Scottish drama Shetland is back, with a twist – there’s no more DI Jimmy Perez and plenty of DI Ruth Calder. And the pair, at first glance, couldn’t be more different.
Fans of the BBC One show will know that Douglas Henshall quit in 2022. After almost 10 years, he said goodbye to his iconic detective character in a heartbreaking storyline. And, to be honest, I’m still pretty gutted.
Yes, I know there have been plenty of other TV shows where the lead characters have been replaced – Midsomer Murders, Silent Witness, and Death in Paradise to name a few. But, I thought Perez was the glue that kept the show together. Now, I watch a LOT of detective dramas, but there are few lead characters I’ve loved as much as Jimmy Perez.
He was kind, he worked his arse off, and he rocked that navy peacoat like no one before or since. Incase, you haven’t clicked yet, I had a crush. And him leaving the show felt like a real loss. Many tissues were needed…
No one can replace DI Jimmy Perez in Shetland
First, let’s get something out of the way. No one can ever replace DI Jimmy Perez in Shetland. There will always be a Jimmy-shaped hole in the BBC series.
He was the first. And, for some, the best. There will undoubtedly be haters who will never accept Ashley as DI Calder. But I have become a surprising convert! Hear me out.
I watched the first episode quite convinced I wouldn’t like DI Ruth Calder. Don’t get me wrong, I adore Ashley Jensen. Have loved her ever since she first grabbed my attention in Ricky Gervais’ Extras. But, well, she’s not Douglas is she?
However, the scriptwriters haven’t tried to fit Calder into Perez’s role. Like in ITV hit drama Unforgotten, DI Jessie James is a totally different character to the beloved Cassie. And that’s why it works – Perez and Calder are incomparable.
What is Perez replacement DI Ruth Calder like in Shetland?
Like DI Jessie James, DI Ruth Calder first comes across as an ice queen. She seems full of rage, and even takes a snarky pop at DS Alison ‘Tosh’ McIntosh (Alison O’Donnell). Back off Ruthie, Tosh is our Queen!
But, as you get to know her, you’ll learn that she isn’t the bitch she first appears. And she has quite the past. She’s a richly woven character, and her spiky relationship with Tosh is the onscreen duo we didn’t know we needed.
Two feisty leading ladies? Yes please!
At the time her role was announced, Agatha Raisin star Ashley Jensen said: “I am absolutely thrilled to be joining Shetland. It’s such a hugely successful show and I am aware I have very big boots to fill since the departure of DI Perez, who was very much loved by fans of the show.
“There will be a different dynamic with Ruth amongst the regular characters and a few more new interesting characters to enjoy. However, the integrity of the show and the world that has been created will remain very much in the same tone as the last seven seasons.”
As Ruth Calder replaces Perez, Shetland series is the same, but different
So Shetland continues without DI Jimmy Perez. And it’s still got all the ace cards it’s had in the past that made the show so popular in the first place.
It’s a cracking story – based on the books by Ann Cleeves – with beautiful scenery, and authentic characters. There’s a killer cast in series 8, including Dawn Steele, Don Gilet, and Phyllis Logan.
Meanwhile, Annika star Jamie Sives stars as Ruth’s old flame. So, you know, there’s still some serious eye candy available.
And, of course, Steven Robertson returns as DC Sandy Wilson, and Lewis Howden plays Sgt Billy McCabe. And dare we hope for a Perez cameo one day in the future? I mean, he didn’t die, did he?
Read more: Why did Douglas Henshall quit his role as DI Jimmy Perez in Shetland? Where is he now?
Shetland series 8 starts on Wednesday, November 01, 2023 at 9pm on BBC One.
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