There’s a particularly bittersweet return to the islands this November, as ‘Shetland‘ prepares to tackle another dark mystery while saying goodbye to one of its most beloved characters. After 13 years playing DI Alison ‘Tosh’ McIntosh, Alison O’Donnell is leaving the BBC crime drama, and she’s now revealed a little more about what promises to be an emotional, and apparently rather spectacular, farewell.
Ashley Jensen returns as DI Ruth Calder alongside Tosh for the six-part eleventh series, which begins with a discovery that proves some secrets really don’t stay buried. Especially when they’re found in the boot of a car at the bottom of the sea.
A body in the boot and a nine-year mystery
The new case begins when a car is dredged from the water, revealing the skeletal remains of an unidentified man in its boot. The vehicle belongs to Dr Raymond Linden, a respected local GP who fled Shetland nine years earlier, leaving plenty of unanswered questions behind him.
Calder and Tosh set out to establish who the victim was and what happened to Linden, but the people closest to the missing doctor aren’t exactly offering a consistent picture. His formidable mother Martha, played by Stella Gonet (The Crown), believes something terrible forced her son to leave, while his brother Eric, played by John Wark (Lockerbie: A Search for Truth), isn’t so sure.
Linden’s ex-wife Emily, played by Christine Bottomley (Sherwood), tells a far darker story of a troubled husband who made life miserable for her and their son Jonah (Jude Bain). And with Linden’s former friend and practice partner Graeme Gould, played by Kevin Harvey (This City Is Ours), also tangled up in the family’s past, there’s no shortage of possible motives, grudges or secrets to uncover.
Meanwhile, DC Sandy Wilson (Steven Robertson) encounters Donald Pierce, a lonely local recluse played by Gregor Fisher (Rab C. Nesbitt), who becomes unexpectedly caught up in the investigation. What starts as a cold case soon threatens to have very real consequences for people living on the islands today.
An emotional final chapter for Tosh
Of course, the big question hanging over Series 11 is how Tosh will leave. O’Donnell’s departure was announced earlier this year, but in a new BBC interview she has offered a tantalising, spoiler-free hint at the scale of her final storyline.
“A wild ride!? These were some of the most challenging scenes I’ve ever shot for the show. All I can say is there was a huge amount of work involved – the building of special sets, an incredible stunt artist, and some extremely deep emotional digging. Hopefully that doesn’t give too much away.”
She added: “That’s the thrilling side of it, but there were also many more thoughtful scenes with all the important people. It’s all in there. I think it’s a memorable exit. We’ll see!”
After being part of ‘Shetland’ since its very beginning, the actress admitted that making the decision to leave was not down to any one thing. Rather, she felt she had reached the point where it was time to take the leap, even if saying goodbye was always going to be difficult.
And the final day on set sounds like it was enough to reduce just about anyone to tears. O’Donnell revealed: “On my final day, a lot of crew came dressed as Tosh. They were all wearing fair isle jumpers and had their hair up in a bun. It was so fun and thoughtful.”
What Tosh’s departure means for the team
There are plenty of personal complications before that goodbye arrives. Tosh’s relationship with PC Billy McCabe (Lewis Howden) remains strained after she discovered he had accepted bribes from his former sergeant. Billy has since confessed and been demoted, but the fallout is still very much being felt by both of them.
Calder, meanwhile, has begun to settle into island life, with her brother Alan staying at her home while work is carried out on the manse. Her relationship with Tosh has also developed into a genuine partnership, which makes the impending change all the more difficult.
As Jensen puts it: “Tosh is such a stalwart of that incident room, and she leaves an enormous hole.”
Between the submerged car, a missing doctor and Tosh’s farewell, it looks like the detectives are in for one of their most personally challenging investigations yet. Just don’t expect ‘Shetland’ to give up its secrets easily.
‘Shetland‘ Season 11 premieres Thursday, 12th November 2026 at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
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