Under Salt Marsh Episodes 1–2 recap: A teacher and ex-detective confront a shocking crime in Morfa Halen

Under Salt Marsh is an exciting British crime series that leaves no question as to why it is a series to watch. This miniseries, broadcast on Sky Atlantic on January 30, 2026, puts the viewer right into the fictional Welsh town of Morfa Halen, where mystery, suspense, and the power of nature combine.

In episodes 1 and 2, the main story and characters are introduced, and the atmosphere of suspenseful tension, character interest, and a very stable community trying to keep a secret is established.

Under Salt Marsh was produced by Little Door Productions in association with Sky Studios, directed by and written by Claire Oakley, as well as co-directed and co-starring Mary Nighy. Kelly Reilly’s teacher and former detective, and Rafe Spall as her ex-partner, estranged, the series is sure to be a slow-burner with respect to crime and relationships with humans.

The first two episodes premiere at the same time, providing the audience with a solid basis regarding the mystery that will be unraveled in the next several weeks.

Premise of Under Salt Marsh

Under Salt Marsh is based on the story of a teacher called Jackie Ellis in Morfa Halen town, where she is a former law enforcer. Her new life direction is found when her student, Cefin Hill, dies of drowning.

The revelation is an intimidating after-effect that sends shivers down the entire small Welsh town because it rekindles an unsolved disappearance case that happened three years ago with the niece of Jackie, Nessa, who had already spoiled her career.

The case also invites her former boyfriend, Detective Eric Bull, to the town. Bull must cater to all the angles of the case, along with dealing with his past trouble with Jackie, when he takes over the case. The first and second episodes of the series constitute the main conflict when the characters are forced to leave their past behind them in the process of addressing a crime that has already torn their mourning town.

The location of the show is Morfa Halen, which the authorities refer to as a seaside town that is in danger since they are facing natural calamities due to a rare storm that is threatening to come and disturb their investigations. The natural environment creates an immediate scenario that makes the situation even more important and does not necessitate the introduction of dramatic speculative features.

Episode 1: The investigation begins

The first episode of Under Salt Marsh introduces the audience to the small Welsh town of Morfa Halen and its residents. The series begins with a tragic incident that compels Kelly Reilly’s character, an ex-cop turned teacher, to resume her detective work.

Episode 1 reveals that a crime has been committed, which is linked to past crimes that happened in Morfa Halen. The first episode of the series has established crucial links between Reilly and her former partner, played by Rafe Spall, who has come back to Morfa Halen due to the incident.

Episode 2: Tension builds in Morfa Halen

The second episode continues to build the Under Salt Marsh storyline with new elements that continue the investigation that was ongoing from the last episode. It continues to have the pace of a crime thriller series while also depicting how the teacher and her ex-boyfriend are handling their relationship from the first episode.

The episode continues to prove the importance of the coastal area of Morfa Halen by using the upcoming storm as the setting for all the events. The second episode starts to show how past events affect current situations by using the conflict in the episode, which will lead to suspenseful scenes in future episodes.

Under Salt Marsh cast

Under Salt Marsh offers its viewers a very talented cast through which the entire story is developed.

The character of Jackie Ellis, who previously worked as a detective and a teacher, is depicted by Kelly Reilly.
The character of Detective Eric Bull, who is the opposite of Jackie, is played by Rafe Spall.
The character of Solomon Bevan is played by Jonathan Pryce.
Naomi Yang plays the character of Jess Deng.
Harry Lawtey plays the character of Dylan Rees.

The entire cast includes Dinita Gohil, Brian Gleeson, Kimberley Nixon, Mark Stanley, Dino Fetscher, Lizzie Annis, Rhodri Meilir, Julian Lewis Jones, Marilyn Cutts, Martyn Ellis, Amara Atwal, Nessa Jack, Thomas-Humphreys Cefin Hill, and many more actors.

The series is developed in an ensemble format, through which the characters are able to show their individual perspectives while solving the entire mystery of the series using their collective talents.

Creative and production team

The directorial team includes Claire Oakley and Mary Nighy. The production companies involved in this production include Little Door Productions and Sky Studios. The series has a total of six episodes, which make up a limited series.

The series premiered on January 30, 2026. The main platform for the series is Sky Atlantic, and it is also available on the NOW streaming service. The team of Oakley and Nighy has a consistent creative direction through their combination of crime drama and character-driven storytelling.

The series offers elements of suspense while showing the link between past and present events, as seen in the plot descriptions.

Viewing and age rating

Under Salt Marsh has a rating of 15, which means that it is not suitable for younger audiences, as it contains some death, occasional swearing, violence, and dark themes.

The series is only available on the Sky Atlantic and NOW platforms and not on other popular streaming platforms, such as Netflix, Prime Video, or Disney+.

Mood and ambience

Although the Sky Atlantic channel describes the series as an intimate and cinematic story, the official information is primarily about the crime thriller genre and suspense, but not about the episode-by-episode analyses.

In episodes 1 and 2, the primary goal is to introduce the protagonists and their professional/personal relationships, and to develop an original and primary location in the Welsh town of Morfa Halen.

Establish the inciting incident (the discovery of a pupil's body) without revealing information about the resolutions of the investigation.

The first two episodes of Under Salt Marsh offer the foundation for a slow-burning British crime drama, and this is accomplished through strong acting, a clear sense of place, and an interesting premise.

The first two episodes of Under Salt Marsh offer a mystery to the viewer who is watching the series as it delves into the history and the difficulties of moving through a tight-knit community in a storm-battered coastal town.

Under Salt Marsh, therefore, offers a very earthy and evocative start, and the series will examine how the residents of Morfa Halen deal with the aftermath of a serious crime that has taken place there.