This series was such a wonderful surprise. Great character development, storylines, engaging, realistic characters makes me want more. Kudos to all that were involved in this project.

The show's reviews lead me to watch this show and the first season was quite interesting with plots and twists that kept you wondering. The storyline is of two detectives who work well together through very different morals and personalities and sort out their differences.However, I feel the writers let this series down from the second season on into a steady decline. As time goes on it changes from an interesting police show into a soapy filled drama that changes Rachel from a woman who was faithful and a little obsessive to a 2 yr relationship into a nymphomaniac who rushes into a marriage then sleeps her way out of it with colleagues and one night stands with no conscience at all. Bringing her "mother" into the show was just as much of a let down to the show making it come across as trashy. She is a drunken marriage wrecker who proceeds to not only ruin Rachael's life but also those around her. Even more ridiculous is how Rachael allows her friends lives to be impacted so negatively where as a police woman she is seen as extra intelligent on the job.The men are portrayed as weak, obsessive and inferior with crying and emotional outbursts which as to the unrealistic down turn of the show and I am a woman so it's not a sexiest view. I was hoping by the 3rd season it would improve but steadily declined so I haven't bothered with the 4th season. I would be very surprised if it went on for another. The writers really need to stop watching porn and trying to incorporate it into this show and get into some real police lives to get more reality into the show because it's just turning into a trashy soapy. IMHO

At a time when it seems that every TV detective program offers over- the-top-heroics, impossibly good-looking characters, exaggerated Sherlock Holmesian deductions, and smug repartee, this British production comes as a wonderful surprise -- a superbly acted cop show, portraying tough, wise investigators picking through the detritus and debris of human life and trying to keep it all together until the end of their shift. Although the show is named for the two partners, the dynamic detective duo who have been essential to all cop shows since "Dragnet," it's really a three-person team, since Detective Constables Scott & Bailey are shepherded by a been-there, done-that boss who keeps them from straying too far from the flock.As a bonus, their patch is grand, gritty and grimy Manchester, where you have to strain sometimes to understand the dialect, but it's worth the work for the condensed wit and wisdom you mine. You won't be satisfied with watching a single episode, but try to view no more than three at a single sitting, so you'll have something to look forward to next time.Oh, by the way: the three alpha cops here are all female, so let's call it Womanchester.

I will continue to watch this because there are 3 female leads, and I am a feminist at heart. This program shows that women can be inventive, thoughtful, insightful and that interviews do not need to be horrifying. On the downside, Rachel really has to get control of her alcoholism and it should be recognized as a problem for her and those around her. Ideally, this should be done on screen. It is apparent that this is a show run for and by women, but you have to stop disposing of men so indiscriminately. One or two "for the girls" but the just dropping like flies thing just make the concept seem silly. The portrayal of the chief (the 3rd woman) really needs work.