Unforgotten viewers have been left confused just minutes into the hit show’s return.
ITV’s crime drama premiered its sixth season on Sunday night (February 9), with Sinéad Keenan and Sanjeev Bhaskar returning to their posts as DCI Jess James and DI Sunny Khan.
The new instalment delves into a fresh case for the pair. It kicks off with human remains being found at Whitney Marsh, setting the detectives on the hunt for a potential murderer.
The latest mission is already proving difficult for the duo, as they have to find a suspect with dismembered body parts as their only piece of evidence.
Although viewers were quick to share their excitement about the new episode on social media, many were left complaining about the various plotlines they had to keep up with.
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Sinéad Keenan and Sanjeev Bhaskar as DCI Jess James and DI Sunny Khan (Image: ITV)
Taking to X, formerly Twitter, one person said: “Do we have to take an exam at the end of this episode to prove we can follow the plot.” (sic).
While a second quipped: “How many sub-plots & backstories are going on in the first episode of #Unforgotten?”, the dissatisfied viewer continued, implying that the series was borrowing its format from Line Of Duty: “*Unnecessary* it’s never going to be #LineOfDuty tbh. It would be OK/better without it.”
A third person chimed in: “There are too many characters in this #unforgotten too confusing.” (sic).
However, another fan of the show replied, encouraging the X user to “keep watching” and assured them that the characters will “have something/someone in common” as the series unfolds.
Nicola Walker left the ITV series at the end of season four (Image: ITV)
A different ITV fan echoed the sentiment with a positive review, stating: “Good first episode, Will be interesting to see how the different plots will thread together. #Unforgotten.”
Although the murder occupied a majority of the first episode, audiences were given a glimpse into various storylines centred around poignant social themes.
Other devotees were more focused on the absence of one beloved cast member, with one person sharing: “Watching the new series of #Unforgotten I really miss Nicola Walker but so far enjoying this series.”
The new instalment marks Sinéad’s second season stepping into the lead detective role. Devoted fans will remember that Nicola Walker originally played the part of the team’s DCI Cassie Stuart.
The beloved character faced a dramatic end in season four, after being involved in a tragic car accident.
Although viewers were devastated by her exit, the British actress later revealed that series writer Chris Lang had planned her character’s end from the start of the show.
Speaking to the Radio Times, she said: “From the very beginning, we talked about Cassie’s story being finite; Chris was always putting her through a story arc that would damage her emotionally. The buzzword was that she was an empath, and the problem with being an empath is that eventually, you break.
“I felt that to have her keep coming back would make her seem like a superhero. So it was very much a joint and long-planned decision.”
Unforgotten returns to ITV and ITVX on February 10, at 9pm.