Shetland S02e01 R5 May 2026

As Perez and his team — including DS Alison “Tosh” McIntosh (Alison O’Donnell) and DC Sandy Wilson (Steven Robertson) — begin their investigation, suspicion immediately falls on Magnus Bain (Brian Cox), an elderly, reclusive neighbour with a history of mental illness. Magnus was the last person seen with Catherine on the night she disappeared. However, Perez is cautious: the case echoes an unresolved disappearance from the 1990s — that of a teenage girl named Catriona Bruce.

A slow-burn, character-driven start to Series 2. Brian Cox is superb as the tragic, misunderstood Magnus. The pacing is deliberate — more Morse than Line of Duty — but the final act lands a powerful emotional punch. New viewers can jump in here, though returning fans will appreciate deeper nods to Perez’s backstory. shetland s02e01 r5

The episode opens with a haunting image: a young woman’s body is discovered in a shallow peat grave near the isolated Ravenswick estate on Shetland. DI Jimmy Perez (Douglas Henshall) is called to the scene. The victim is identified as 18-year-old Catherine Ross, who vanished two weeks earlier after leaving a local dance. As Perez and his team — including DS

Here’s a concise write-up for Shetland Season 2, Episode 1 (as broadcast in the UK as Episode 1 of Series 2, often labeled “Raven Black” Part 1 or simply S02E01). BBC One / UK crime drama A slow-burn, character-driven start to Series 2

: ★★★★☆ (4/5) — exemplary mood and performance, if slightly unhurried. Would you like a spoiler-heavy summary of the full episode’s resolution, or a comparison to the Ann Cleeves novel Raven Black ?