Scott and Bailey are back with their second episode of series 4 and as expected, things are already kicking off. Launching straight into where episode 1 left off, it is quickly confirmed that the body found was that of Mandy Sweeting, who was murdered some 20-odd years earlier. Alongside the need to find the "killer", the "freezer" and the "dumper" who, as the team quickly suggest, could be one and the same, there is also the challenge of dealing with the initial investigation conducted at the original time of death.

 

Which was handled (or maybe headed) by Rob's dad, who claims his team did nothing wrong in pegging Mandy Sweeting's husband, Gary. I thought it was a really interesting way to handle the episode actually, having the relationship between Rob and his dad dealt with in such a way. We know, from earlier series, that Rachel's relationship with her own mother leaves something to be desired. Having Rob so stringently defend his father at the start of the episode is potentially an alien activity for Rachel and it's clear from Rachel's attitude that Rob's initial inability to see past his bias and recognise his father's mistakes, is something she doesn't have any time. Although it's also kind of clear Rachel has a bit of attitude towards a few other colleagues too (which Suranne Jones employs brilliantly. Always adding a tough of humour to a very heavy drama). The interchange between Gill and Rachel in the bathroom was perhaps the pinnacle, which Rachel shoving two fingers up to Gill's back and retracting them just in time.

 

To me, this parent-sibling relationship can be seen to be underlying the entire episode. We had the obvious examples of Rob and his Dad and the mother of Gary and Anthony Sweeting (whose name I have embarrassingly forgotten). Then there's the growing distance between Janet and her eldest daughter and of course the teaser to next week, where Rachel's mother pops back into the picture. But there is also - and I may be jumping the gun a bit here - a slightl mother-daughter tinge between Rachel and Gill. And Janet too, of sorts. The job hierarchy almost situates Scott and Bailey as two of Gill's children, who have distinctly different personalities. We know from the interactions between Janet and Rachel, often conducted in the privacy of the bathroom, that Rachel is after Gill's approval. She doesn't necessarily need it as such, but we get the sense that she would appreciate it. Not in a motherly love kind of way, let me just clarify, but in the way of wanting recognition. It's a commonality for Rachel to turn to Janet for reassurance, which she does again in this episode despite technically now being above her in the police food chain, and I hope that element of their friendship never disappears. The way that the relationship between Rachel and Gill differs massively from a mother-daughter relationship is that, as Rachel states, Gill chose her (albeit after choosing Janet first) to become sergeant. Rachel wants Gill's respect but in a professional, not personal, manner. Everyone else - Janet excluded - Rachel just wants to get one up on, prove her mettle. Which is what makes the dynamic between Scott and Bailey so fun to watch.  

 

I love how it's always in the loos or when Rachel's smoking that they talk about the real stuff. As in, their real lives - outside of work. Like Janet casually stating she now wants a boyfriend, before listing off her attempts at online dating. I like the way Amelia Bullmore - who impresses me no end as both an actor and writer - didn't make this a laughing point. Too often online dating has been viewed with a certain stigma, especially when women take to it. It was spoken about so matter of fact , that no comedic value could possibly be gleamed from it. I did have a giggle at Janet's slight dig towards Rachel earlier on though, saying that becoming sergeant had really mellowed her. As if.

 

Getting back to the actual plot, Anthony Sweeting was odd. Rachel had him pegged early on as the guilty party and though she was right, she was reluctant to take on Rob's advice towards the close of the ep. I love getting to watch Lesley Sharp act as Janet in the interview room; much of her previous work has proven her ability to generate high levels of intensity with small amounts of dialogue (see Afterlife and Doctor Who) and it's always fun to see a suspect freak out. As Anthony Sweeting did. His outburst actually made me jump out my skin, so congrats Amelia Bullmore for fitting in the shock factor! Which brings me to the end of this review and the sad news that Bullmore has written her own character's retirement. Four months and counting is how the episode ends and though the focus of the show has always been Scott and Bailey, Gill has been an integral part of that. I hope these four months she mentions last as long as the series and she doesn't die off before then, or anything equally dramatic. And of course I'm looking forward to the return of Rachel's mum next week too.

I am ashamed to say it has taken me until the ripe old age of 22 to read a book by Maya Angelou. I'm not entirely sure why I've been waiting, if indeed I have even been doing so consciously. I could have told you quotes by the great lady all without having ever picked up one of her pieces of works, which is demonstrative of just how large an impact she had on our world. But I decided it was time to rectify the fact I could quote her without having read her, and I am extremely glad I did.

Mom & Me & Mom was chosen for no other reason that it was the first book penned by Angelou that I saw in my local library. It was gripping and informative, especially as someone who was relatively unaware of Angelou's early life. I read reviews which claimed that at times, Mom & Me & Mom contradicted earlier stories told in the incredibly acclaimed I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings but to me that is neither here nor there.

 

I love relationships between mothers and daughters, my bias being that I am a daughter to the most amazing mother. Parent-child relationships intrigue me anyway, as a writer especially, but since I cannot comment on mother-son relationships given my gender, I think my bias should be okay. For the first third of the memoir at the very least, Vivian Baxter felt alien to me. Angelou writes well and paints a clear enough picture of her mother, but she remained aloof in my imagination. I simply could not peg her down, perhaps because she differs on such a large scale to any type of mothering I have known. By the end of the memoir, I believed in her entirely.

 

What I found most interesting during this read, was Maya's ability to carry on moving forward. We all have set backs and difficult times in life, though I am thankful mine pale in comparison to what lies between the front and back cover of this book. It had me questioning what I would do in this situation or that situation, and though I know I would not have made some of the same decisions as Angelou, I can understand the motives behind them. It also got me thinking: how would I have coped having Vivian Baxter as my mother? I came to the conclusion that I probably wouldn't be the same person I am today, which is neither a positive or a negative thing. In no way is this a reflection on Baxter or Angelou, but there is nothing in this world that would make me swap my mother (or my father or brother) for anything.

 

Mom & Me & Mom is certainly a book worth reading. As is customary with Angelou, much of it is quotable and much of it is worth retaining to memory. It is an educational read and Chapter 22 will hold great significance for me from now on. It involves an important life lesson that I hope to teach to my own daughter, should I be bestowed with one in the future. Maya turns to a male friend in her time of need, who calmly tells her to write down her blessings. It becomes, for me anyway, a slightly religious activity but I think it would work just as well for anyone. He tells her to write down all the things for which we should be grateful; being able to hear, to see, to write. These are the things we lose sight of when we doubt our own abilities and what we must hang onto when the world tries to wreak havoc in our lives. 

 

Since the entire chapter was too large to be quoted, I have instead selected a small phrase that I just really liked the sound of .

 

 

I thought it was beautifully and shows how the relationship between mother and daughter is simultaneously extremely organic but requires immense give and take. I have relied on both my parents for gigantic sources of strength over recent years and though I have no idea where they found it, I'm determined to keep it.