I find this episode rather confusing of course most go off in complex tangents but I find this confusing in a boring way. And as someone who suffers from slight face blindness having four women with all the same hair colour, style and to me similar faces really makes it even harder to comprehend. The ending especially comes out if left field to me in a bad way I'm not even sure who the culprit is.
8 Reviews
Very good, one great scene in particular.
Sleepin_Dragon12 October 2019
The Secret of Bay 5B is an intriguing story, which is perhaps a little long winded, but ultimately rewarding in the end.
It starts with a very sensuous scene with Mel Martin showering, utterly feminine, she is very good here, the trouble is after that opening scene, she's not seen for an hour. If felt a little bit disjointed at times, although her involvement would ultimately become key as the story develops.
There are several red herrings, on a few occasions we are taken down blind alleys, with a suicide and a high class prostitute. The scene where Morse meets Camilla is perhaps the best part, we see a usually strong character put in his place by the charismatic blonde.
Some nice touches of humour, Morse's lack of concern for Lewis's skull, and some nice moments for Morse where he dances with the attractive Dr Grayling.
Very watchable. 8/10
It starts with a very sensuous scene with Mel Martin showering, utterly feminine, she is very good here, the trouble is after that opening scene, she's not seen for an hour. If felt a little bit disjointed at times, although her involvement would ultimately become key as the story develops.
There are several red herrings, on a few occasions we are taken down blind alleys, with a suicide and a high class prostitute. The scene where Morse meets Camilla is perhaps the best part, we see a usually strong character put in his place by the charismatic blonde.
Some nice touches of humour, Morse's lack of concern for Lewis's skull, and some nice moments for Morse where he dances with the attractive Dr Grayling.
Very watchable. 8/10
Series Features a Lot of Untrustworthy Women
Hitchcoc19 February 2018
A man is found strangled in his car, but the keys are missing. This little oddity leads to another romp through red herrings and sidetracks. Once again, we have a truly deceitful female character who seems to be able to manipulate men. Morse and Lewis are all over the place because of a time stamp. But the thing that Morse is best at is realizing that the truly successful murderer can set things up very well. It is always looking past the obvious that leads to finding how the victims met their fate.
Very good, but not as good as the other three episodes in the series!
TheLittleSongbird2 July 2009
The obvious main merit of Secret of Bay 5B is the fine portrayals of Morse and Lewis by John Thaw and Kevin Whately. This episode is certainly a very good one, but I don't think it is as good as Ghost in the Machine, Last Enemy or Deceived By Flight. Thaw and Whately are competently aided by a fresh, well-written script and able direction. There is also some excellent camera work, not to mention the beautiful music, and Morse and Dr Russell get a little closer. Amanda Hillwood is as lovely as ever as Dr Russell, and Mel Martin is also impressive as Rosemary Henderson. The well-structured story, about a man found strangled in his car, also shows an alcoholic husband, art forgeries and love affairs, and has all the things that make a typical Morse episode memorable. My only criticism is that the episode does start off a little slower than usual, but other than that I really liked secret Of Bay 5B. 9/10 Bethany Cox.
Another great from writer Alma Cullen
fenderred12 September 2021
Warning: Spoilers
The secret of Bay 5B is one of the Morse cannon you can watch time and again.
It is an intriguing story with many twists and turns and is a clever story by Alma Cullen, who also wrote another favourite the way through the woods.
The story contains the usual Morse rebuffs and love life disappointments but the story is more than just elements of the familiar and is a very good, involved tale.
Mel Martin as Rosemary Henderson gives a great performance, it might seem understated but she is the key to the whole structure. The apparent suicide of her husband George who has taken to the drink again, is a clever aspect that suggests more than what it really is. Rosemary Henderson does not feature in every scene but her presence is part of the production and influences what is done and how.
The fact is that the sub plots are what is really going on, the bent architect, the affairs, Gifford's control agenda - all these major ingredients sit bubbling away until Morse serves out the main course.
As is evidenced in the end scenes. This is quality television at its best which many of the modern Police and crime shows haven't got - which often are just going through the motions, never really having anything new to use as a unique proposition - we know how things work.
There are exceptions - life on Mars was very well written and acted for example, the Poirot and Miss Marple adaptions too, Foyle and Foyles War for example are unique and work even though they are of fairly modern creation, but based in the past.
I personally thought Line of Duty was a ridiculous premise - there cannot these days be that amount of corruption in an arena where people are naturally suspicious.
Most of the crime dramas now are just too formulaic and they just don't seem to have the lasting quality of Morse or Inspector Dalgleish for example.
The Morse team of actors and those behind the camera was top quality and this is ultimately reflected in the end result. Ted Childs from the Sweeney days continues to work to perfection Morse too.
It is always great to see the old world as it was pre-internet and this shows us how things were back then in the late 80's and early 90's.
The use of a raft of different writers on the original Morse films does give the films variety and although they stick to the familiar Morse traits, the screen play always delivers something good, quality and different because the writers bring new and different ideas, to fit inside the existing framework.
Although the Lewis series of programs was good, there was too much box ticking going on to my mind and it never managed to capture the same feeling as Morse, even though the Lewis episodes were well acted.
John Thaw was such a great actor, if you watch Regan, the pilot that was to become the Sweeney, you can then watch any Sweeney episode and see how little removed Thaw's Regan was versus the pilot. He just got it all right at the beginning and the same quality ensued throughout.
If you are looking to write a crime story, looking at Morse is all you need to see in terms of how to structure it and write a top screenplay.
It is an intriguing story with many twists and turns and is a clever story by Alma Cullen, who also wrote another favourite the way through the woods.
The story contains the usual Morse rebuffs and love life disappointments but the story is more than just elements of the familiar and is a very good, involved tale.
Mel Martin as Rosemary Henderson gives a great performance, it might seem understated but she is the key to the whole structure. The apparent suicide of her husband George who has taken to the drink again, is a clever aspect that suggests more than what it really is. Rosemary Henderson does not feature in every scene but her presence is part of the production and influences what is done and how.
The fact is that the sub plots are what is really going on, the bent architect, the affairs, Gifford's control agenda - all these major ingredients sit bubbling away until Morse serves out the main course.
As is evidenced in the end scenes. This is quality television at its best which many of the modern Police and crime shows haven't got - which often are just going through the motions, never really having anything new to use as a unique proposition - we know how things work.
There are exceptions - life on Mars was very well written and acted for example, the Poirot and Miss Marple adaptions too, Foyle and Foyles War for example are unique and work even though they are of fairly modern creation, but based in the past.
I personally thought Line of Duty was a ridiculous premise - there cannot these days be that amount of corruption in an arena where people are naturally suspicious.
Most of the crime dramas now are just too formulaic and they just don't seem to have the lasting quality of Morse or Inspector Dalgleish for example.
The Morse team of actors and those behind the camera was top quality and this is ultimately reflected in the end result. Ted Childs from the Sweeney days continues to work to perfection Morse too.
It is always great to see the old world as it was pre-internet and this shows us how things were back then in the late 80's and early 90's.
The use of a raft of different writers on the original Morse films does give the films variety and although they stick to the familiar Morse traits, the screen play always delivers something good, quality and different because the writers bring new and different ideas, to fit inside the existing framework.
Although the Lewis series of programs was good, there was too much box ticking going on to my mind and it never managed to capture the same feeling as Morse, even though the Lewis episodes were well acted.
John Thaw was such a great actor, if you watch Regan, the pilot that was to become the Sweeney, you can then watch any Sweeney episode and see how little removed Thaw's Regan was versus the pilot. He just got it all right at the beginning and the same quality ensued throughout.
If you are looking to write a crime story, looking at Morse is all you need to see in terms of how to structure it and write a top screenplay.
Confusing and incomplete
grantss4 September 2022
A regressive step for the Inspector Morse series. Season 1 was a bit half-baked in that the plot were a bit clumsy and seemed more about style than substance. Red herrings and twists galore with not much being explained at the end.
However, by Season 2 the writers had worked out the formula: the episodes were much more complete and everything was explained, eventually.
Unfortunately this episode takes us back to the early days with a plot that is very confusing and a few crimes that are never explained: we still don't know who committed the first murder and what the meaning of the fake painting was. Only the final murder is fully explained.
Still, it's interesting enough.
However, by Season 2 the writers had worked out the formula: the episodes were much more complete and everything was explained, eventually.
Unfortunately this episode takes us back to the early days with a plot that is very confusing and a few crimes that are never explained: we still don't know who committed the first murder and what the meaning of the fake painting was. Only the final murder is fully explained.
Still, it's interesting enough.
Be sure to catch the beginning.
rmax30482315 February 2011
Warning: Spoilers
Stylish, as usual, but otherwise unexceptional. The story line is already adequately laid out so I won't bother with it. The episode begins with the deliciously blond Mel Martin smoothing lotion over her underwear-clad self in front of a mirror. A good beginning.
Now, whatever your biological inclinations, I hope you watch this opening scene and the one or two scenes that follow shortly because you won't see much of Mel Martin during the bulk of the program. I've absorbed enough of the programs' configuration to know that this is liable to turn out to be important, if you get my drift.
Best performance by a male: Philip McGough, than whom no one looks more suspicious -- short, blocky, shifty, a serviceable villain in all regards. He's always looking out of the corner of his squinting eyes. Unfortunately he's not around much either.
Most engaging scene: The murder victim, a man strangled in a parking lot, was a womanizer and a client of a high-end hooker who is a real knock out. I mean, this babe has genuine class. She speaks like a duchess, grooms herself like Queen Nour of Jordan, and looks like the princess at a Homecoming Dance. Morse visits her, and she puts the moves on him, even giving him a glass of single malt in her well-appointed flat. She asks if Morse wouldn't like to stay awhile. "There wouldn't be any -- er -- obligation." She and the flabbergasted Morse are face to face and, cut.
The resolution of the mystery depends on a trick suitable, not for Agatha Christie, but for Lieutenant Columbo.
Now, whatever your biological inclinations, I hope you watch this opening scene and the one or two scenes that follow shortly because you won't see much of Mel Martin during the bulk of the program. I've absorbed enough of the programs' configuration to know that this is liable to turn out to be important, if you get my drift.
Best performance by a male: Philip McGough, than whom no one looks more suspicious -- short, blocky, shifty, a serviceable villain in all regards. He's always looking out of the corner of his squinting eyes. Unfortunately he's not around much either.
Most engaging scene: The murder victim, a man strangled in a parking lot, was a womanizer and a client of a high-end hooker who is a real knock out. I mean, this babe has genuine class. She speaks like a duchess, grooms herself like Queen Nour of Jordan, and looks like the princess at a Homecoming Dance. Morse visits her, and she puts the moves on him, even giving him a glass of single malt in her well-appointed flat. She asks if Morse wouldn't like to stay awhile. "There wouldn't be any -- er -- obligation." She and the flabbergasted Morse are face to face and, cut.
The resolution of the mystery depends on a trick suitable, not for Agatha Christie, but for Lieutenant Columbo.
Confusing and unresolved
phelana012 November 2022
Warning: Spoilers
This one starts out with all the seemingly right ingredients for a fun twisty Turney mystery. But you win realize it has too many characters and too many side plots and that it never comes together. At the end of it you don't even know who committed the 1st murder. You're not even sure why any of the murders were committed. You don't know how they were committed or who committed them. And you don't know why all the other characters were introduced and yet never were developed into anything meaningful. There were characters and plots introduced that were dead ends in themselves. All around just a really poor episode. Way too confusing and unresolved to be a satisfying episode. Don't bother watching this one if you love Inspector Morse.
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