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.

DH and MB are together again in the BBC's new adaptation of Agatha Christie's Murder is Easy - Douglas Henshall as Major Horton and Mark Bonnar as Reverend Humbleby. Coming soon!

Ooh, looking forward to that!!

I watched in catch-up yesterday.

I'm pretty sure it was Ellen at the end. It looked like her and the look on Ruth's face pretty much confirmed it I thought. She looked sad which wouldn't have been the case if it was the Young Thug. The missing red coat will be key.

Could the sheep be something to with the drug side story? Not entirely sure how mind you! No clue whatsoever what they could be about. They were being killed before the main story started though weren't they?

I enjoy Shetland. Doesn't make me want to visit as they seem to have a lot of murders and violent crime. Like Midsomer. 😂 It's beautiful and has cake fridges though. I liked the bit where Tosh said it had no trees. I'd not noticed before.

There is a "forest" slap bang in the middle of the main island, but it seems very small..

I thought the lack of coat and arranged / placed body suggested that it wasn't the London thugs - they'd have just shot her and left her, not hidden her near another dead sheep.

Mark Bonar’s character won’t be back. I think he’s in prison. Didn’t he help someone who was ill to kill themselves?

That's true about the placement of the body although Foreign
thug did put the old woman in the freezer. I seem to remember that they do like to intertwine stories and place red herrings so it could be something secondary to the main story.

On the subject of humour raised earlier, I've never seen Agatha Raisin so didn't know the new DI from that. I don't think there is anything other than small, everyday bits of humour. She's definitely not playing it as a comedy.

The mother I thought was very odd and didn't show much concern about daughter (Ellen) missing/ on island /and in danger. The father too (or step father) was very passive.

I enjoyed it but I'm much more interested in the sheep than the main plot!

They had the Tosh actress on breakfast TV this morning - she said the weather for filming this series was spectacularly good, and the crew would decamp to the beach for swimming and BBQs after filming.

It’s a great ad for Visit Scotland (apart from the astronomical murder rate).

"It's a great ad for Visit Scotland ( apart from the astronomical murder rate."

👍😂😂

Enjoyed that! Annoying we can’t binge.

Was definitely Ellen dead at the end. And it wasn’t the hitman who killer her. She was relieved when she saw the car - it was someone she was either expecting or knew. If it had been the hitman’s car she’d have run.

First assumption is that the murderer was Ellen’s friend’s partner. So that’s probably wrong.

Either the friend herself - sick of being dragged into Ellen’s chaos?

Or one of the Bains / Quinns - surely not her own father? Nor her brother (well, he can’t drive!). Her mother or grandmother?

Wildcard - Ruth Calder’s vicar brother. There has to be a reason for his sister’s suspicion around his activities with the youth walking group. And if she had been able to call anyone for help it would probably have been her ‘favourite vicar’.

He is and he did. He was tricked by arch-villain Donna Killick - brilliantly played by Fiona Bell - into helping her end her own life. She was terminally ill and seeking a way to wreak revenge on Duncan and Jimmy by implicating them. It led to Jimmy's suspension and Duncan being sent to prison in series 6 - definitely worth a watch for those who haven't seen it. Jimmy visited Duncan in prison in series 7 and Duncan said he wouldn't be returning home to Shetland when he was released. Whether that is true, only time will tell...

Awful, stopped watching

I wasn't that bothered that there was no more Perez. And looked forward to Ashley Jensen joining the cast. I am puzzled that so many only seem to know her from Agatha Raison and pre-judged her on that, as she has had a range of roles. Although it is true I liked her best in the comedy Ugly Betty where she was a really good sharp foil to "betty".

But I thought the plot line was really disappointing. Does it help that she is meant to have grown up in Shetland. It just narrows the story line down to the everybody knows everybody. And would she really "hook up" with some old boyfriend from 20 years ago. Or did I misunderstand?! (who was that actor, he's been in loads of things and I never remember his name)

Also, really unimaginative to have another plot line where there is some matriarch ordering people around. Or maybe Shetland is like that? A matriarchal society!

I appreciate that with so many crime dramas on tv it must be hard to come up with new plot lines, but a lot of this did seem to be lets just recycle what has been done before.

I definitely thought it was Ellen at the end and thought she must have recognised a family car, but if it was how come she ended up dead.

I had a brief moment of thinking it was Ellen’s young brother at the end (no red coat) but as they pulled back the person had longer hair.

There’s presumably a lot to come out about senior vicar/her Dad’s behaviour leading to the DI leaving home at 18.

I like the thought from a PP about junior vicar/her brother being involved but maybe he’s just in it for her family denouement stuff.

Lovely to be back watching that scenery!

I have only seen Ashley Jensen in Extras and After Life, so the straight man to Ricky Gervais really.

And too ex-Holly city doctors, the older baddie and the Mum at the farm.

@IwantToRetire is it Jamie Silves? Was in a 2-hander with Mark Bonnar recently, fab romp that was.

That's Michael from Annika, isn't it? Not sure if it was him or not.

@mehday Yes! No wonder he looked familiar.

It is almost as though there is a Scottish Theatre / TV troupe, and they all take it in turns to play different parts in different plays / series.

You'll probably find there is a TikTok group for younger Scottish actors complaining about being shut out by the old guard.

Still thought that brief detour into Ruth ??? (cant remember her name) was a bit yuk, but maybe we will here some past reminiscences which will maybe make it not seem so bad.

Thanks

That's Michael from Annika, isn't it?

Yes to that too! So my theory about a Scottish Troupe of actors ready to take all the roles in series north of the border seems to be right (even if I say so myself).

More questions than answers after this episode

I was pretty suspicious of AJ character's ex-boyfriend and his mate - the meeting seemed a bit contrived - could he be involved?

I think AJ's character having grown up on Shetland is to create backstory and to give her a reason to stay at the end of the case.

I think there is more backstory regarding what Ellen was doing in London honey trapping that man. Was it sheer coincidence that she was robbing a man from a drug gang when Shetland has this new design of pills suddenly flooding the market? Why run to Shetland? - prime nosy neighbour territory - when she could have used the cash to disappear more effectively in a city and not left a trail?

Also if your family is this big, tough "Blood is thicker than water" type - what was Ellen's reason for not seeking their help/protection? Why hide out under their noses and think that they won't find out?

Is Ellen's mate from the lettings agency to be trusted - or the husband?

I think the symbols on the sheep is connected to the drugs - details of shipments or drops perhaps

ps I always wanted to know whether Perez finished building his boat (from season 1)

I think the symbols on the sheep is connected to the drugs - details of shipments or drops perhaps

not a very subtle method though!

And one that encourages police scrutiny! 😀

Nice touch having the Ruth’s ex answer the door wearing a Teenage Fanclub t-shirt with Teenage Fanclub music playing. Surely, he can’t be a baddie.

good point about stealing the money and running back to shetland

Still thought that brief detour into Ruth ??? (cant remember her name) was a bit yuk,? is Ruth Ashley Jenson? or did i miss the beginning?