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.

Watching on slight delay, but when someone says, "Don't worry; I'll tell you all about it tomorrow", you start to worry...

No, same actor, I think.

Ruth has a nice house. I suppose Perez’s replacement had to have nice jumpers and a nice house. In the cause of justice!

Where is the BBC getting all this turquoise paint?! Every drama seems to have the same colour scheme. It's like the set designers have a lock-up full of Domestic Squall Blue, with a use by date of Dec 2024.

Donnie does look slightly, strangely different - like he’s being played by the previous actor’s younger, glossier, more elegant brother. (I’m still puzzling over what Tosh sees in him. I had such high hopes for her and the anti-social artist.)

Is Tosh, the character, pregnant in this season? I had the impression Alison O'Donnell is but not sure if we’re supposed to ignore it. (Could be wrong, of course.)

Enjoyed most of it, though the spooky house and insistently spooky music was a bit - tedious.

Donnie does look more groomed. Yes, I’ve never seen what Tosh sees in him, either — I think I thought she spent so much hanging around with sullen, monomaniacal Perez that she fancied someone slightly ditsy and upbeat.

Mumsnet gets a mention from Alison O'Donnell!

www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/film-and-tv/how-12-years-as-tosh-on-bbcs-shetland-has-shaped-alison-odonnell-4848061

Love Shetland but had forgotten just how bad the acting can be.

I thought at the time, when Malcolm said about Bergen, they were all assuming it was the place in Norway, could just as easily be someone's name. Call themselves detectives! Shetland looks so beautiful; I'd love to take my bike there. But, 562 miles! Most of that is ferry, though.

I was disappointed that Bergen turned out to be a name - was hoping for some nice fjord shots.

The guy that "used to work the ferries" must have been groomed into child labour as the last time the Lerwick-Bergen ferry sailed was 2008 (when the actor that played Malcolm was 10). A big blow for me as I had always wanted to sail from Scandi to the Shetlands

I thought the math's professor was very shady. A former student calls you at 1 am and instead of dialling 999 - you jump on a plane a creep around her house ...

I'm assuming that there must be a tie in with the woman from the homeless shelter who has joined up with a conspiracy theorist to investigate a new marine research centre.

Is it my imagination or is Sandy looking smarter this season? I would really like it if the scriptwriters made him less stupid

I thought it was a great opener too.

I really liked this episode. I like the characters and how they have grown into their roles. Tosh looked much older at the party as if she was the grown up and not the unsure 20 something.
I suspect Noah isn't the son of her friends soon to be ex husband just by how he looked at him. Excellent child actor though. Could have hugged him.
Looking forward to the next episode.

I’m mightily frustrated at not being able to just click the next episode and binge the whole season overnight …

Well, I did not fall asleep and did not look at the clock the whole time, so that's a good thing. But why was Ruth in a white sweater most of the time but wearing a black top inside the police station?

@ilovetea33 I thought the same about the sweater. I told myself that as it was really cold and that she put the big (lovely) sweater on to go outside - I didn't want it to be a continuity error. She has a great wardrobe.

Does the story wind up next week or continue through the whole series? Can't remember how it used to work.

"....But why was Ruth in a white sweater most of the time but wearing a black top inside the police station ?"

Oh Lordy you're observant @Ilovetea33 and @redwinechocolateandsnacks.

Ever thought about being detectives 😀 ?

To my surprise I really liked it. Excellent opening.

I really enjoyed last night’s episode, I love Tosh despite her ‘thinking and working things out’ expression seems overly expressive iyswim.
DH was supposed to be going for a bath but sat and watched it all - even stayed awake!
I agree Donnie looks different and my first thought about the maths professor was either he’s Noah’s biological dad or having an affair with his mum. Ian is so awful that even the maths prof might just about be attractive in comparison.

It’s varied over the run, but these days it seems to be one story arc over the entire series/season.

I noticed the white Aran-type jumper morphed into a close-fitting black one at the station, but assumed Ruth just shed a layer for indoors, rather than a continuity glitch.

I liked Tosh’s sweater too, but not keen on the very heavy fringe. (And if I were Alison McDonnell, I’d complain about getting stuck with the practical anoraks while Ruth gets the cool coats!)

I really wish Billy could be given a small storyline — even Sandy has had unprofessional behaviour suspensions, and his relationships with other islanders complicating crime investigations. Could Billy turn out to be some kind of Shetland Keyser Soze? Or even have a long-lost brother who is an underwater archaeologist diving a wreck off Shetland and the chief suspect in some dodginess?

I’d forgotten Ruth’s priest brother. At the beginning, I thought his wife had been banged up rather than just left him. Wasn’t she at one point a suspect last season? Will her sudden defection be significant, or is it just the writers freeing up Rumpled Priest as a free agent?

Thank you for sharing that link to the interview with Alison O' Donnell @JustACountryMusicGirlInCowboyBoots

And Mumsnet did get a mention !!!

I just read that — you know I’d never clocked that Tosh was always in shirts in the Perez era! How unfair!

I caught the end of the One Show the other day with Ashley Jensen on it. She said it was freezing up there whilst filming this time so the white jumper might well have been an extra layer. Also, McDonnell might well be pleased with the practical anoraks!

I’d forgotten Ruth’s priest brother. At the beginning, I thought his wife had been banged up rather than just left him. Wasn’t she at one point a suspect last season? Will her sudden defection be significant, or is it just the writers freeing up Rumpled Priest as a free agent?

I just assumed the actress playing Ruth’s sister in law had new acting commitments, so wasn’t available. One can sort of see that it would be a waste to be obliged to spend ages so far away for such a small part. And somewhat unlikely that the SIL could be given a more prominent role.

I'm going to lay my bets now that the storyline will involve

• dodgy private investment in a drilling platform in an area of natural beauty/ecological importance
• drrrrugs
• a pipeline (there is always a pipeline)
• some officious official from The Mainland being sent to oversee/thwart local investigations

There did seem to be a spoiler in the article linked above - but I wasn’t concentrating when I read it so may have misunderstood …

I was trying to remember the plot-line with Alan (the brother)'s wife; was she dodgy in some way? Agree it was a great opening ep, and Ruth's wardrobe is indeed lovely; she always looks great.