Shetland: Season Four - Episode Five

Sandy: 'Jo, can you remember who did this to you? Was it Thomas Malone? Was it your ex-husband?'

Sandy finally managed to ask some sensible questions this week, only to be scuppered by Jo's knackered throat and the old witness-out-of-commission ploy. At least we know who gave Jo a mullering, although we're still in the dark as to whether she has any deeper involvement in the story. After the appearance of her shady can't-tell-the-truth-for-shit husband, I'm guessing so, but it was nice to see a cliffhanger with consequences.

This week's ending was also a corker. I don't for one moment believe that Duncan is guilty of anything more than inappropriate knobbing and outrageous teenage hair, but he's clearly done something, and whatever that something is must go beyond being unfaithful to Fran: otherwise, what was that guilty look towards Mary about? Could it be connected with Alan's paternity? If Duncan is Alan Killick's father, that would at least explain why he tried to warn Alan off Cassie. If Duncan knows they're siblings, it makes sense that he'd want to keep them apart. The situation's weird enough without incest raising its ugly head.

As suspected from his roadwork comment last week, Lars has been on Shetland before, and in case we weren't irritated by him enough already, he's also a xenophobe and member of the NDA. He's always had the kind of face you instinctively want to punch, but after his capture, his smugness levels went through the roof: from his nationalistic rhetoric, to repeating cliched slogans (fa dem ut), to him threatening Tosh. I'm glad Tosh stood up to him without flinching, but I wouldn't have minded seeing her and Rhona giving him a discreet kicking in his cell. With Lars now locked up, and the NDA's plans both uncovered and seemingly foiled, does this mean that Lars and the Norwegian plotline has run its course?

Stephen Walters hasn't put a foot wrong all season and was excellent again tonight. Malone's admission to teetering on the brink of suicide was expertly delivered, and, after a few dodgy episodes, drew us back to him as a character. Yes, the innocent-man-presumed-guilty trope is well worn, but I've enjoyed the complexity they've imbued Malone with, and seeing Walters bring it all to life has been a privilege. Malone's newfound desire to live the life he deserves will hopefully be the end of Malone's story: although I'd like to see his innocence acknowledged by the islanders—Drew and Molly in particular—before the series ends.

There was also some nice character stuff for the three main detectives. Sandy finally seemed to realise how unreasonable he's been toward Jo all season, right before undoing it all by jumping to unwarranted conclusions about Malone. He just wouldn't be Sandy if he wasn't taking one step forward and two steps back. And the stuff between Tosh and Perez—with Perez professing confidence in Tosh's intuition, despite her own uncertainty—was a lovely moment of warmth wrapped in anger. I haven't commented much on Doug Henshall's performance this season, mainly because he plays Perez with such subtly that he rarely stands above the story, but his body language towards MIT tonight was perfect. I've never seen such utter disdain expressed in so few words.

Obviously, bringing MIT to the island was a necessary part of the legal process, but outside of giving Perez a direction to focus his ire, I'm not sure they've added much to the story. All they've done so far is express a tacit disgust for Shetland, complain about the size of the plane, the length of the landing strip, and generally overturn the relative peace that Perez and Co. have worked hard to establish. I fully expect Perez to solve the case next week, before going on to castigate MIT for their interference, and for DI Cole to tip Perez a begrudging nod of respect before heading off back to the mainland, tail firmly between her legs. Alternately, the NDA could blow up Shetland, sink it, and bring the whole series to a spectacular end. I'm expecting the former, but praying for the latter.

Other Thoughts:

—Perez's comment about Jo telling the truth 'this time' seemed a bit harsh. Can we be certain that she was lying the other times?

—How good are Perez's eyes? Him catching that key fob was nothing short of miraculous. It also explained Lars' obsession with the footage.

—If I'd been Tosh, there's no way I'd have signed a statement written in Norwegian.

—I'm not entirely sure I buy Kate's 'Molly changed everything' shtick. The two of them just don't seem that close.

Quotes:

Sandy: 'There's nothing you can say that I haven't already thought myself.'

DI Cole: 'Do you want to know what I think?'
Malone: 'No.'

DI Cole: 'You're looking at everyone else apart from him.'
Perez: 'And you're making the same mistake that Drew McColl did.'

Malone: 'And I thought, maybe I'll just fly away. Just let myself go and fly. But I want to live. I deserve to live.'