Silent Witness had viewers on the edge of their seats on Tuesday evening with the second episode of the new series, which provoked a collective response from audiences following an unforeseen death.
The latest instalments introduced Dr Nikki Alexander (Emilia Fox) and Jack Hodgson (David Caves) to two fresh faces – characters played by Maggie Steed and Francesca Mills.
In the roles of the new arrivals, Steed portrays Harriet Maven, the newly-appointed head of The Lyell Centre, while Mills steps into the role of Crime Analyst Kit Brooks.
The plot continued to unravel with the character Benjamin (David Hargreaves) on a quest to find his dear friend Gloria.
Caught in a web of confusion, Benjamin becomes the victim of a con artist’s scheme that spirals out of control as the fraudster tries, but fails, to murder Benjamin. Instead, in heart-wrenching scenes, Benjamin kills the scammer and later attacks a couple living in Gloria’s home, oblivious to her death, according to the Express.
The nail-biting double-episode drama wrapped up with the authorities identifying the ‘real’ culprit.
However, fans of the show took to the internet to share their thoughts, expressing particular unease with the scenes involving Benjamin.
One viewer expressed their distress on X: “I don’t think I’ve ever felt so angry at characters on the TV … I feel positively sick at the storyline sick!”
“I can’t watch!! #silentwitness,” a social media user blurted out while another joined in, saying: “I am finding this more upsetting than some of the violent murders we see in this programme. #SilentWitness.”
Meanwhile, another viewer commented: “Aww my toes are curling Poor Benjamin,” and someone else aired their unease: “So uncomfortable with this storyline.”
Another viewer didn’t hold back, admitting: “I’m traumatised during this episode.”
Following Monday’s episode, fans also noticed two prominent characters were missing from the screen. Velvy (Alastair Michael) and Gabriel’s (Aki Omoshaybi) absence caused quite a stir, triggering questions from the show’s followers.
One individual took to social media and posted, “No Velvey or Gabriel? Not a good start.”
Curiosity gripped another who inquired: “Will Velvy and Gabriel be returning to this series? #SilentWitness.”
A viewer pointed out the absence of beloved characters, remarking, “No Gabriel, Velvy, or Cara is disappointing #silentwitness.”
The anticipation builds as next Monday’s episode looms on the horizon. According to the teaser, another chapter of the ten-part saga will unfold:, which states: “Part one of two. The team is called out to deal with the case of an estate agent who has been viciously bludgeoned to death with a claw hammer.
“Upon arriving at the crime scene, they encounter some faces they did not expect to see again. But the plot only thickens when the murder weapon vanishes, plunging them into a tangled web of conspiracy that snakes through the echelons of local government.”
Silent Witness is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.