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Shetland season 8

1000 replies

laplage · 30/10/2023 15:43

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.

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21
SoupDragon · 21/11/2024 14:27

Have we ever actually seen Billy outdoors, ever?

He'd be too cold in his skin tight t shirt.

RandomersAssociation · 21/11/2024 14:27

Yes, Ruth’s furniture was impressive.

Weirdly I thought Alison O'Donnell looked less possibly pregnant in that episode than before. But it’s all too complicated to consider properly.

Particularly as I keep re-living Noah saying ‘… on her new top.’ That memory is in no hurry to disappear …

backtowinter · 21/11/2024 14:32

Kingdomoffife · 21/11/2024 13:59

Spy man might be interested in Noah because N is a potential witness. So often young actors in tv dramas just can't act, but the casting agent must have been thrilled to find the boy playing Noah.

He's certainly acting Tosh off the screen

DisingenuousBatshittery · 21/11/2024 14:41

Who was the guy in the bar Tosh was talking to before she got her round in, that didn't work at the airport? Was it one of Vincent Regan's sons?

KitchenAngst · 21/11/2024 14:43

RandomersAssociation · 21/11/2024 14:27

Yes, Ruth’s furniture was impressive.

Weirdly I thought Alison O'Donnell looked less possibly pregnant in that episode than before. But it’s all too complicated to consider properly.

Particularly as I keep re-living Noah saying ‘… on her new top.’ That memory is in no hurry to disappear …

Yes, that was very good writing, I thought, brought to life by very good acting. It's exactly what a little boy would notice.

I have no idea if Alison O'Donnell is pregnant. I think someone said a while ago on the 'clothes in Shetland' thread where the costume designer regularly contributes that the actress had been pregnant at some point in a past season, possibly not when Tosh was, hence making certain costume decisions, which possibly put it into my head. (I know some people who work on a show where they had to conceal the pregnancy of a main character who generally wore skin-tight vest tops, by putting her in layers and shooting her standing behind things a lot...)

I think it's also just that Ashley Jensen's clothes are so great and Tosh has some gorgeous knitwear that just gets ruined by droopy shirts protruding underneath.

(Rewatching an old episode -- Meg, WHAT were you wearing to your date with Jimmy in the wine bar the day he returned to work after the misconduct investigation?? It was like a wedding guest outfit from about 1983!!!)

Maybe we could fundraise for Billy to be given a warmer outfit so he can go outdoors. Or he could borrow one of Tosh's shirts?

KitchenAngst · 21/11/2024 14:47

DisingenuousBatshittery · 21/11/2024 14:41

Who was the guy in the bar Tosh was talking to before she got her round in, that didn't work at the airport? Was it one of Vincent Regan's sons?

The one she was talking to at the bar, who told her to ignore Tara (is she called Tara? the dark-haired friend who keeps getting at Tosh about her investigation of Alison Betts' death?) -- no, he's not either of the Harris sons. I think we saw him at the party in the first episode, but I don't think he had any identity other than Tara's boyfriend and one of the friendship group?

Maybe Tara is a criminal mastermind. She's certainly a royal pain in the ass.

DisingenuousBatshittery · 21/11/2024 15:06

There's just a bunch of young men with brown hair that all look and sound the same to me. It's a frequent issue - I do wish wardrobe would colour code them in different colour jumpers or something.

LittleBowSheep · 21/11/2024 17:23

I'm starting to think that Ruth has/had a child at some point in her life. Generally she's being shown as a child-free career woman but she does seem to show signs of emotion towards Noah at times. Maybe it triggers something from her pre-Shetland life?

RandomersAssociation · 21/11/2024 17:31

Interesting thought!

duc748 · 21/11/2024 17:36

I actually thought the switch from Ruth referring to kids as "things" (said no woman ever) to the rather clunky dinosaur scene and the lightbulb moment with the diggers (why the hell did Tosh call them cranes, though?) was clumsily done.

LittleBowSheep · 21/11/2024 17:37

Also, I can't quite decide whether spy-man came to Shetland because of a job that Annie was working on or because he is actually Noah's father.

LadyEloise1 · 21/11/2024 19:07

LittleBowSheep · 21/11/2024 17:37

Also, I can't quite decide whether spy-man came to Shetland because of a job that Annie was working on or because he is actually Noah's father.

I'm with you there.

IwantToRetire · 21/11/2024 19:48

I thought this was a better episode that last week, and although thinking Shetland not only has some of the most quarrelsome families, but also bizarrely strange links to secret services from any number of countries!

And agree with PPs, the young boy is just brilliant. I fear though that should he get too many compliments and go to some acting school he will lose the naturalness he know has.

His explanation of how he got blood on this clothes was really moving.

I think Ruth's problem is that she doesn't interact with children and thinks of them as aliens.

Yes, Tosh's shirt below jumper is from when 1990s or something really odd look.

I thought how they showed the difficulty of being part of the police in a small community was well done. I think the man who said he had evidence from the airport is someone who has a sort of long standing attraction to her, and is "making do" with someone else. Another contribution to the hostile atmosphere.

I think ex super spy came because of the phone call, but now he knows that Annie (is that the right name?) is dead he wants to know why, which is why he is nosing around, and thinking he is helping the investigation. And that he is probably Noah's father.

I thought the dinasour link was really good, and showed why Ruth maybe a bit over confident about her sleuthing skills and willing to make leaps, that are sometimes right and some aren't.

But ... it seems like the script writers this time have a grudge against Sandy - he has really been side lined in favour of Billy getting more air time.

Lunde · 21/11/2024 20:49

LittleBowSheep · 21/11/2024 17:37

Also, I can't quite decide whether spy-man came to Shetland because of a job that Annie was working on or because he is actually Noah's father.

or both!

Lunde · 21/11/2024 20:56

Some off the wall observations

Are the Swedes spies as well? Russian spies? Swedish spies? He suddenly set up an online "wealth management" company after an influx of money from an unknown source (Russians?) ... and then they move to Shetland - why??? Money launderers?

Or is there some sort of secret medical experimentation going on at the "marine research centre" - perhaps interrogation drugs for the security services.

Pl242 · 21/11/2024 22:57

re PP questions/comments

The first guy Tosh speaks to at the bar is Jamie. He’s the partner of her friend who had been hooking up with Ian the night Annie was killed. He also seems to work at the airport and says Annie had asked him about cargo flights so clearly that info will come into play next episode (possibly linked to Bergen’s planned flights to Tallinn?).

I can’t remember the name of the second guy she speaks to, Tash’s boyfriend. But she questions him about the Mission (where Ian was found). I think this guy and Donnie put Ian into a taxi after the party. I don’t think that’s got anything to do with the investigation here but maybe more of the Tosh’s mates vs her police life and dynamic with Donnie. Could be some colour as background to investigations.

All my DH said here was that tosh spoke to two blokes at the bar and neither helped her with that big round of drinks on the tray!

Tiepolo · 21/11/2024 22:58

Pl242 · 21/11/2024 22:57

re PP questions/comments

The first guy Tosh speaks to at the bar is Jamie. He’s the partner of her friend who had been hooking up with Ian the night Annie was killed. He also seems to work at the airport and says Annie had asked him about cargo flights so clearly that info will come into play next episode (possibly linked to Bergen’s planned flights to Tallinn?).

I can’t remember the name of the second guy she speaks to, Tash’s boyfriend. But she questions him about the Mission (where Ian was found). I think this guy and Donnie put Ian into a taxi after the party. I don’t think that’s got anything to do with the investigation here but maybe more of the Tosh’s mates vs her police life and dynamic with Donnie. Could be some colour as background to investigations.

All my DH said here was that tosh spoke to two blokes at the bar and neither helped her with that big round of drinks on the tray!

It was a heavily symbolic drinks tray, though — the burden of policing a small community!

Pl242 · 21/11/2024 23:00

On a wider note, I’m really enjoying it. Will be interesting to see how it all weaves together - Annie, Euan, Bergen, the rich Swedes, the “marine biology” centre, the fishermen and the poker games at the chinese restaurant. And whether any of that connects back to the first murder of the series (doubt that, but great opener and then moved onto the real case of the series).

Tiepolo · 21/11/2024 23:06

Pl242 · 21/11/2024 23:00

On a wider note, I’m really enjoying it. Will be interesting to see how it all weaves together - Annie, Euan, Bergen, the rich Swedes, the “marine biology” centre, the fishermen and the poker games at the chinese restaurant. And whether any of that connects back to the first murder of the series (doubt that, but great opener and then moved onto the real case of the series).

Has anyone with a visibly architect-y modern house in any of the seasons ever turned out to be anything other than a thoroughgoing bad lot?

Clawdy · 22/11/2024 08:17

DisingenuousBatshittery · 21/11/2024 15:06

There's just a bunch of young men with brown hair that all look and sound the same to me. It's a frequent issue - I do wish wardrobe would colour code them in different colour jumpers or something.

Yes, there are far too many male characters in this. I'm getting really confused with them all. Whenever a man's name is mentioned, I think "Who's that??"

DisingenuousBatshittery · 22/11/2024 09:13

I got Jamie at the bar - he's got a weird identifiable mouth. I didn't get the other one and why she was grilling him about the mission.

I also thought the Swedes might be Russians but the scene where they spoke fluently in Swedish when no one else could hear put me off that idea.

Agree with the comment about all the nice houses - it must be tempting for locations just to go with the architecturally interesting, isolated ones with dramatic views but surely someone lives in a tatty semi overlooking a pub carpark?

Tiepolo · 22/11/2024 09:27

DisingenuousBatshittery · 22/11/2024 09:13

I got Jamie at the bar - he's got a weird identifiable mouth. I didn't get the other one and why she was grilling him about the mission.

I also thought the Swedes might be Russians but the scene where they spoke fluently in Swedish when no one else could hear put me off that idea.

Agree with the comment about all the nice houses - it must be tempting for locations just to go with the architecturally interesting, isolated ones with dramatic views but surely someone lives in a tatty semi overlooking a pub carpark?

No, nice characters appear to be allowed to live in lovely traditional houses, like Perez’s or Ruth’s, it’s the architect-designed, contemporary ones with lots of glass that seem to invariably house baddies, or at least people with Dark Secrets — the suspiciously rich Swedes, Alex and Eve Galbraith, Azir and Farida Sadat in previous seasons…?

XxSideshowAuntSallyx · 22/11/2024 09:34

My guess - the ill daughter is receiving some dodgy treatment via the research facility, Bergen was playing at being her nurse so that he could get more information about it. Annie knew or found out and that was why she went to pick Bergen up, I reckon the parents knew Annie before coming to Shetland.

I think the death at the beginning is related to the poker games that Bergan and the fisherman's son go to.

I think the fisherman and his sons are a bit if a red herring (excuse the pun), I think he took Annie and Noah in out of kindness, I thought it was sad when he said she was his only friend.

They have just been caught up in it all. And now all their secrets and lies are being exposed. The sons gambling debts, the fact his father knew he was stealing money off him, the fact that the elder one was jealous of Annie and Noah and thought his father was in love with her. Their world is now falling apart, and he's now killed his son.

backtowinter · 22/11/2024 11:18

XxSideshowAuntSallyx · 22/11/2024 09:34

My guess - the ill daughter is receiving some dodgy treatment via the research facility, Bergen was playing at being her nurse so that he could get more information about it. Annie knew or found out and that was why she went to pick Bergen up, I reckon the parents knew Annie before coming to Shetland.

I think the death at the beginning is related to the poker games that Bergan and the fisherman's son go to.

I think the fisherman and his sons are a bit if a red herring (excuse the pun), I think he took Annie and Noah in out of kindness, I thought it was sad when he said she was his only friend.

They have just been caught up in it all. And now all their secrets and lies are being exposed. The sons gambling debts, the fact his father knew he was stealing money off him, the fact that the elder one was jealous of Annie and Noah and thought his father was in love with her. Their world is now falling apart, and he's now killed his son.

This all sounds plausible.

What murder at the start. I can't remember. I'll need to rewatch

RandomersAssociation · 22/11/2024 11:32

The ill daughter’s mother made it clear there was no relevant need for the daughter to be there - and that her health wasn’t improving. So it seemed to me the father had used her condition as a reason for moving to Shetland (peace and quiet and fresh air, etc) in order to cover his own nefarious dealings.

But I can see that she might be being drugged with whatever the evil facility people used on elderly camper van guy. In which case her father is under pressure to stay until whatever is going on is completed.

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