Shetland could be about to lose a long-serving character as Eadie Tulloch’s killer is seemingly revealed

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Oh, Tosh.

The detective in the BBC crime series Shetland has faced a lot of trauma. Throughout the show, she’s been through incredibly difficult experiences, including a rape in season 3 and a near-fatal explosion in season 7.

Season ten has presented new difficulties, primarily the revelation that Sergeant Billy McCabe, a longtime colleague and friend, isn’t who she believed him to be.

Tonight’s episode, airing December 3rd, shows Tosh meeting with him again after a heated argument earlier that day. During that argument, she warned him that she would report him to Professional Standards if he didn’t follow her instructions and stay away from work.

Billy used to be in the army under a sergeant named Robert Tulloch. Robert was married to Eadie Tulloch, a former social worker. Their neighbor, Colin Waite, discovered Eadie had passed away in her garden while he was visiting to check on her.

Billy and Robert — and their wives, who worked together — were also very close friends.

During the investigation into Eadie’s murder, Sandy found bank statements suggesting Robert was involved in something dishonest. These statements showed large amounts of cash deposited into his account without any clear source of income. The evidence also hinted that Billy might be involved, as a statement taken from Sandy’s desk revealed Robert had paid £10,000 into Billy’s account.

At first, Billy said he was lending Tosh money for a house, but he later changed his story.

I remember Eadie and Robert having two boys. Ed, their older son, now runs the local pub, but things weren’t good between him and his mum before she sadly passed away. Their other son, Craig, was a real tragedy. He died at sea years ago, along with young Jamie Mair, the son of their neighbours, Lana and Arthur. It was a terrible loss for everyone.

Although their bodies were never found, the boat eventually washed ashore a few miles south. Billy searched the wreckage, hoping to find something of Eadie and Robert’s to keep as a memento.

But while he didn’t find anything of that nature, he did uncover a sizeable shipment of heroin.

However, Robert asked him not to share that information with the police, and Billy agreed. Billy didn’t want to upset Robert further and thought he was helping his friend by keeping quiet.

He was heartbroken, and I wanted to support my friend,” he said. “Going public wouldn’t have helped anyone. Those young men were gone, and I didn’t want to tarnish their memory by bringing it all out in the open.”

Two months later, Robert lent Billy some money, and Billy did eventually repay him. Whether Billy understood it at the time or not, it was clearly a bribe.

So, Tosh was understandably shaken and immediately wanted to know what happened to the drugs. Billy claimed Robert had taken care of it, gotten rid of them. But here’s what really bothered me – Billy didn’t press for details. He just… accepted it. It felt like a huge red flag, honestly. He didn’t want to know, or maybe he already did, and that’s what made the whole scene so unsettling.

She asked if Robert Tulloch had sold something to fund his wealth, suggesting that would account for his sudden money.

Billy, fighting back tears, couldn’t respond. He confessed that he did start to suspect Robert, especially after Ray Powell was arrested.

I have to say, the layers to this story are really starting to unravel. We learn Ray, a small-time crook, confessed to a dockside robbery he didn’t commit, and the reason is chilling. Robert, a seemingly powerful figure, blackmailed him – threatening to take Ray’s son away from him and his wife, Gina. It’s awful. And after talking to Gina, it’s clear Robert isn’t just taking small bribes, as some might believe. He’s a genuinely dangerous and nasty character, and I’m getting a very bad feeling about how far he’ll go.

After explaining everything, he asked Tosh what she planned to do, but she didn’t know what to say at that moment.

“I’m sorry, Tosh. I really am,” he said, before he left, leaving the DI in floods of tears.

Even if Billy truly believed he was doing the right thing back then – and considering this happened two decades ago with no issues since – his career as a police officer is now at risk. He could face serious charges like corruption, evidence tampering, and obstruction of justice, all of which are punishable by prison time.

It’s unclear if Billy can fix things with Tosh and Sandy, and their friendships might be permanently damaged.

Read more:

  • Shetland’s Ashley Jensen said her arrival as new DI could have “gone one way or another”
  • Shetland’s Alison O’Donnell reveals why she cried after watching first episode following Douglas Henshall’s exit

It looks like another relationship is heading for trouble – that between Calder and Ed, the son of Eadie and Robert – and it hasn’t even really started yet.

From the moment they met, there was a subtle connection between them. This was strengthened by the fact that Ed knew Cal, someone Calder had a past relationship with and recently reconnected with after moving back to Shetland.

Tonight’s episode ended with a possible romantic connection between Ed and her companion. After sharing a private drink at Ed’s home, they both opened up about difficult experiences: Ed discussed the loss of his brother, and she confided in him about Will Louden’s attempted murder, for which she feels responsible. She had promised to help Will with a shoplifting charge in return for information about the Callaghan drug dealing family. It seems their conversation led to them spending the night together.

But that appears to be a decision Calder will come to bitterly regret.

Just before they headed upstairs, the wind was rattling the DI’s broken gate – something she’d been meaning to repair for ages – and it was really ruining the moment. Always a gentleman, Ed immediately ran outside, ignoring the bad weather, and used some rope from his car to tie the gate closed. It seemed like a kind gesture, and completely harmless.

Being Shetland, you quickly learn that even the smallest detail can be huge. And this rope? It’s massive. It instantly brought back the worst possible memory – they found Ed’s mum, Eadie, tied to her garden fence exactly like this. It’s chilling, honestly.

It’s well known that many people in Shetland are skilled at knot tying, but right now, all eyes are on Ed, particularly considering the events happening around the islands.

So, my partner Sandy and I, PC Alex Grant, were sent to bring in Lewis Mitchell. He was the guy running the fish and chip shop, and we knew he was dealing drugs and had already tried to off this guy named Louden. It was a pretty straightforward arrest, but you always feel a little adrenaline when you’re dealing with someone capable of something like that.

Once Sandy had handcuffed the man, she searched his bag and discovered drugs, a passport, and, most importantly, Louden’s missing phone. That was a lucky find.

But just as they were about to take him to the station, Mitchell said he had a name for them.

“I’ve got information,” he added. “About the Callaghans, who works for them.”

Sandy quickly called Calder, probably to let her know they now suspected Ed. But Calder was busy with the guest of honor and wouldn’t be free for a while.

Right before the show ended, Ed’s beautiful designs appeared again, even as the chaotic weather continued. However, the biggest challenges are still ahead.

Oh, Calder. You sure can pick ’em.

You can watch the tenth season of Shetland on Wednesdays on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. All previous seasons, one through nine, are currently available for streaming on iPlayer. If you enjoy the show, the original Shetland novels by Ann Cleeves are also available for purchase.

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2025-12-04 01:36