No, You Haven't Heard of It, but Watch Shetland Anyway

Sometimes my mom gets things absolutely right.  Finding and advocating strongly for Shetland, a BBC police drama set on Scotland's Shetland Islands, was one of those times.  I have no idea how or why it ended up in her Netflix queue, but I'm thankful for the algorithm that let her find it.  Things are happening on those dreary islands, and I'm having a great time watching from far away.

Shetland--whose fourth season premieres on the BBC in December--is based on a series of novels by Ann Cleeves and stars Douglas Henshall as the handsome backwater everyman detective Jimmy Perez.  Why a Scotsman is named Perez remains a mystery to me, but I'll accept it if it means I get to watch him and his partner Detective Sargent Allson McIntosh (effectively played by Alison O'Donnell) solve the surprising number of murders that affect this otherwise idyllic corner of the United Kingdom.  Their accents and those of their fellow actors are solidly Scottish, which means I don't understand more than about 65% of the dialogue, but it's not a problem. The show effectively tells its story anyway.

One of the best tests of any piece of entertainment is whether it leaves its audience wanting more, in any form, and Shetland clears that hurdle with room to spare.  It's definitely going to send me in search of the books that provide its source material, and I have already added the Shetland Islands to my list of travel objectives.  The islands appear to have no sunny days, ever, very few trees, and only a few more people, but those idiosyncrasies have some appeal.  Because even if they're glum, dull, and unattractive--which seems extremely unlikely--there's going to be plenty of good peaty Scotch to tide me over.

The next time you have a gap in your tv binging schedule, watch Shetland.  You'll like it, I promise, or I will refund every cent you paid to read this post.  It turned out entertaining enough that I have been DVRing network premiere week just so I can finish up the most recent season.  Jimmy Perez, I raise a glass in your honor!  If I get into any trouble on your island, I hope you're there to search for the truth and restore justice and honor to their proper places.