BBC Shetland viewers have voiced the same grievance, with some calling for Jimmy Perez’s (portrayed by Douglas Henshall) comeback on Wednesday night.
The episode featured DI Ruth Calder (played by Ashley Jensen), who took over from Jimmy, and Tosh (Alison O’Donnell) persisting in their search for their main suspect, Ian Bett (Robert Jack) – the husband of victim Annie Bett (Sarah MacGillivray).
The investigators pondered if they were dealing with a revenge murder after an image of their second victim, Anton Bergen (Leeroy Boon), surfaced.
They also uncovered some peculiar facts about Annie, who was also a friend of Tosh’s. Prior to the discovery of Annie’s body, she and her son had been reported missing; however, when the young lad was found, he was smeared in blood, and his mother was deceased.
In another part of the episode, Tosh and Ruth also aimed to piece together the puzzle by speaking to Bergen’s employers, Karin (Nathalie Merchant) and Stefan Jakobson (Johannes Lassen), a wealthy Swedish couple who moved to Shetland six months ago and found out Bergen was a nurse to their chronically ill daughter, Astrid (Ines Asserson), reports Wales Online.
Meanwhile, a hungover Ian was discovered slumped in a deserted building, clad in blood-soaked clothes. Unable to respond to police inquiries, Ian was let go.
That is until messages on Ian’s phone left Tosh utterly shocked. However, while some viewers are enjoying the new series, others are missing the presence of Jimmy Perez.
One viewer expressed disappointment with the show’s dialogue, saying, “Is it me, or is the current series of #Shetland not a patch on previous ones? Some of the dialogue is really poor… ” Another echoed this sentiment: “Having watched #Shetland since Series 1, I can’t believe the drastic decline in quality. For me, it doesn’t work having two DIs working the case.”
A third shared a critique about the characters: “They lack the subtlety of Jimmy Perez. #shetland,” as another fan concurred, stating: “He needs to come back.”
Conversely, one person listed what they enjoyed about the series, albeit revealing they miss a certain character, by writing: “Love #Shetland. Billy and Sandy are great, like Ruth, miss Perez and adore Tosh. Just fear I’m one step away from turning into Campervan Angus….”
Another expressed a gripe regarding the show’s online availability, remarking: “I know it’s a small thing, but it really narks me that #Shetland doesn’t go on the iPlayer at 9pm like most dramas do.”
On the flip side, not everyone was critical, with a contented viewer pointing out: “One of the best #shetland episodes that. Loved it.”
Suspicion seems to be growing among some fans, with one suggesting the surprise twist could involve Annie’s son: “This better not be another one of those ‘the kid did it’ whodunnits. #Shetland. ” Another speculated, “Surely it’s not the kid who killed her?”
Actress Alison opened up to Radio Times about the intense storyline, saying: “In those moments, you stop being a copper and you just become a person. When it’s your friend lying there, covered in blood, it’s the personal stuff that really bubbles to the surface. What rushes in is, ‘What about her son? ‘ And Tosh sort of wobbles for about five seconds.
“But then she’s on the phone to Billy because you have to. And I think that’s something that you learn as a parent. Even when everything’s burning around you, you still have to be the person in charge. And so she has a very brief moment to be the friend, and then she’s got the police hat back on again, and she’s having to deal with logistics, the practicalities.”
Shetland returns on Wednesday at 9pm on BBC One.