John Bachus is fool

I just started watching this series on Netflix, and I've only got as far as Season 2 ("Gently in the Night").

Bacchus is obviously and intentionally meant to be a very flawed character, and I assume that this is to establish a series arc, or "journey" as they sometimes say, in which Bacchus improves under Gently's tough-love mentorship.

That's well and good, but for me Bacchus is too much of a creep or weasel to inspire sympathy-- the polar opposite of, say, Robbie Lewis when he was Inspector Morse's sidekick. It was easy to root for Lewis, but we're not meant to root for Bacchus.

The writers make it pretty clear that Bacchus is immature, shallow, self-serving, and devious; his main virtue, such as it is, is that he seems to have guts and a perverse kind of determination to hang in there.

I'm bothered by one thing that seems unrealistic, and oddly enough occurs on other well-made police shows like "Wallander" (the Swedish one): the inspector putting up with a subordinate who repeatedly lies like a child, even after the subordinate has been caught out.

I get that Gently decides in the beginning that Bacchus has promise, and is willing to put up with Bacchus's numerous flaws as Gently drags Bacchus kicking and lying into professional adulthood. So it's realistic that Gently would willingly put up with considerable nonsense along the way.

But Bacchus keeps on lying even after Gently pulls him aside, confronts him about his lies, and reads him the riot act. I guess Bacchus keeps lying because he just can't help himself, and because he has more guts than brains. But it seems unrealistic that a stern commander like Gently doesn't give him a flat-out ultimatum along the lines of "the next time you lie to me will be the last time".

In my experience, old-school authority figures like Gently are death on dishonesty, as the saying goes-- especially in police work, where trust is essential.

Instead, Gently scowls, Bacchus gives him a blank/dumb look, and keeps uncoiling his forked tongue whenever he's crowded by circumstances. This doesn't quite ring true to me.

How much further are we down the road since this post and no improvement in the underlying poor character. Just imagine such as this one day in charge of something like an FA cup semi final or a suspected [but completely innocent] terrorist from Brazil. Beggars belief that Bachus could be recommended for promotion. As with so many drama series, did anyone on promotion ever get sent to another station. I was military and promotion and movement was farily standard and I remember that that one rank level had an almost mandatory expectation that time with another unit [unfamiliar people] was a criteria. It meant that had either happened or would on promotion. I am sorry that the character of Bachuss does not ring true as he is not only a liar misogynist, almost racist and all those negative qualities he is not a generally good policeman. Perhaps he would have been better suited to infiltration of for egample an animal rights group where he could take on a double life. Lee Ingleby has shown that he does have acting abilities but this character really is unfit to be in the force. At least the majority PRETENDED to care. Bachus only cares about having someone to snog and shag. I could see him humping a rape victim he might take home. Oh! Two Cops have already done that particular threesome. I am waiting for Gently to give him a good slap. I am pleased with understated ability of the our [new] policewoman. Not likely to be a Bachuss conquest?? I like these sort of series that do not have much bangs flashes and chases. No need for all that time filler just for effect. Starsky hutch cardboard boxes etc.

Oddly enough I now have to back pedal somewhat. He has become an inspector???? But has not moved anywhere. In this episode he displays less unkindness but is still a bit iffy. Why would an inspector be accompanying someone a rank above. Surely it is his turn to impart his very LIMITED wisdom to an up an coming. Please do not let him corrupt our keen WPC who is also no longer in uniform. When did she become a detective???? He just loves undoing his zip.

Yes, he's a jerk... but only on his better days. He's ill-tempered, ill-mannered, often incompetent and utterly unpleasant to the weak.

Masterly acting of an utter tit.

Thank goodness for Peter Flannery.
You may decry any character who isn't the lantern-jawed epitome of political correctness and moral rectitude. I, however, would much rather watch Bacchus.

If you think back to the earlier series, for sure he's not perfect and never will be, but he's come a long way. Gently blocked him from joining the Met where bent coppers are (were) the norm, and for sure B would have become one of them.

He'll never be Saint Francis of Assissi but, possibly as a consequence, and thanks to Gently's "mentoring" he *is* a good copper.
He's also a rich, complex and ultimately very believable character.

I think he's ace.

Far from giving up on him "as lost cause", as we have recently seen, both he and Gently now openly acknowledge their friendship. Their relationship surpassed that of boss/subordinate a long time ago, as a result of everything they've been through. Not least saving each others lives.

Go on Stanley, stick one in Jane Russell & win a goldfish.

He definitely is a complete idiot. But his character presents a good contrast with the mature, experienced, straight-arrow Gently.

He is the Andy Sipowicz of the BBC- Andy got somewhat redeemed- maybe John will also .