Silent Witness delivers Line of Duty-style twist

In the opening episode, Nikki was approached by Serena, the daughter of mafia middleman Stephen Ross, with an unthinkable dilemma: kill the young woman's father or face the wrath of her captors.

"Either you kill him, or they kill me and my mother," said Serena. "And they'll get my brother, too. It's just a matter of time. And then they'll come for you."

In typical Nikki fashion, episode 2 (which is available now on BBC iPlayer) saw her own safety come second to her concern for Serena and her family, and Jack, too. Intrusive thoughts in which her lover and colleague was brutally murdered played on her mind, prompting her to create a concoction that would trigger Stephen's asthma - with deadly consequences.

But eventually her conscience won out, with Nikki doing everything in her power to ensure that he lived.

Despite Nikki's best efforts, Stephen met his match – and in a staggering twist it was National Crime Agency boss Laine Cassidy who shot him dead. She tried to put a bullet in Nikki, but Stephen used his body as a shield, sparing her life at the expense of his own.

Laine, whose real name is Ludovica, is a member of the 'Ndrangheta', mirroring the corruption prevalent in Line of Duty. Ludo and Stephen, alongside several other Italian children, were brought to the UK and raised in a religious group home.

When they came of age, the OCG used the youngsters to do its dirty work, with Ludo planted in the police force. From there, she worked her way to the top, using her insider status to influence law and order in favour of the OCG - and she wasn't the only member of law enforcement working for the mobsters.

They were dotted all over, with one of the officers transporting Nikki and Stephen to a new safe house, shooting the driver point-blank in the head.

It was a mile-a-minute opener to the latest season of the BBC drama, with both Nikki and Jack narrowly avoiding "sleeping with the fishes". But with eight episodes to go, expect plenty more where that came from.

Silent Witness continues on Monday 9th January at 9pm on BBC One. Check out more of our Drama coverage or find out what's on with our TV Guide and Streaming Guide.

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