Shetland season 8

[laplage]

Anyone else looking forward to the new season starting on Wednesday? It will seem a bit strange without Perez but looks to be a good cast and storyline so far as we know.

I find it all a bit odd. A bit Brookside if I’m honest. Didn’t seem very realistic to me.

why did ruth answer the phone without the acting

The last one, there were tons of parts where people seemed to know information that their partner in another place had just learned.

DNA proved Bobbie was dad but they both said it was likely to be Kieran as did it more. So why tell Ellen?
Why go into mums cell and just stand there saying "did you know"??

Maybe it will be like Have I got News for You and will have a guest detective for each series! I vote Brenda Blethlyn to be the next one in her Vera mac.

I really didn't buy the 'my brother looked so sad, so I shagged him' explanation (unless there was a history of abuse in the family, which might have conditioned her to think like that - was there? I feel like I missed quite a lot...) It felt like a 'clever' twist too far.

And why bother setting up the mad fire-starting pagan storyline if you're not going to have all the Shetland youth being into it at one point, and some accidental and seriously unfortunate sex happening in a Dionysian drug-fuelled masked celebration of the winter solstice or similar?

I haven't read all the previous as not finished yet but I'm not really feeling it now. I think they have gone full pelt for convoluted crimes to try to divert from Jimmy's absence. Tosh talks a million to the dozen as opposed to Jimmy's thoughtful way. As someone else said it is almost as if Ashley is playing it for laughs at times and as for bad language what 😂. There are so many young men that look alike I'm confused at times. Thanks to the poster who identified the Deacon Blue singer! We are seeing very different scenery which is beautiful! My jury is still out.

*One thing I did notice is that in all the scenes in the police station it's a bit like the Maire Celeteste with only Billy endlessly available to make tea and do shit jobs.

But when there is a raid suddenly there are lots of police cars and dozens of police who could never have got there if based on the mainland, so must be isolated off in some police warehouse!*

This! There are times when the eerie deserted police station has real shades of Ashes to Ashes, and you wonder if the whole thing is inside Jimmy Perez's head as he lies in a coma in Glasgow, following a particularly bad Old Firm derby. It would explain why he's so fixated on cake fridges and lovely harbour panoramas and Arran jumpers.

I enjoyed the plot of the finale.
I think Tosh is very wooden and completely unconvincing as a detective.. everything is sooo slow and verging on the comical.

You’re on fire, @Wonderwool!

From now on - next series - if ever things seem a little unsatisfactory, I will assume it’s all happening in Jimmy’s comatose head.

Although, regarding the empty station, one surely has to assume all the hordes of police are out on the beat 24hrs a day trying to protect blameless Shetland citizens from the endless stream of murderers wandering amongst them.

No I wasn't impressed with the storyline. Not believable and a bit gross.

If Shetland continues please can we have less deaths. All those deaths on a small island. A body here and a body there every week is a bit too much.

I vote Brenda Blethlyn to be the next one in her Vera mac

Why not, think of the cross overs - or you could match it with Death in Paradise where hapless outsiders are shown to be totally unsuitable and just an empty figure head.

Or maybe Catherine Cawood could return from the Himalayas(?) and decide she cant live without policing and could stomp round Shetland muttering twats.

Hmm.

Not sure about that storyline & trying to make it "consensual".

I mean a brother just wouldn't, would he?

What was he supposed to be-about 20 at the time?

Finished it now and found Ashley too much dashing off all the time from one place to another. Jimmy would have sussed this all out by episode 3 by listening and not blabbing constantly as did I .

Jimmy had difficulty finding his way out of a paper bag, but in common with all tv detectives was also hopeless at relationships. He was like some gloomy spectre lowering around. I think he was meant to be seen as being sensitive but his fixed facil expression just hade him endlessly lugubrious

At least Ruth has a bit of vim and vigour.

@IwantToRetire thank you for that imagine of Catherine! I love her, and love the idea of her on Shetland, rolling her eyes at the Police up there. That's going to keep me amused for a while 🤣

Liked it up to the ending - just didn't add up. And to just leave her on the stone- and not be be sad, or even angry at his wife or Bobby was very strange too considering he can just strangle his daughter to death if she gets a bit shouty.

I enjoyed it, although disappointed (as always) with some of the acting, Tosh is a lovely character but no depth, which Perez provided so much. Ruth better but not convinced she will fill the rather big shoes left . I do like Ashley J but prefer her in comedy. Also disappointed by Cals death, waste of Jamie Silves, would have liked to have seen him longer/permanent character.

Anyone missing the lovely Duncan (Mark Bonnar) watch Catastrophe (if you haven't already), he plays an interesting supporting character.

Too many red herrings and side lines, which made it very fragmented.

Not much depth development to the characters either as it was too busy jumping between the various story lines for anyone to be more than one dimensional.

Found it very disappointing tbh.

I think it's fair to say the story-line and plotting was much weaker in this series. And Jimmy and Duncan (and, indeed, others) are missed.

I'd quite like to see Ashley turn up in her Agatha Raisin persona, all high heels, pencil skirt, hand bag, garish colours and power bob. It would be enough to make Billy spill his mugs of tea.

Well I rather liked this series. I had begun to find Perez rather gloomy, although this was also part of his charm.

I am not a particular fan of Ashley Jensen and did wonder how she would fit into the Shetland series.

I thought the series rattled along nicely and DI Calder provided some interesting energy to the Shetland police, dynamic. Never been a massive fan of Tosh, but think there is potential for a good on-screen chemistry between Tosh and Ruth. Not remotely interested in Tosh relationship with her partner and baby, find that boring and unnecessary. Unlike some other posters, I watch crime dramas for the crime, rather than their background story.

i think DI Ruth is going to inject some much needed energy into that police station!

Oh and dislike the fiscal, just a moaner who adds nothing to the series!

Does Tosh get top job or Ruth? Does anyone know?

OH thinks maybe this is just a stopgap and Perez may be back next series if things don't go well in that Hollywood ...

Apparently BBC hasn't yet confirmed a new series, or asked Ashley Jensen if she wants to stay on!

Viewing figures were around 7 million, which in fact is higher than previous series, bar one (series 6 which I cant remember).

The implacation seems to be more about writers, from the articles I skim read.

Oh ok we watched to see this one but tbh not sure whether I would make it a priority to watch another series.