An unusual episode of Morse in that he and Lewis are not investigating a murder but a missing person case, a 6-months cold one at that. Makes for a different process and investigation as there is no body, no forensics, very little to go on.
Ultimately there is a murder so normal transmission is resumed, to an extent, but the missing person aspect does make for a very different plot, with some interesting outcomes.
Good to see the tone and plot of the show starting to come together at last. Before now the average episode included sub-plots, often involving Morse's personal life, that were clumsy and added nothing. These have now largely disappeared.
Good episode for future-star spotting too. The cast includes Elizabeth Hurley and Julia Sawalha (of Absolutely Fabulous fame) in minor roles.