The Bay Season 2 (2021) Review

After watching the first season I decided why not get on and watch the second season of The Bay and I have now done that and here is my review for it. The premise of the season sees after her suspension Lisa is given a second chance when she is bought onto a murder investigation. 

Main Character

Morven Christie is back as Lisa and I think she is even better this season and does a great job in this role. You see how the events of last season have really affected her and have changed her mindset but she is still incredibly capable and clearly one of the best people for the job. There are a lot of cogs going on with her character this season and honestly they don't all work for me but she deals with them really well and gives a strong performance to boost the credibility of the show. 

Supporting Characters

Daniel Ryan is back as her boss and he is really good, again I wasn't a huge fan of his personal story arc but there is no denying that he gives a great performance and delivers a really good performance. James Cosmo plays a member of the family of the victim and he is also very good and adds a physical presence to the show and a real big character to the show. In fact all of the victims family are really good and bring something different that doesn't make them feel like the family from the first season. Also I didn't mention him in the first season review but Taheen Modak as Med is really good and the dynamic between his character and Lisa is a highlight and I like how it has developed from the first season. But then we get onto the weak performances and once again they are the same as last season, Christie's characters kids, wow they are so bad and they offer nothing to this show, I kind of wish this season had just ignored them or used them more sparingly but I actually think there here more and it really drags the show down and the family drama is my least favourite part of the show. 

Story

The main police story is actually pretty good and what it does really well is feel very different to the story of the first season. The cases are very different and this one feels more progressive with lots of twists and turns and credit has to go to that and I felt like the eventual twist was better then the first seasons even though it could have been better. But then the show gets bogged down in these sub plot family dramas and they really don't work and did very little for me, I would have happily watched more of the investigation and got rid of all of that. Also at the end it feels like some things haven't been resolved and I don't know if that is to set up a third season but it comes across as a bit sloppy. 

Script

The script is good, I would say better then the first season. The important characters are well written and the twists and turns are more interesting with some shocking revelations that do their job well. There is some good drama and little bits of humour that compliment well for the tone of the show. 

Style

The show is effective in the story it is trying to tell using this setting that is unique and we don't see too often, this show does a great job of showcasing Morecambe in all of its glory. Also credit to the sound people, the score has always been great but I thought I would mention it here as again I don't feel like I gave it enough credit in the first season. But the pacing of the show is worse here and I think that is due to the larger impact the sub plots take on the show, either they should have been cut down or there should have been fewer episodes with them completely out. 

Overall

Overall, this is another good season of The Bay and a show that is solid, there has been no update of a third season but if you have the time and like crime shows then this one is worth a watch. 

Rating - 7/10