The Bay viewers praise Marsha Thomason's new detective

Christie opted not to return for a third outing, leaving an important role to be filled on the hit show, with White Collar alum Thomason being announced as her replacement in February 2021.

Read more: The Bay season 3 – what really happened to Lisa?

Viewers have instantly connected with complex new protagonist DS Townsend, with RadioTimes.com asking our readers to weigh in with their thoughts on her first appearance.

One respondent on Twitter described Thomason as "always awesome", recalling fond memories of watching her in long-running ITV series Where the Heart Is, during her stint on the show between 1998 and '99.

"I thought she was excellent," said a fellow reader of DS Townsend, "and it was great to see Marsha Thomason back on our screens."

Even The Bay co-star Erin Shanagher, who plays DS Karen Hobson on the series, dropped by to voice support for her new colleague's high-profile role, saying: "I love her!"

In a sense, Thomason's personal journey mirrors that of her character, as both are starting in new jobs with a pre-established team supporting them.

"I was a bit like Jenn really, because it's like, 'New day, new job with these people who've all been working together for ages', but everybody was brilliant," she told Digital Spy.

"The cast reached out to me and we started a WhatsApp group, we did some Zooms, so I already felt a sense of connection with them when I arrived on the first day."

The mystery of The Bay season 3 centres around the death of an aspiring young boxer, with DS Townsend required to wrap her head around a complex, grieving family in order to get to the bottom of what happened to him.

The Bay continues on ITV at 9pm on Wednesday 19th January 2022. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what's on tonight.