Shetland made an epic return to the BBC this evening as it opened its ninth series with "mad" scenes. Just minutes in, fans were gripping the edge of their seats as DI Ruth Calder, played by Ashley Jensen , had her life hanging in the balance. The opening few minutes showed guns, a dead limp dead body on a kitchen floor and a police raid - and that was all before the title screen ran.
It comes as Ruth tried to talk down a jittery young man holding a shotgun over his brothers dead body. Fans on social media had mixed reviews as they watched the gripping opening scene. Posting to X/Twitter, they shared their thoughts.
One user wrote: "Well that's some opening, right into a mad scene #Shetland," while another posted: "An interesting opening for Shetland tonight #Shetland." A third theorised: "This is a really unusual opening for #Shetland. Wonder if we’re going to go back in time?" Someone else applauded the BBC crime drama writing: "Marvellous opening.
Ashley Jensen is so good. 'Are you wearing lippy?' #Shetland." It has been a year since the popular show last appeared on the BBC .
The new series follows Ruth Calder and Alison 'Tosh' McIntosh (played by Alison O'Donnell) as they are tasked with investigating a double missing persons case. When a woman, Annie Bent, goes missing with her nine-year-old son, Calder and Tosh set out on a case that blurs the line between the personal and professional, unravelling a chilling tale of disappearances and a labyrinth of an investigation.