Shetland's explosive cliffhanger leaves key character in limbo

In the season 7 premiere, we also discovered that Duncan has no plans to return to the islands following his release from prison, signalling the end of Mark Bonnar's time on the show.

And in a shocking turn of events, we might now be bidding adieu to another character following a dramatic moment at the end of episode 3.

With Connor still missing, Tosh volunteered to check out a location that could deliver some key evidence, and possibly even Connor himself. Jimmy offered to go in her place but she was happy to fly solo on that occasion, and off she went.

She was directed to the ruins of an old building "out in the middle of nowhere", behind which was a caravan that had seen better days. On entering and surveying the scene, Tosh deduced that it was "Connor's safe place".

Earlier in the episode, his sister Abbie had informed Jimmy that when the family lived in Glasgow, her brother had become embroiled in drug dealing in an effort to protect their dad Danny, who was in prison at the time. If Connor wanted his dad to remain safe, he'd have to comply with their terms and conditions.

During her search, Tosh rang Jimmy to give him an update but while she was on the phone, the detective accidentally activated a tripwire. As the timer began its countdown, she desperately tried to escape but the caravan door was locked, refusing to budge.

She then moved to a window but again, it would not open, her time almost up.

In the closing moments, the bomb detonated, with Tosh nowhere to be seen. The caravan's door and windows were also firmly shut, indicating that she had remained trapped inside and had died during the blast.

But there is a chance she managed to escape, just in the nick of time. We left her for a few seconds, with the camera panning to a powerless Jimmy, before jumping back to Tosh's predicament. Could she have found another exit and clawed herself to safety?

Viewers will certainly hope so given Tosh's integral role and the fact that she would be leaving behind her new baby and Donnie, who she locked horns with the last time they spoke.

Shetland isn't afraid to test its audience's mettle, but this would feel like a particularly cruel twist, especially in light of Jimmy's leave.

Shetland season 7 continues on Wednesday 31st August on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Ann Cleeves's Shetland novels are available to buy now. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what's on tonight.

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