Loved Seasons 1 - 7 of Shetland that had it all -- a great lead/character; excellent supporting cast/characters; interesting storylines; along with natural character development woven into the stories.
But cut to Season 8, and not only did the series lose its central character, but much of the supporting elements that made the previous 7 seasons so compelling.
Doug Henshall's character of Jimmy Perez gave the series an admirable hero -- honest; committed to doing the right thing; realistic, with wisdom gained through experience; committed to his work; smart; caring; and purposeful. You wanted to see Jimmy and his team overcome challenges and succeed in solving not only their cases, but also their personal struggles.
In contrast, the Ruth Calder character is dishonest; manipulative; selfish; reckless; incompetent; and irrational/emotional. As likeable as Jimmy Perez was, is how unlikeable the Ruth Calder character is. If DI Ruth is intended as a Jimmy Perez stand-in/replacement ... it simply doesn't work ... plus she lies to Tosh! Because the DI Ruth character is so problematic, she also doesn't bond with the existing Perez team and the team dynamic that used to be so strong is gone. Ashley Jensen is receiving a lot of criticism for her portrayal, but that may be misplaced, as the DI Ruth character is truly awful and as such, she doesn't have much to work with.
Another miss was in not developing the Tosh character, who would have been the worthy and natural successor to Perez. Tosh shares the same character traits that made Perez a hero. Up to this season, the audience has watched Tosh grow under Perez's direction and it would have been interesting to watch her continued journey in taking over the team and seeing how she would develop her skills in solving complex cases.
Another miss -- the absence of Julie Graham -- although her role was generally limited, her Rhona Kelly, procurator fiscal character was smart and professional -- a memorable foil for Perez. The Harry Lamont character now fulfilling this role was in contrast, silly and annoying.
If there is a Season 9, I hope the writers return to the core characters/cast and develop them -- nurturing the seeds planted by Jimmy Perez.
But cut to Season 8, and not only did the series lose its central character, but much of the supporting elements that made the previous 7 seasons so compelling.
Doug Henshall's character of Jimmy Perez gave the series an admirable hero -- honest; committed to doing the right thing; realistic, with wisdom gained through experience; committed to his work; smart; caring; and purposeful. You wanted to see Jimmy and his team overcome challenges and succeed in solving not only their cases, but also their personal struggles.
In contrast, the Ruth Calder character is dishonest; manipulative; selfish; reckless; incompetent; and irrational/emotional. As likeable as Jimmy Perez was, is how unlikeable the Ruth Calder character is. If DI Ruth is intended as a Jimmy Perez stand-in/replacement ... it simply doesn't work ... plus she lies to Tosh! Because the DI Ruth character is so problematic, she also doesn't bond with the existing Perez team and the team dynamic that used to be so strong is gone. Ashley Jensen is receiving a lot of criticism for her portrayal, but that may be misplaced, as the DI Ruth character is truly awful and as such, she doesn't have much to work with.
Another miss was in not developing the Tosh character, who would have been the worthy and natural successor to Perez. Tosh shares the same character traits that made Perez a hero. Up to this season, the audience has watched Tosh grow under Perez's direction and it would have been interesting to watch her continued journey in taking over the team and seeing how she would develop her skills in solving complex cases.
Another miss -- the absence of Julie Graham -- although her role was generally limited, her Rhona Kelly, procurator fiscal character was smart and professional -- a memorable foil for Perez. The Harry Lamont character now fulfilling this role was in contrast, silly and annoying.
If there is a Season 9, I hope the writers return to the core characters/cast and develop them -- nurturing the seeds planted by Jimmy Perez.
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