The Bay’s Marsha Thomason teases “very different Jenn” in season 4
“Jenn’s much more settled in this year... She was having a crisis of confidence last series."
Beloved coastal crime drama The Bay is back on our screens very soon, and this time round, we can expect much of the same heart-wrenching storylines, with a more confident lead in DS Jenn Townsend.
Speaking to RadioTimes.com and other press, lead actress Marsha Thomason spoke about her character in this fourth season of the popular ITV series.
Reprising her role as Morecambe Police’s family liaison officer, Thomason revealed that we'll be seeing a different side to Jenn this year.
She said: “Jenn’s much more settled in this year, you find a much more confident Jenn. She was having a crisis of confidence last series and she’s much more in her comfort zone in her work this year."
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Thomason joined the cast in season 3 as the new DS lead and, as well as settling into her new job in the episodes, we also saw how she and her family were getting used to living in Morecambe. Now, though, things are slightly different.
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"Her family’s settled in, the children are getting along with each other much better and things are good with her and Chris – though our friend Claire Goose is throwing a bit of a spanner in the works, which makes it interesting,” the actress teased.
It was announced for season 4 that the guest cast would include Goose (Unforgotten), who stars as Chris Fischer’s (Barry Sloane) ex-wife Jacqui. And although Jenn will have to live with her husband's ex lingering around, Thomason says that much of her frustration in this season comes from the case at hand.
She said that “Jenn is incredibly frustrated” by the father of the family in this new run, Dean Metcalf, played by Joe Armstrong (Happy Valley, Robin Hood).
Thomason added: “She raises her voice and is combative with him, which is really interesting to watch. It’s a very different Jenn we’re seeing with this family from last year.”
In this fourth season, we'll see how a late night arson attack unfolds into the worst kind of horror for the Metcalf family. As they face an overwhelming loss, Jenn must gain their trust to help Manning and the MIU uncover the truth of what has happened.
Back at home, Jenn’s got troubles of her own as, along with Chris, she tries to get to grips with the realities of having a house full of teenagers and a blended family.
The Bay season 4 will air on ITV1 and ITVX. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what's on tonight.
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