Silent Witness fans call dramatic plane episode 'best ever'
Silent Witness fans have said the latest episode of the crime show was the "best ever".
The instalment of the BBC series that aired on Monday, 27 January was the first of a two-parter called Vanishing Point, which saw Dr Nikki Alexander (Emilia Fox) dealing with an emergency on a plane. Alone without her colleagues at the Lyell, she had to manage the situation as a fellow passenger fell ill mid-air.
Viewers were impressed by the "tense" drama, with many saying it was the long-running programme's finest ever episode.
In the episode, Nikki was flying to the UK from Mumbai when a passenger named Tony started to experience severe stomach pains. As other panicked passengers looked on, he collapsed and started to cough up blood.
Nikki was called upon to help as the only doctor on board, despite the fact that she is more used to dealing with dead bodies. She faced a race against time to keep the man alive until they could get more help - but he died before they touched down.
Meanwhile, Nikki stayed in touch with her team, including her fiancé, forensic expert Jack Hodgson (David Caves), and discovered that a hotel worker in India had died in similar circumstances. The discovery added weight to the theory that Tony had died of a contagious illness.
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As the episode wrapped up, another woman on the plane started coughing up blood.
Silent Witness fans were wowed by the dramatic episode, with one calling it "best of the series so far". "Wildly tense and ultimately quite emotional too," they said on X. "Superb work all round."
"Both episodes were outstanding," said another fan of the crime drama. "Viewers watching for the first time tonight and tomorrow night are in for a real treat. Such a gripping storyline and some really lovely moments amongst the high drama."
Someone else said it was "a great story". "One of the best Silent Witness storylines we've had!" said someone else. "Amazing! So gripping and tense!"
"This has to be the best episode yet," agreed another viewer.
"Watched episode 7 & 8 of Silent Witness on BBC iPlayer and I must admit it's one of the best episodes of all time, absolutely sensational," remarked another impressed viewer. "Emilia Fox and David Caves where both absolutely incredible too!"
Silent Witness continues at 9pm on BBC One on Tuesday, 28 January.

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