This absorbing story starts with a woman driving her car in a wooded area and something in the sky engulfing her with a bright light which comes closer and closer. Terrified, she runs. She lives.
The rest aren't as lucky,
Cooper Hill is known for UFO sightings, and many ufologists hang out there. In fact, Abigal Toney runs tours there.
A forest ranger, Felicity Field, is found dead and wrapped in a black gummy substance. Barnaby investigates and learns that one of the most ardent ufologists, Carter Faulkner, who had a famous UFO sighting that is well documented, had a run-in with Felicity. Also, before she died, she called her father, a captain at a radar station, from whom she is estranged. He says that he did not get a call.
Two more murders wrapped in the gummy substance are found. Could aliens really be responsible? Or is there a more earthbound answer? Barnaby ponders this as well as what Sara is planning to do for his birthday.
This was an excellent episode. The tone of these scripts has changed somewhat, though the past is still a factor. In this case, it's not just human relationships that took place in the past, but the Cold War as well.
The script was written by Paul Logue, who began to write for the show in 2014, as did several other writers. Some of the scripts have been quite good and different. And I love Sykes and the baby.