Shetland

I discovered 'Shetland' while clicking around on the media streamer XBMC late tonight. I became an instant fan. It delivers: plot, intrigue and suspense. There is lots of room for arm chair detective work. So many possibilities to look at. Is it power? Is it money? Is it about an old love or a new love? Is it an old feud that's gone on for generations and finally came to it's breaking point? Or is it simply an accident? One thing is for sure, there is a dead body and a detective who is on the case. He is skilled and insightful.

The Shetland landscape is beautiful, peaceful, isolated and full of history. It is as important to the story as any of the people. I look forward to the 2014 season.

I appreciate this type of crime story so much. For me the British deliver the best treatment of a murder mystery. This is the way to tell this type of story. The touch of Sherlock Holmes' creative mind and a land where intrigue and power struggles have been the way things were done since Merlin was learning magic. It grips my imagination, allows the me to be right there with the detective, looking right over his shoulder. Hurrah for the advent of media streaming. Now I really can always find something good to watch.

The recipe for comfort-detective-television is well established, starting with a community that is close-knit, picturesque and cursed with an improbably high murder rate, and adding a brooding, lonely, middle-aged male detective. And to an extent, 'Shetland' is pure formula milk. But there's something in the spectacular landscape that makes the stories affecting; and even if the role is thin, Douglas Henshall manages to invest it with a convincing, emotional gravitas that goes beyond what's written in the script. The plots aren't too bad either, although the low-key style (reiminiscent of the BBC version of 'Wallander') tends to defuse their dramatic effect. If allowed to run too long, this series will doubtless stale; but for the moment, it's still feels fresh, and as raw as the harsh Shetland climate.

I loved this series! The characters are multi-dimensional, the plots are always very suspenseful without being gruesome. I saw someone else say the show sometimes moved slow (although enjoyable) and I would say the pace is perfect because the viewer is allowed to think alongside DI Perez. The acting is superb. So is the cinematography. I am so looking forward to the next season as it's become a favorite in my household!

Shetland is just a ferry away from Aberdeen, where I had worked briefly for a period of time which is partly why I adore this television series. However, on it's own Shetland has had some incredibly complicated plots and the central characters to the plot are the ones you can identify with and care for as they try to bring a logical end to every case with good old school police work. I am a fan of Douglas Henshall as he plays DI Perez so convincingly and with an amazing depth that does at times compare with the best characters I have ever seen on TV or Film. Frankly, I cannot remember a single bad episode of Shetland unlike so many other TV series which are not quite as good throughout. Highly recommended for attentive TV viewing.

The 6 episode second season is a gripping, complex tale with not just the one murder that starts it, but eventually a handful. Characters and plot are introduced and revealed bit by bit, in a way that keeps you wanting more.

It is like three or four different onions that are peeled back one at a time, you just are never sure which one is being peeled, and whether it is a good one or a bad one. Eventually they start to come together, but never in quite the way you might have guessed. The ultimate denouement is action packed - right up to the last 10 minutes of the series.

Then the whole plot is revealed in a highly improbable manner in a monologue by a single character, with even a key fact being announced when the character could have had no knowledge of it. So disappointing after such a riveting series. I was ready to rate the series a 10 until the last 10 minutes. But don't let this deter you from watching it - other than that the show is really good.