The Bay S2 Sees Detective Armstrong Wrapped Up In A New Case

The ITV drama The Bay follows a missing persons case in the coastal town of Morecambe led by Detective Sergeant Lisa Armstrong and her accompanying team. The first series of the whodunnit centred around those affected by the disappearance of siblings Holly and Dylan Meredith, as well as a Family Liaison Officer who has a personal connection to the case. The explosive ITV1 series concluded in 2019, but will The Bay return for season two? Here's everything you need to know.

Good news, after delays due to the pandemic, Morven Christie is set to return to Morecambe Bay as Detective Sergeant Lisa Armstrong this month. Per ITV, the six-part drama will see the family liaison officer assist on a new murder case “after dealing with the repercussions of her actions from last year.”

Fans of the first series will remember Detective Sergeant Lisa Armstrong had a compromising connection to the missing persons case, which resulted with Armstrong suspended from her job.

During the series finale, which aired April, 2019, viewers finally learned the truth behind The Bay's central mystery, yet Armstrong’s career was left in the balance.

According to ITV, “series two begins with Lisa Armstrong at a low ebb: forced to do menial police work whilst she watches Med (Taheen Modak) go from strength to strength”

The synopsis continues: “But a new case involving a shocking murder within a loving family brings Lisa unexpectedly back into the front line. She must get under the skin of a new family and prove her worth; to her colleagues, to her family and to herself.”

The second installment of The Bay will air on Jan. 20 at 9 p.m. and it’s hoped the new series will clarify some of the last season’s unanswered questions.

There are also new additions to the cast, including former EastEnders star Joe Absolom who arrives in Morecambe Bay as Lisa’s ex. Per Entertainment Daily, he’s set to cause a whole lot of trouble for her and their two kids.

The first season of The Bay enjoyed an array of positive reviews — earning an impressive 90 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. One review from the Guardian noted that "The Bay is what it is and you can't fault it. It's a satisfying knotty, plotty hour," and concluded "In short, come on into The Bay. The water’s lovely."

Many comparisons between The Bay, and the fellow seaside based crime-drama, Broadchurch, have been made by critics of the first season, and one review from the Telegraph joked that "ITV's new crime drama is basically Baychurch, to the point that it would be of little surprise if Olivia Colman strode in in a lank grey trouser suit and started crying."

It’s been a long wait for the second series, which was confirmed back in May 2019. Due to the first season's ability to grip viewers with its addictive whodunnit storyline, I'm sure that a second outing of The Bay would be more than welcome.

The new series of The Bay starts Wednesday, January 20 at 9 p.m. on ITV.