Inspector George Gently (TV Series) Gently with the Women (2015) User Reviews

Loved it.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 9/10 · 20 August 2020]

Poor prostitute Tina is unlucky enough to walk into The Station and report her rape to Bacchus, he naturally treats her as a time waster, ridiculing her, and asking her to drop it.

This was brilliant I thought, one of the very best, such a good script, with well drawn characters, and attitudes that one imagines were common place at the time, even in 2020 there are discussions about how rape victims are handled.

Best of all is the complex relationship between Gently and Bacchus, right from day one it's been fraught, we're not talking Poirot and Hastings, there's nothing jovial, at times I feel the pair actually dislike what each stands for.

It's a very gritty story, but there are some lighter moments, and some funny lines. George's condition makes it all the more interesting.

Lisa McGrills is phenomenal once again as Rachel Coles, I absolutely love the way she deals with Bacchus, she finally does manage to put him in his place.

Terrific, 9/10.

Gently looks into the way the force deals with rape allegations

[Tweekums · 8/10 · 29 April 2015]

In the opening scenes a woman is chased and attacked by the river and Gently is sent to hospital after being knocked out in the boxing ring. We then see DS Bacchus and WPC Coles taking the details of men visiting a brothel; that is until one of them identifies himself as a policeman and Bacchus decides to end the operation… it isn't because he is trying to protect the man… he is having an affair with his wife! The next morning a woman, Tina Hall, makes a complaint of rape but the reception she gets in the police station is far from sympathetic… and that is before it is revealed she is a prostitute. When Gently returns Cole confronts him about the forces responses to rape allegations; especially those handled by DI Walter Nunn; the officer they'd met the night before, Gently asks her to quietly investigate. Soon they are dealing with a murder when the body of the woman we saw being attacked is discovered. It isn't far from the brothel so all the men who went there must be considered suspects; including DI Nunn.

This episode gets the seventh season off to a fine start. As is so often the case there is an issue to be dealt with as well as the mystery; in this case the way victims of rape were treated at the time. Both the story and the issue are presented well; there are a decent number of suspects and it didn't feel as though we were being lectured to. Away from the case it is clear that there is something wrong with Gently's health; something that well no doubt become more important as the season progresses. The cast does a fine job; Martin Shaw is great as Gently but even he manages to be somewhat upstaged at times by Lee Ingleby's Bacchus; a character who has somewhat Neanderthal attitudes at times but usually learns better by the end of the show. Lisa McGrillis is good as WPC Rachel Coles but as her character is often the voice of reason she comes across as less interesting that Bacchus. The guest cast are pretty solid too; most notably Emily Woof, who played Tina, Derek Riddell who played the thoroughly unpleasant DI Nunn and Jeremy Swift who plays a suspicious character who runs the bus station. Overall a pretty good episode even if most people are likely to guess who the killer was… always suspect anybody introduced early on if they have no reason to be there!

Less than gentle animosity

[TheLittleSongbird · 9/10 · 3 June 2018]

As a huge fan of detective/crime/mystery series, there is the admission that it took me a while to start watching 'Inspector George Gently', worrying as to whether it would appeal to me for "can't put my finger on it" reasons other than being young at the time and not being as knowledgeable of the period. Getting into the show eight years ago and continuing to watch it without fail, it turned out to be simply wonderful and actually became a favourite.

After a very solid, if still settling, start in "Gently Go Man", it felt like 'Inspector George Gently' started to hit its stride with "The Burning Man" and that continued with "Bomber's Moon". The show hit a high point with "Gently with the Innocents" and the high point standards nearly applies here again in "Gently with the Women". There is a lot here that is particularly good about 'Inspector George Gently' and it shows that it is not at all hard to see why the show appeals to many.

My only complaint here is the motive, which is rather clichéd and ordinary, other 'Inspector George Gently' have more inspired motives.

"Gently with the Women" shows 'Inspector George Gently' still delivering on a consistent level, no bad episodes up to this point. It is indicative that the show has found its feet and hit its stride. It delivers on providing a good mystery well worth investing in, though it could have been focused on more and with less with Gently's illness.

However, "Gently with the Women", like the rest of the show, looks great, often beautiful. It is strikingly filmed and the scenery and period detail are atmospheric, handsome and evocative, a lot of work and care went into re-creating the period and it shows loud and clear. The music is stirring and haunting, dynamic with what's going on and never intrusive.

The writing has a lot of thought-provoking intelligence and balances subtle humour and drama very well and executing both individually just as well. The direction is alert and accommodating and the story is easy to follow and absorbing with a good deal of suspense. The climax is very memorable. "Gently with the Women", and 'Inspector Gently' in general, is very interesting for how British law was like in the 60s and how much it's changed and come on compared to now.

Love the chemistry between Gently and Bacchus, one of the most interesting and well-contrasted detective/crime/mystery drama pairings (perhaps the most interesting since Morse and Lewis). The two couldn't have more different personalities and how they gel and clash entertains and intrigues. Both are fascinating characters, and became even more fascinating as the show progressed.

Can't fault the acting, the continually brilliant performances from Martin Shaw and Lee Ingleby here and throughout the show are career highs for both actors. All the support is good.

Overall, excellent. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Intriguing mystery with an interesting theme

[grantss · 8/10 · 14 August 2022]

Another intriguing murder mystery in the Gently series. Also, as is often the case, has an interesting theme: police attitudes towards rape claims.

As always Bacchus is the Philistine who is used as the representative of wrong attitude. While somebody has to be the bad guy whose views represent the wrong way, it's irritating that it's always Bacchus. By now he'd have learnt more tolerance and tact, you'd think, from working with Gently. It would be great for his character to have such an arc.

Balancing out his thoughtlessness and intolerance is the understanding, uber-resourceful WPC Coles. She is a great addition to the team.

Gently with the Plotting- Needs Some Work

[livapr99 · 7/10 · 7 May 2015]

So, Inspector George Gently has finally returned to our screens for his seventh season- hurrah, says I! After the last season's good round-up of stories, I decided to become fully invested in this universe and in the characters, and so far all is going well on this front.

The mystery this week revolves around the rape and murder of a young woman who was last seen in the nearby coach station a few miles up from the river, just within the shadow of the ever-present, foreboding cathedral. Gently and Bacchus are called in to investigate, all while they make efforts to discourage to frequenting of a brothel in the same area, and soon the DCI uncovers hundreds of ignored complaints of rape- twenty-one of which were overseen by Walter Nunn. This places the good Sergeant in a spot of bother, since he constantly pops off early to go round to Nunn's house and engage in an affair with Gemma, the rival cop's wife.

While the plot is well-written and the performances are electric, the actual murder- what we have come to see- is side-lined by Gently's emerging illness, although nonetheless his health woes remain affecting, as well as Bacchus' teenage-like fling with Gemma. Those two effortlessly spout out lines like a pair of teens reluctant to return to separate universities after a long summer holiday, but knowing the approximate length of most of John's loves, this one will be done and dusted by the end of the third episode. This is not a weakness, however- at times, it is understandable that Gemma- a woman suffocated by her husband's ignorant ways- would turn to someone else for love, just not Bacchus, who in this episode spends the majority of his time making crass comments about rape ("Right, who's been raping ya then, pet?" he says to a prostitute after offering her a cuppa, before threatening her with charges for wasting police time) and being a little swine to Rachel. Obviously, Lee Ingleby's versatility is boundless, since this is the man who played George Mottershead less than a year ago in Our Zoo! On that subject, Lisa McGrillis is fantastic as Coles- a feisty, spirited, intelligent and grounded young WPC who's more than a match for her pig-ignorant superior. She's quickly becoming my favourite character, next of course to Taylor, who is nowhere to be seen this time around. Oh, and next to John- hypocrite, much?! In all, this was a fairly good episode, but the relationship problems with Bacchus and Gemma need to be resolved, otherwise poor old George will be dead in no time from prolonged exposure to sappy plot lines! Hopefully, the series can only get better from here on out.

goof......use of modern term not in use in the 1960s

[howardgoode · 18 October 2018]

Bacchus lines include the use of the American phrase...."train station"...instead of railway station which was not in use in 1960s Britain (and still sounds naff "Americana") today.....even though it is now in common use....same mistake is made in 1930s set Miss Marple...

unexpected, but happy to see series 7

[zmanzoran · 3/10 · 3 August 2015]

I totally loved this show, and I was sure that series 6 was the last. Today I found there would be 4 more episodes...first episode, I notice something different, the camera work the color, then it becomes clear that everything is different about the production. Same name of show, same place, same characters, but I have no clue what the rest is. It smells like garbage...nothing like the show I loved. Series 7 episode 1 is garbage. I can only hope the next 3 episodes return to the old. I see this too often, some cool unknown show gets discovered and then popular, suddenly it has to be a big time production. The story gets lost in the art...the writing the camera work the direction.