Tosh from Shetland did not die, but she did have a near-death experience which was the cliffhanger for episode three into episode four.
Shetland just wrapped its emotional seventh season in September 2022. The emotions were caused by the fact that lead, Douglas Henshall, who played DI Jimmy Perez, was bidding farewell to the show as he left at the end of the season.
But the series also incorporated nail-biting moments into the plots of the story.
One in particular was the near-death experience for DS Alison “Tosh” McIntosh, which was a clever cliffhanger between episodes three and four, as it was subsequently revealed that Tosh survived physically, but her mental health did take a knock from the experience.
Did DI Jimmy Perez die in Shetland?
One of the biggest questions before the seventh season of Shetland was how the story would bid actor, Douglas Henshall, farewell. Henshall’s exit was in the cards since season five when he made his intentions clear to the writers of the series.
Therefore, the series had two seasons to create an arc that would give DI Jimmy Perez the fitting exit that he deserved.
So they did not kill off the character, but instead, Perez left the force after breaking the law by letting a fugitive go, due to his belief that sometimes justice does not serve those that it is meant to serve.
Why did Tosh die in Shetland?
In episode three of season seven, DS Alison “Tosh” McIntosh discovered the isolated caravan which was rented by Connor Cairns as his art studio, but little did she know that the caravan was planted with bombs.
Therefore, when she entered the caravan, she tripped one of the triggers. Viewers watched as she struggled getting out of the caravan, which seemed impossible.
Therefore, when it seemed like Tosh did not make it out before the caravan exploded, many thought that she might be dead.
It took the airing of the episode on Wednesday, 31 August 2022, for it to be revealed that she had survived the explosion by the skin of her teeth.
While she survived physically outside of minor bruises, cuts, and a gash on her hand, mentally, in the following episode, she dealt with post-traumatic stress from the experience.
Tosh threw herself into her work in an attempt to avoid questions about the experience. But eventually she opened up about her true feelings to Donnie as she started to come back to herself after the experience.
However, this is not the first emotionally charged experience that the series has let us see Tosh go through. Season three fans watched as Tosh had to come to terms with her ordeal after she was raped. But she did heal as she found love and had a child.
Why Tosh could not die in Shetland
For many fans of Shetland, the loss of DS Alison “Tosh” McIntosh would have come as a surprise, since Douglas Henshall left the show in season seven.
This left many wanting Tosh to take over the reigns as the leader of her team and subsequently as the lead of the entire series.
Therefore, if she died, the show would have lost more than one anchor and beloved character, which may have left room for a decline in viewership in the show’s eighth season.
Perez confirms Tosh as the new leader
The season seven finale episode of Shetland cleared up a lot that was in the air when it began, the biggest of which was who was going to take over from DI Jimmy Perez as he quit the force.
This was answered during the last moments when Tosh walked in on Perez clearing his desk. Perez then let her know that she would be in charge in light of his departure.
Tosh initially rebuked this idea, suggesting that she could not do it without Perez. Fans of the series will see what happens when season eight kicks off in 2023.
Alison O’Donnell bids farewell to Jimmy Perez
It has been confirmed that season eight of Shetland is set to have a new lead. For seven seasons, fans have watched the growing relationship between DS Alison “Tosh’ McIntosh and DI Jimmy Perez, played by Alison O’Donnell and Douglas Henshall.
Seeing as Tosh survived her recent near-death experience, and she is set to return to the series for season eight, when bidding her co-star farewell, she shared with Radio Time that, “Dougie was totally amazing. He’s such an aware person. He came into the series understanding that he was the lead, and he led.”