Ashley Jensen will take over the detecting responsibilities from Douglas Henshall in Shetland season 8. In season seven, Douglas, who has been a part of the show since its inception as DI Jimmy Perez, bids the show farewell. Fortunately, Extras actor Ashley is now joining the extremely popular BBC crime drama, so the story is not over.
Ashley is collaborating on a case with Alison O’Donnell, a Shetland regular who plays Detective Inspector “Tosh” McIntosh. And based on the recently disclosed photo above, they seem like a formidable team.
Ashley Jensen plays Met Police Detective Inspector Ruth Calder, who returns to her home in Shetland in the new series in order to find a vulnerable witness to a gangland murder. In order to assist DI Ruth Calder in locating the witness before it’s too late, Tosh (Alison O’Donnell) must put a hold on her inquiry into a series of unexplained animal fatalities.
Tosh’s perception of her adopted home, however, will be put to the test by Calder’s animosity toward Shetland, and their exploration of the murkier corners of Shetland’s past and present will put this flimsy new partnership to the test.
More About The Show
Now that Jimmy Perez has formally left, he has been replaced by Shetlander-born Met Police Detective Inspector Ruth Calder. She comes back to pick up a witness to a gangland murder, which makes Tosh halt his inquiry into a series of unexplained animal fatalities.
According to the official description, “Tosh’s view of her adopted home will be challenged by Calder’s hostility toward Shetland.” Their exploration of the murkier corners of Shetland’s past and present will put this fragile new partnership to the test.
The cast of the show includes Alison O’Donnell as DS Alison ‘Tosh’ McIntosh, Steven Robertson as DC Sandy Wilson, and Lewis Howden as Sgt. Billy McCabe, Anne Kidd as Cora Mclean, Conor McCarry as PC Alex Grant, Angus Miller as Donnie, and Eubha Akilade as PC Lorna Burns.
There are also some guest appearances, which include Phyllis Logan (Guilt, Downton Abbey), Jamie Sives (Guilt, Annika), Dawn Steele (Holby City, Granite Harbour), Don Gilet (EastEnders, Sherwood), Ann Louise Ross (River City, Katie Morag), and Lorraine McIntosh (Outlander, My Name is Joe).
Recap
The Wulver, Connor’s graphic novel, was published by Jamie Neary. Jamie’s father had operated a wildlife trip business that was forced out of business due to the Braer oil leak in 1983. Jamie became involved in anti-oil activity as a result, and he met activist Catrina Johnson through her.
In 2017, Catrina, a friend of Jamie’s who worked as a photojournalist, was assassinated in South Sudan while carrying out anti-oil campaigning. Jamie’s desire to move beyond merely putting on an anti-oil publicity stunt in Shetland and detonating a bomb at an oil company headquarters was sparked by Catrina’s death. Jamie took American Bill Rogers’s infiltration of the group to heart and put their protest on a higher plane.
Jamie felt he couldn’t allow Connor to wreck the plan, so Connor confided in him when he felt uneasy about the group’s direction and wanted to call off their explosive idea. Jamie abducted and tortured Connor and Bryd after Connor, who was the group’s bomb-maker due to his experience in chemical engineering, refused to reveal to Jamie the location of the caravan that contained explosives.
Using the coconut fiber rope he had stolen from the Flett fishing boat, and he tied them up at the abandoned kirk. After killing them both, he tried to set Connor up for Bryd’s murder and stage his own suicide.
Spoilers
Following a vulnerable witness, a Met investigator makes a trip back to Shetland. Tosh and DI Ruth Calder need to work together to locate the girl before it’s too late.
Release Date & Where to Watch
Shetland Season 8 Episode 1 will air on Wednesday, November 1, 2023, at 9:00 PM PT in the US. The duration of every episode is 60 minutes. The release dates in different countries are:
- Eastern Time (Canada): 9:00 PM on Wednesday, November 1, 2023
- Greenwich Mean Time (London): 1:00 AM on Thursday, November 2, 2023
- Central European Time (Germany): 3:00 AM on Thursday, November 2, 2023
- Japan Standard Time (Japan): 10:00 AM on Thursday, November 2, 2023
- Korean Standard Time (Korea): 10:00 AM on Thursday, November 2, 2023
- Australian Standard Time (Australia): 12:00 AM on Thursday, November 2, 2023
Shetland Season 8 Episode 1 will air on BBC iPlayer.
