Hard to know where to start. There isn't a normal conversation in the series. Everything is an angst written, profanity laced smart Alec set of conversations which have no bearing to real life, let alone any semblance of policing or criminal justice in the real world. Every cliche of the genre is dumped on the viewer.
It is so bad it could be termed comedy, were it not for the gore.
It blatantly robs from other plotlines in Scandi drama and the ending manages to tie everything up with a red bow and hankies, setting it up, sadly, for a second series. The people of Scotland must be writhing with embarrassment at this caricature of its police service as much as the good folk in Northern Ireland were left cringing over Blue Lights.
Garbage for the masses and a waste of acting talent, which is, in itself, a who's who of Scottish actors either taking a break from,or written out of, 'Shetland' or it would appear, just glad of the work. You would need to be, to debase yourself in this production.
Matthew Goode - the lead- attempts to meld his character performance in 'Leap Year' with a very bad episode of ' New Tricks'.
Avoid. I watched it so you don't have to.