The best Morse episode to that point. Everything just gels so well here. There's none of the clumsiness of the first season, the pointless sub-plots that were also a feature of the early stuff or the ridiculously complex plot of the previous episode. It's as if the writers tinkered with the formula until they got it right and this is the one whre it happened.
There's a fair amount of intrigue: a young woman murdered in a parking lot, a cryptic note in her posession, a host of seemingly unconnected individuals living their lives. The seemingly unconnected individuals add another layer in that their mini-stories are quite interesting. The young English student was wonderfully enchanting with her intelligence and boundless energy.
Another great character was the old lady who witnessed the red car. Great value as she showed Morse and Lewis how to do policework.
All these interesting little sub-plots and colourful characters make for a very engaging episode.