Fans of Silent Witness were left feeling queasy as the BBC series aired disturbingly graphic scenes shortly after the opening credits.
The forensic drama made its return to television on Tuesday evening (January 28) with the second part of the episode titled Vanishing Point.
The previous night’s episode saw Dr Nikki Alexander (played by Emilia Fox) embroiled in a harrowing situation when a fellow passenger fell ill with an unidentified, potentially fatal disease during her flight from Mumbai to London.
The tension escalated in Tuesday’s episode as Dr Nikki endeavoured to identify the cause of the infectious ailment that seemed to be spreading among the passengers. However, viewers were barely settled from the opening sequence before they were confronted with unsettling depictions of illness.
Audiences didn’t hesitate to voice their disgust online. One viewer took to X to exclaim: “Oh God the vomiting Immediately. Stop it.”
Another expressed their dismay, commenting: “That was gross, just put me right off my supper ffs,” reports the Mirror. Echoing the sentiment, a third added: “Oh my stomach. I can’t watch people vomiting.”
Some viewers also pointed out the lack of face masks, which they felt would have been appropriate given the virus outbreak depicted on the plane, noting that neither Nikki nor the airline staff were seen wearing any protection.
Fans took to social media to express their views on a recent episode, with one commenting: “Erm.. firstly I’d be passing round masks to everyone on the plane then I’d be securing a lifelong deal with this s**t airline for biz/1st class seats forever for interfering with my flight home.”
Another viewer was sceptical, posting: “All rather far fetched, what happened to doctors using face masks??”
While a third chimed in with criticism about the show’s lack of realism: “Pathologist all suited up while those on the plane are not even wearing a mask or wearing gloves.”
As the storyline progressed, Nikki and her forensic team delved into the mystery illness aboard the aircraft. It was ultimately revealed by Nikki that the incident wasnt an accident but a deliberate act of sabotage.
Silent Witness is available to watch on BBC IPlayer.