Ep 1. Episode One

In The Bletchley Circle season 2 episode 1, titled "Episode One," the audience is reintroduced to four former codebreakers from Bletchley Park: Susan, Millie, Lucy, and Jean. The series is set in post-World War II London, and the four women, who received little recognition for their wartime efforts, are now living normal lives. Susan, however, has a hunch that a string of murders in the news is connected and decides to investigate.

The opening scene of the episode sets the tone for the entire season. A young woman is attacked and murdered in a London park, and the police are stumped as to the killer's identity. Susan, who now works as a teacher, sees a pattern in the crime reports and begins to do her own research. She reaches out to Millie, who works at a fashion boutique, Lucy, a librarian, and Jean, a wife and stay-at-home mother, to enlist their help.

To investigate the string of murders, Susan and her former colleagues must use the code-breaking skills they acquired during the war. They begin following clues, such as a pattern of numbers found on a victim's body and a mysterious symbol etched into a tree near where one of the murders took place. They also discover a link between the victims: they're all young women who visited a particular nightclub.

As the investigation progresses, the women face several challenges. They're working without the police's knowledge or cooperation, as they fear law enforcement will dismiss them due to their gender and war-time credentials. Additionally, they must balance their investigations with their personal lives. Lucy develops a romantic relationship with Isaac, a black doctor, and the two face societal prejudice and opposition from Lucy's father.

Throughout the episode, tension builds as the women come closer to uncovering the identity of the killer. They become enmeshed in a dangerous web of deceit and lies, and Susan must make a difficult decision about how to proceed when her own life is threatened.

The episode's themes of female empowerment, resistance against systematic oppression, and the invisible tolls of war are intriguing and eye-opening. The show captures the nuanced reality of women's experience as overlooked and marginalized during and after the war, while highlighting their resourcefulness and intelligence in the face of sexism and misogyny.

Overall, The Bletchley Circle season 2 episode 1 is an excellent start to the series. The writing is taut and suspenseful, and the acting is top-notch. The episode ends on a cliffhanger that leaves the audience wanting more. Viewers will be eager to see where the investigation leads the women next and how their lives will be further complicated by their work.