The return of Shetland for its eighth season is bittersweet for viewers, who are wondering why Douglas Henshall left the BBC One drama without the show’s protagonist, DI Perez.

In Shetland, Who is Jimmy Perez?

DI Douglas Henshall’s portrayal of Jimmy Perez was the show-stopping central character of the BBC series “Shetland.” Perez, in his role as protagonist, brought an intriguing blend of dogged persistence and sharp investigative abilities to the lovely Scottish island. Amid the untamed beauty of Shetland, Perez’s character—renowned for his dogged pursuit of justice—drew into a complex web of secrets.

Not only was Perez a master of his craft, but he also added depth to his work by drawing on his own personal traumas. As he dealt with the complexities of his own life alongside the cases he took on, his character struck a chord with viewers. As Perez said goodbye after seven seasons, the show lost a major player and an era came to a close, but new dynamics were about to emerge.

What Happened to Jimmy Perez?

Viewers of the season seven finale of “Shetland” were hoping that Douglas Henshall’s DI Jimmy Perez would leave the show. His departure was less dramatic than anticipated. It was a close call for Jimmy during the confrontation with the pipe bomb, but he managed to survive. The explosive plot centered on Jamie Narey, a radicalized man with a grudge against the oil business.

The fact that Jamie survived after being shot by a weapons officer shows how intricate Jamie’s plot was, which included Connor Cairns, the bomb maker. Henshall felt it was time to wrap Jimmy’s story, which is why Jimmy Perez quit the show.

Before he could risk watering down the special qualities of the character and the show, he wanted to go. When asked about his feelings during filming his last scenes, Henshall said it was a little anticlimactic because of delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. He thanked everyone for the chance to work on “Shetland” for nearly a decade, but he decided it was time to investigate other acting possibilities.

Douglas Henshall Leaves from Shetland for What Reason?

It felt like the “right time” to wrap up Jimmy’s story, the actor said in a recent interview with the BBC. Reasoning that leaving on schedule would allow him to preserve “the unique elements” that gave the character and the show its uniqueness, he decided to do so.

“After series five of Shetland, David Kane and I decided we wanted to do two more series to complete the story of Jimmy Perez,” stated Scottish actor Douglas in a statement published at the time.

So, to give ourselves enough time to satisfactorily conclude Perez’s story, we commissioned series six and seven simultaneously. Spending so much time in Shetland and working with so many amazing people in front of and behind the camera as Jimmy Perez for nearly a decade has been an incredible honor of my career.

Perez and our program would not have been the same without the Isles. He and the place will be missed by me. Whatever happens next, I hope it goes well for everyone concerned. He’s a good man, and I’ll miss having him as a confidant every once in a while.

Dougie told RadioTimes.com of Ashley Jensen, who would replace him on BBC One, that “She’s a great actor and she’s obviously very different from me.” However, he did admit that Jensen was different.

For what it’s worth, I’m curious to see what happens when two female leads take the helm of an island detective show. Yes, I’m excited to see it since I anticipate that it will be drastically different from what I’ve seen before.

He went on to say that he thought Perez’s story had come to a natural end and that he was ready to make a new appearance.

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