This episode of Shetland begins in London in 2011. Annie Bett (Sarah MacGillivray) enters a pub where she meets Euan Rossi (Ian Hart). Annie says she’s thinking about it because she’s not sure she’s cut out for his world. Rossi says this is about analysis. He explains she’s already helped with the encryption exercise they sent her last month. His team has been tracking a man who is planning on bombing a number of government buildings. Rossi says they’re going to arrest him. Nearby, a man is thrown to the floor and taken into custody as Annie watches. In the present, Noah Bett (Jacob Ferguson) wakes up after urinating his bed. Ian Bett (Robert Jack) finds him and tries to help. In Rossi’s room, Ruth Calder (Ashley Jensen) and Alison ‘Tosh’ McIntosh (Alison O’Donnell) talk about Rossi playing detective.

Tosh wonders if Rossi would’ve told them if he knew who killed Annie and Bergen. Ruth isn’t sure about that and worries he could be doing more than playing cop. Ruth says they need to get to the airport because Harding is flying in for a classified briefing. Outside, DC Sandy Wilson (Steven Robertson) tells them that the manager hasn’t seen Rossi since yesterday. His rental car is parked down the street. Meanwhile, Rossi tries to find a car to steal. He notices a man getting out of a work van so he steals it. Rob Harding (Michael Higgs) arrives moments later and joins Ruth and Tosh. Rob tells them about Rossi’s work and how he set up an intelligence team. In 2013, Annie was working for Rossi when she received a tip that someone was passing on classified information. Rossi and Annie set up a sting operation to catch that individual. Something went wrong and Annie got shot. The target was never identified, but they were likely a foreign operative.

Intelligence suggested that the person responsible was Nordic. An internal investigation determined that Annie was to blame for the failure. It was alleged that she went in without backup and tried to bag the target on her own. Brutus was the reason Annie was discharged from the service. That’s the code name they gave the target. Rob says they’ll be dealing with another body if Rossi finds the killer. In London in 2013, Annie visits Rossi who hides that he’s been drinking. Annie tells him that it’s happening tonight at Gainsborough Flats. Brutus should be in position in the next few hours. Rossi goes to the bathroom to snort drugs. He tells Annie she should be there when they catch Brutus. Annie reminds him she’s not trained for that. Ian gets Noah ready for the event and tells him what’s going to happen. Ruth and Tosh tell Harry Lamont (Tibu Fortes) about Rossi. Billy McCabe (Lewis Howden) says they circulated Rossi’s details.

He says a delivery van was stolen and the description of the suspect sounded like Rossi. Cora McLean (Anne Kidd) tells Tosh she just got an email from someone at the National Ballistic Lab. The bullet removed from Bergen matched a bullet from a separate case in Manchester last year. It’s likely the bullets were fired from the same weapon. The other shooting was a drive-by in Salford with no fatalities. The gunman hasn’t been identified. Sandy is tasked with finding out who the SIO is. Harry tells them that Stefan and Mohan were charged and bailed. Ruth mentions that Stefan was on some kind of watchlist. She suggests Stefan could be Brutus. Tosh tells Ruth about Tara being at the hospital with Annie when Bergen took Astrid there. Annie supposedly got spooked when the Jakobsons showed up. They agree to check on the Jakobson family. Stefan (Johannes Lassen) learns he can’t leave because of the conditions of his bail.

Euan Rossi approaches the house while Karin (Nathalie Merchant) speaks to Astrid. They talk about whether Stefan might go to prison. Rossi attacks Stefan. Ruth tells Tosh that Stefan was posted at the Swedish embassy in London at the same time Annie Bett was shot. They arrive and find out that Stefan has been attacked and Karin has been kidnapped. When Ruth about his time at the embassy, Stefan says he was part of a trade and finance delegation. He insists the only interesting part of that was meeting Karin who was the defense attaché. Ruth goes outside to tell Tosh that Karin was Brutus. In a flashback, Rossi and Annie wait for Brutus. She begins telling him about back home. In the present, Rossi removes Karin from the truck. He walks her down to the beach. Ruth calls Sandy to ask for backup. He tells her there’s been a sighting of the stolen van at St Ninian’s Beach. Rossi forces Karin to get on her knees. He suggests she thought it was all behind her until she recognized her. Rossi calls her Rosa and Karin Hellqvist. He goes through her history serving her country.

Ruth and Tosh just happen to find the van. They see Rossi holding Karin at gunpoint. Rossi accuses Karin of going after Annie a second time. When Tosh and Ruth distract him, Karin pushes Rossi and takes his gun. Ian and Noah meet Reverend Alan Calder (Steven Miller). Alan says everyone who loved Annie will be together. They all go into the church. Donnie Russell (Angus Miller) tells the others that Tosh wanted to be there but couldn’t get time off work. At the station, Ruth and Tosh say Karin claims to have no idea why Rossi kidnapped her. Karin went back to Sweden after Annie was shot, but there’s nothing to link her to Annie or Euan. Rossi is interviewed. He won’t tell them why he kidnapped Karin. Ruth asks if Karin is Brutus. They also discuss why Rossi hired Annie. When asked about the operation, Rossi says Annie found out the truth about what he really was, unexceptional. In a flashback, Rossi got out of the car to use more drugs.

Annie got out to check on him. That’s why Brutus decided to move. Rossi says he hid at that moment. Brutus shot Annie and fled. Rossi admits he lied to get the operation blamed on Annie. He says Annie’s voicemail was a code he told her to use if she was ever in danger. Rossi figured the trouble she was in had something to do with her past. He says he needed to do something for Annie to give her some justice. Michael Stack (Andrew John Tait) and Noreen Stack (Lesley Hart) talk to Alan about moving Lisa Friel (Tara Lee) in. Alan says she’s sleeping in the campervan until Angus gets back on his feet. He’s warned that Lisa will turn on him eventually. In private, Ian tells Donnie that Noah started wetting the bed again. He isn’t sure what to do. Karin complains about her treatment. She denies shooting Annie Bett and everything else. Ruth asks her where she was on the night Annie and Anton were killed. Karin claims she was at home and she didn’t leave at any point.

Ruth tells her what Annie thought. Seconds later, Ruth speaks to Harry about Karin’s claims. Harry tells them to prove that Karin wasn’t at home. Lisa talks to Alan about not having statues. She asks if he thinks God makes people bad. Alan thinks they make that choice. Lisa says things just happen sometimes. She decides to stay when Alan leaves to check on Angus. Sandy finds out that Karin made numerous calls to Stefan on the night of the murders. She was online that night. The IP address proves Karin was active online until about 2 a.m. Tosh begins doubting that Karin killed them. Ruth tells Karin that they will be looking into her time in London. The agent will find whatever she may be hiding. In private, Tosh tells Ruth that Donnie feels she’s been a bit hard on some of their pals. Ruth admits it’s hard being involved with someone in the force. Ruth speaks to Rossi and tells him Karin couldn’t have been at the Croft that night.

She insists they’ll get Karin if she was Brutus. Ruth tells him he needs to let go of his shame. Rossi explains why he can’t get over what happened. Tosh speaks to Donnie at home. Donnie tells her that he’s proud of her. In a flashback, Rossi tells Annie that he can go back and tell them the truth. Annie says it’s time to go home. Noah has a nightmare and gets mad at Ian. Ruth comes over to speak to Noah about his bad dream. Noah says he is in the Croft with his mom and it’s chasing them. Noah goes on to say the lizard is chasing them. His mom tries to hide him, but the lizard always catches and eats him. Sandy calls Tosh to say he spoke to the SIO in the Manchester drive-by shooting. Cora was right. They never caught the shooter, but they were looking at a man named Kyle Frost. Sandy sends her a picture of the man. Tosh wants a unit to meet her at the Seaman’s Mission because she’s seen this man before.

Ruth talks to Ian about getting Noah a psychologist. Ian admits it’s hard to know what to do. When he asks about the case, Ruth will only say that they’re making progress. She wants to tell him some things about Annie and her past. Tosh and Sandy go looking for Kyle Frost (Killian Coyle). When he sees them, he tries to escape without being caught. Tosh sees him. Kyle tries to flee. He stops and asks what this is about. Kyle is taken into custody moments later. Ian tells Ruth that is a lot to process. He explains Noah asked him to call her. Ruth makes it back to the station where Kyle is being interviewed about the Manchester shooting. He moved to Shetland about nine months ago because he fancies a change. Tosh tells him about the gun and its connection to the double murder. Kyle refuses to cooperate. On Friday, he claims he was at the mission DJing until about three in the morning. Sandy pulls Tosh out.

Sandy says he’s just been through Kyle’s socials. He got photos of him in Manchester and on the Isles. Sandy shows Tosh and Ruth a picture of Kyle with Lisa Friel. Meanwhile, Lisa remains at the church.

 

Shetland Review

The fifth episode of Shetland did very little to pull this whole thing together and make the season worthwhile. Instead, it was more nonsense upon more nonsense to the point that this series is certifiably flushable. The whole idea that there are spies running around Shetland is dumb in and of itself. The handling of those spies is equally stupid.

The fifth episode is basically a cancelable offense. If the show isn’t going to improve on what was here previously, there’s no reason to keep it going. The direction it’s heading certainly isn’t good and it doesn’t appear that anyone is watching at this point anyway. Truthfully, this episode was drivel.

All the flashbacks with Rossi and Annie were corny and never managed to make us genuinely care about those characters. Then, Rossi’s actions were idiotic thanks to the stupid script. He’s supposed to be this intelligent spy, but he made countless mistakes and set himself up for disaster.

First, he steals a distinguishable vehicle that’s sure to be spotted from a mile away. Then, he takes Karin to a public place in that vehicle instead of switching vehicles. Midway through the hostage situation, Karin outmaneuvers him and nearly shoots him. It’s equally corny that Sandy just receives a tip that conveniently leads Tosh and Ruth to the man they’re man they’re looking for.

Not to mention that some of the performances are not strong at all. The series should be a clear-cut sign that Shetland needs to end. The fifth episode scores a 3.5 out of 10. Recaps of Shetland can be found here. Find out how to support our independent site at this link. Learn more about advertising with us here. Join the discussion here.