Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
Cast: Douglas Henshall, Alison O’Donnell, Steve Robertson, Anneika Rose, Julie Graham, Lewis Howden, Erin Armstrong, Anne Kidd, Shauna Macdonald, Andrew Whip, Patrick Robinson, Laurie Brett, Stuart McQuarrie, Alexandra Finnie, Connor McCarry, Angus Miller, Lucianne McEvoy, Ladi Emeruwa, Grant O’Rourke.
Disasters such as The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill in 1986, the Sea Empress crashing into the sound at Milford Haven, and The Taylor Oil Spill in The Gulf of Mexico, just a pinch of the disasters that have threatened the eco system around the world in the life time of us all, and yet everyday tragedies leave the local populace and the wildlife that shares the spaces with humanity looking at ruin, feeling the pain of mankind’s folly, and even death.
The seventh series of Shetland, adapted and enlarged from the excellent novels by Ann Cleaves, had already been let slip that it would be the last to star the indomitable spirit of Douglas Henshall and his stoic character of Detective Inspector Jimmy Pérez, and the viewer would be prepared for perhaps one of those television moments where the lead is given a send-off that strikes at the heart of the long-time fan and armchair detective alike
Environment, the islands of Shetland, and that of the great detective, they are products of a time when respect was at the heart of the matter, when time and people meant more than big business and rules that were designed to destroy rather than help; it is to environment that Shetland, like all the islands that make up the U.K. its own special place with nature and location is paramount, the preservation of cliff and fauna, the biodiversity, all are required to be saved and treated with respect, and so to the ideals of law enforcement when applied by one who knows and understands the people, the land, as much anyone.
Shetland is more than just the tale of Jimmy Pérez, it is a community, and yet the makers are also aware of just how central to theme of a microsystem the detective is, how he is regarded with absolute pride by many, and those that go out of their way to hurt, to damage the fragility of the natural world, deserve more than just a heart filled with pain and compassion. Shetland, like Guernsey, like the Isle of Man, and all the islands in between, rely on community in ways that a large city could appreciate; it is the fine balance between order and destruction that the seventh series exemplifies and brings great insight to.
Alongside terrific performances by Alison O’Donnell, Steve Robertson, Patrick Robinson, and Laurie Brett, the fitting finale, set against murder and lies, sees Douglas Henshall reiterate his value as one of the great, and often underappreciated, detectives made for the small screen; his timing, the sheer and concise way that he brings emotion to the part marks him out as an all time great…and yet the show will continue without him, for as with all precious eco-systems, the chance to evolve is always there to be witnessed.
A terrific end, but a new beginning also, Shetland continues to be a pinnacle of storytelling.
Ian D. Hall