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Shetland: Is Tosh dead? What happened to the detective in series seven? 

Spoilers for episode three ahead!


shetland alison tosh
Nicky Morris
TV and film writer
On 31 August 2022
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Shetland viewers were left reeling after the latest episode of series seven when fan favourite detective Alison 'Tosh' McIntosh became trapped inside a caravan which burst into flames. 

MORE: Douglas Henshall: see the actor in his early career before Shetland fame

The instalment ended on a major cliffhanger with Tosh's life hanging in the balance. But did she survive the explosion? 

WATCH: Are you enjoying season seven? 

What happened to Tosh?  

Episode three of season seven saw DI Jimmy Perez and his team of detectives continue their investigation into missing teenager, Conor. Towards the end of the instalment, the police discovered details of the vulnerable boy's safe place - a caravan on the Shetland mainland. 

Tosh took it upon herself to lead the search and entered the caravan alone, reporting her findings over the phone to Jimmy, who was busy following another lead. 

MORE: Shetland viewers left furious after BBC drama reveals spoiler

MORE: What happened to Jimmy Perez' wife in Shetland? 

While investigating the scene, Tosh soon realised that a bomb was fitted inside the caravan after noticing large chemical drums, wires and a timer. She frantically tried to escape the locked vehicle while still on the phone to Jimmy, whose panicked voice echoed through the speaker. 

shetland explosions

 Alison was trapped in an exploding caravan at the end of episode three

The caravan then burst into flames, with Tosh seemingly still inside. So did the detective die? 

While viewers will have to wait until Wednesday's episode to discover Tosh's fate, we do know from looking at Alison's IMDb page, that the actress does in fact appear in the remaining three episodes of the series, which may suggest that her character makes it out of the caravan alive. 

shetland jimmy alison© Photo: BBC

 Fans were left fearing for Tosh's safety

Alison teased the shocking explosion in a statement to the BBC ahead of the new season's release. When asked if there were any surprised in the series, the actress said: "This series is jam-packed with twists and high-octane drama. It's not to be missed! Our guest cast is absolutely outstanding, as ever, and there are some big moments for the core cast too, with Perez's ending and another series regular being thrown into serious jeopardy."

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