight vulnerability. Like a bad penny she continually interferes with Rachel’s life, this time calling upon her to get her new fiancé out of the holding cells. Will she continue to appear in Rachel’s life, in work and at home, and with the appearance of the shadowy ‘fiance’ figure at the window is there an ominous side to this new storyline?
Janet (Lesley Sharp) is re-entering the dating game but finds her judgement, well-honed through a life in the Police, causes her to make a half-second risk assessment about the date before it even goes ahead. However she is feeling the pressure of living with her mother, who focuses her energies on maintaining the home routine: TV on Saturdays, favourite wine in the fridge etc. As Janet puts it, they are becoming like an ‘old married couple’…
On the case, a gay man was found strangled to death in his living room, which had been completely trashed yet nothing was taken. At first the investigation focused on a potential hate crime thanks to an aggressive visit the previous day.
On the case, a gay man was found strangled to death in his living room, which had been completely trashed yet nothing was taken. At first the investigation focused on a potential hate crime thanks to an aggressive visit the previous day.
Mother-daughter relationships, husband-husband relationships, boss-employee relationships and more are covered thoroughly in this week’s episode, building up a strong network of characters and interactions. Scott and Bailey maintains its storytelling potential with dark undertones, introduced through the return of Rachel’s mother and as yet unidentified drug dealer fiancé, balanced by the lighthearted office banter and coffee breaks. As they say, all in moderation.
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