This time, the setting is such a rare place as the Shetland Islands, so the series is called Shetland. The main character of the series - Detective Inspector Jimmy Perez (Douglas Henshall) returned to Shetland, from one of the islands of which he is from, after the death of his wife, from whom he has a adopted daughter Cassie, in connection with which he has to communicate with her rather unlucky father. Perez himself, like many successful detectives, can be said to take his work too seriously, because of which he often does not develop relationships with people, especially with women who could become close to him, but who sometimes fall under the shadow of suspicion during the investigation of crimes, which ultimately alienates them from him, although he himself does not much seek close relationships. By nature, he is a fair man, always tries to maintain objectivity, but sometimes his kindness fails him, as a result of which he can not immediately see the criminal. But in the end, he still finds them, albeit by a difficult way, the reason for which is the specificity of the islands, where many know each other and are often tied together by informal connections, because of which they do not see criminals who are their friends. In police circles, too, as usual, not everything and not always clean. The series, as they say, for fans of the genre. It is interesting to look at the characters, who are sometimes quite different from other Britons – they are more emotional, sometimes unbridled and even more addicted to hot drinks. The landscapes of the islands are also peculiar – bare hilly terrain, sometimes without a single tree on the horizon, which reminded me of Mongolia, which once happened to live, from which, however, it is advantageous for the presence of the sea.
The series takes place in the Shetland Islands. Detective Jimmy Perez, born in Shetland, returns home after a long absence. It's so clumsy ' official' synopsis from Kinopoisk. And if I hadn’t read it, I wouldn’t have realized that Perez came back from somewhere – it doesn’t matter at all.
In fact, the series is an investigation of many different crimes committed in the Shetland Islands - from local murders to mafia riots and kidnappings. Detective Jimmy Perez is a quiet, kind and polite person with extraordinary intuition and professional bulldog acumen, ready to suspect everyone for the sake of establishing the truth.
The series, especially in the first seasons, can seem boring - somehow everything is calm and the landscapes are dull. The Northern temperament leaves an imprint on the manner of narration. After the next season, I felt that I was tired of watching, so I was distracted by other films, but when I continued ' Shetland', I was surprised to feel that I had returned home - close people with whom I had experienced so much, some kind of Home ' the atmosphere of the events. Therefore, you should not watch many series at once - the saturation of what is happening pretty loads the viewer, but still want to quickly find out what will happen next.
' Shetland' appeared in the recommendations after viewing 'Detective Wisting' and conquered from the first frames of the stingy northern beauty. There was such a genre in Soviet art: harsh realism. That's exactly what he is here. Beautiful living people, endless expanses of the North Sea, no fuss. The film is about the main thing: about the fact that people need to be human, about work, about a difficult and not at all fabulous life, about what happiness is and what the truth is.
To all who are tired of the allotted, noisy, swift and worthless, I definitely recommend.
The actors are doing brilliantly.
In the fifth season, some women, however, really behave strangely and therefore look unnatural, and the plot is somehow excessive, or what, but even this can be forgiven.
Shetland Islands - the closest to the concept ' Extreme North' in the UK both geographically and psychologically. A little more than 23 thousand people live on the archipelago, there is always bad weather, and in summer there are white nights. Locals work on Norwegian drilling platforms, and for many families, the main pride is the trawler larger than the neighboring fishing boat.
Against this background, where everyone knows, and where one careless word can spoil relations for several generations, the action unfolds ' Shetland' - a Scottish (not British!) detective with Douglas Henshall as the head of the local threat squad, Detective Inspector Jimmy Perez. His small team has to understand the passions, sometimes pushing on the cruelty of local residents, and at times - try to cut off the tentacles of organized crime hydra climbing on the islands. And to solve their own problems - where without them?
' Shetland' deserves to see it. The first two seasons are an adaptation of three novels by writer Anne Cleaves, followed by original plots (one per season). The detective is interesting and fascinating, although in some places and not without logical holes.
The characters and actors are all in their place. It is especially gratifying that the role to the brain of the bones of the local detective constable Wilson was picked up by a native of the Shetland Islands Stephen Robinson. You really believe he is in this close community.
The series is very beautiful visually. Although filmed mostly in Scotland, but the views of the archipelago are real. One of the filming locations is Henshall's hometown of Barhead - like the character who returned before the plot began from Glasgow to Lerwick, he came to work from the big city to his home. It probably affects the atmosphere.
In general, this is a pleasant, leisurely series, moderately tough, moderately gloomy and moderately beautiful. I recommend it.
I found out about the existence of the series by accident and immediately rushed to watch. I love British detectives, and here in the north of Scotland is a dream, not a TV series.
The main character - Inspector Perez - inspires confidence, he is confident, caring and strict. Pay attention to his gait, this slowness is amazing. I haven't seen Douglas Henshall before, maybe it's his walk, but in Shetland it's something amazing. Almost like Yul Brynner.
The inspector’s staff are also very good guys: hardworking and executive Sandy, smart Tosh and Billy, who seems to sit in the ward all day long. There is another family: the daughter and father of the daughter. The daughter does not let the inspector get bored outside of work, and the father of the daughter, he regularly gives the inspector a light.
The plots of the first two seasons are taken from the books of the English writer Anne Cleaves, then - the fantasy of the writers. And that, unfortunately, is the ailment of the series. From the third season it became the standard BBC Drama, which riveted on British television in a variety. Shetland suddenly became indistinguishable from Broadchurch and other brethren. No book plots tried to take the investigation outside the Shetland Islands and it was in vain. All the charm of the series is in the isolation of space, in the fact that people, defendants in the case, so to speak, all know each other. And Perez knows them all. And that is why they lose their temper at the mere glance of his interrogation.
And every season, women hang themselves on Perez and it looks so implausible that it's awkward to watch. On the hero-lover inspector does not pull at all. Although, perhaps, the fact is that very aggressive women are discharged by writers. This is also true of modern British television.
In the end, I liked Shetland, the first two seasons for sure. Mainly because of the main character, mind-blowing landscapes and Scottish accent. But the fifth season I watched with difficulty, we will see what happens next.
I love British detectives for living uncooked characters who have freckles, doubts and problems. You believe Detective Jim Perez, he is the right policeman, wants to protect the innocent, takes into account the feelings of people, craves justice for the victims. The first two seasons of the investigation case takes two series, in the third and fourth it already covers the whole season.
In this series, crime is just a reason to talk about a person. “The burden of human passions” – such an epigraph would come to him. Any crime, like a stone thrown into the water, forms circles of consequences that change the lives of many. Each new version increases the range of suspects and possible motives. Modern crimes are often associated with some terrible incident in the past.
The topics of domestic violence, distrust, harassment, rejection of the unlike of others, the desire to hide the real criminal, substituting the innocent, betrayal of loved ones.
The plot is quite dynamic, accelerates towards the end of the investigation, many unexpected plot twists and intersections, sometimes the ending is stunning. The acting is excellent, in a couple of minutes of dialogue with Perez from a self-confident influential cold-blooded type, the suspect turns into a pathetic devoid of self-control and the position of nothingness, whose motives are as insignificant as himself.
There will be a lot of conversations and flights, it is still an island, there are few people, there is not enough communication. It is the dialogue that will be the basis for the development of the plot.
I recommend the series to those who prefer films without hand-to-hand combat and liters of blood, but with a tense plot and the disclosure of heart secrets.
10 out of 10
Somewhere in the northeast of the UK is the Shetland Islands archipelago. There is a harsh nature, cold summer and no Marks & Spencer. But there is an ocean, amazing rocks and even a sense of freedom transmitted through the screen.
And yet, according to the series, there lives and works Detective Inspector Jimmy Perez - a very talented policeman, without any habits of detective genius, but perfectly knows his job and knows how to organize his small, very smart team. It consists of Sergeant Alison McIntosh, who is absolutely characteristic of unhealthy cynicism and the opportunity to come to work in a cruel hangover, Constable Sandy Wilson - a local guy trying to find a place in life, and duty on the station Billy, whose positive attitude and dog add to the series touching human notes.
The serious, even slightly heavy tone of the series is supported by good script decisions. The cases that the heroes investigate are involved in difficult interpersonal relationships. Sometimes people feel trapped in a small community of islands, and murder becomes their only option. The original detective story is not easy to come up with, but the creators managed to make each of them atmospheric, very specific and completely in harmony with the entire surrounding environment. The first two seasons are built on the principle of "2 series - 1 case", starting with the third using one story arc for the whole season (less successful move, in my opinion).
Magnificent views of the tough northern nature also add to the sensations. Almost every landscape you want to put on the screensaver of a computer screen and admire without stopping. The sea, beaches, forests, small stone streets of coastal cities – all this is shown with such love that we feel for this place together with the main character. This gives us a better understanding of his inner world. The harsh nature of the Shetlad Islands surprisingly accurately reflects the harsh nature of the people living on them.
Douglas Henshall with a face carved out of stone surprisingly accurately fit into the role of Jimmy Perez. We see a living person, with his problems, with his credo, with his attitude to work. This is an absolutely accurate hit in the hero for this series. He is especially good when he shows care and emotion. Alison O'Donnell's "Tosh" is exaggeratedly caricatured on the one hand, and incredibly convincing on the other. It would seem that this image should be negative (in every series in the police department there is such a contagion). But no: Tosh has risen to sergeant, she does a great job, Perez trusts her a lot and cares about her as a daughter. By the way, from the cast I want to single out Erin Armstrong as the daughter of Perez Cassie – a well-written image, whole to show the other side of Jimmy’s life. The actress managed to get into the tone of the series, and at the same time somehow she makes it lighter.
In spirit and structure, the series is largely reminiscent of classic British detectives. So if you like Castle and CSI, you probably won’t like it. If you prefer Broadchurch and Endeavor, I highly recommend making Shetland next on the watch list.
You can watch a geographical film about the Shetland Islands. And you can have a detective story, where the action takes place in the Shetland Islands; the second one is even more fascinating to some extent.
The main character - investigator Perez - is clearly a descendant of a sailor of the Great Armada, who crashed while bypassing the UK after a storm. One of the plots is associated with the occupation of Norway by the Germans in the Second World War. The islands lie on the way from Norway to Iceland (via the Faroe Islands).
So the history of geography is enough here.
From the point of view of the detective – perhaps the plot is not as dynamic as in thrillers; but maybe this is the main feature of Shetland?
So the spectacle is not exciting, but informative. Such an ethnographic detective, of which many have been released recently. Yes, you'll also visit Edinburgh.
After watching the series “Primitive” and “Silence” found another series with Douglas Henshell.
Here he, in contrast to "Heart will not command", again plays a harsh, wordless detective.
A courageous look, harsh landscapes and a kind of Scandinavian dialect like never before shade of speech.
Vikings, Jarls, Norwegians are mentioned every now and then. My weakness.
Unlike the multi-part "Crime" and "Bridge", a very convenient format - only 2 episodes.
Frankly, I immediately after it becomes known about the excavations of ancient people and the discovery of the skull, it becomes clear what the plot is.
However, in spite of everything, the question remains – who is who? Who is the traitor, who is the murderer of the traitor, or was everything not as it was presented in the archives?
The film is replete with national flavor, I don’t know, Shetland or what, I want to sit with a mug of hot tea and talk about convoys, Lendleases and the heroic Resistance, about all sorts of pioneers-navigators.
The good nature corresponds to the entourage of Icelandic sagas.
Heroes live as if between two homelands - modern Britain and the country of ancient Vikings, and exist simultaneously in two worlds - the world of American blockbusters, McDonald's and supermarkets and the timeless existence of ordinary fishermen and sailors.
It is noteworthy that all this isolation of the worldview system is emphasized in the series by the blood kinship of the majority of the inhabitants of the island. As it was in the Norwegian and in general, most of the medieval Scandinavian settlements.
Medieval Norwegians knew how to tell stories, so that it was not just another entertainment to tickle the nerves, but to preserve the connection of times, to awaken the love for their history and their homeland, so that every child felt proud of their kinship with a stunning people who lived hundreds of years ago.
Slowly “protracted story” makes it possible to penetrate the lifestyle of the inhabitants of the island, understand the genetic lines, feel the rhythm of life of the descendants of seafarers, unchanged from ancient times – cultivation of scarce land, going to sea, drying and repairing networks and long trips between the islands to get to visit.
Nature itself makes you think during these trips or long walks, about the meaning of life, about their relationships, about life, about the change of times and epochs.
Makes you look at many things not with a momentary desire to have or enjoy pleasure, but see everything from a timeless point of view.
Feeling like a small part of the historical process.
It is no coincidence that Henshell’s character points in one direction: “Norway is visible in good weather” and “Iceland is visible” in the other.
After the triumphant procession of Forbrydelsen / The Killing across the planet, the successors appear in the light of God, like mushrooms after the rain. Broen, The Shadow Line, Broadchurch, Mayday, Top of the Lake... The formula “one murder, several episodes” is now in favor, and many producers of the series loomed the prospect of riding the growing trend.
Judging by the pilot, the creators of Shetland could draw inspiration from Wallander or Wallander UK. The humid, cool, sunny climate of the Shetland Islands is the best suited to create an oppressive atmosphere of mystery. However, whether to continue watching beyond the first episode is a question of questions.
It would seem that the quality mark in the form of the acronym BBC should guarantee, and the pilot is quite authentic and atmospheric. But casting is a big doubt. The appearance of the main character is not memorable. Among the other characters, charismatics were also not noted even under a magnifying glass. Despite my love for the mystery series subgenre, this one has not yet caught on or given hope that another murder stretched out for the season is worth the time spent watching it.