Jack Hodgson Silent Witness: Is Jack leaving after shock plot twist?

jack hodgson silent witness has been at the centre of a shocking two-part storyline that saw the forensic scientist hand himself into police amid a Birmingham murder probe — and the show’s schedule has shifted in response to real-world events.

How the plot unfolded in Grace of God

In the episode beginning with Nikki Alexander and Jack Hodgson testifying at a hearing for a series of shootings in Birmingham, Jack (played by David Caves) leaves the hearing, gets into a pub fight with a local punter and, a few days later, finds that same man dead on Nikki’s examination table. Consumed with guilt and facing mounting evidence, Jack hands himself in to police and is shown in jail during the storyline.

Jack Hodgson Silent Witness: the twist that cleared him

The second part of "Grace of God" (available on iPlayer now) shows Jack cleared of the man’s murder and returned home to Nikki. That episode reveals Jack’s apparent involvement was part of a wider investigation that had cast him as a pawn. The instalment ends with Jack in therapy, reflecting: "I want to be there for all of it. I'm ready. "

Why viewers feared for Jack and what the season has dug into

Season 29 has tracked Jack struggling with life after the team relocated from London to Birmingham; the series opened at the start of February with "The Disappearance of Alice Hill. " Earlier this season Jack accidentally fell into trouble with a racist gang that then used his image to create an AI video in which he appeared to share hate speech. Those events, and his subsequent time in jail and guilt over the death he did not cause, have left Jack altered and at times unsteady.

David Caves on Jack’s arc and the cast’s response

David Caves has said Jack and Nikki are settling into a new home in Birmingham and getting used to The Bowman Centre while trying to find a bit of balance. Caves described Jack as still stubborn and sarcastic but older, more mature and "more affected by the trials and tribulations of his work, " and said Jack is "really tested in one story, a very personal odyssey he must go on alone. " He also called Jack tough but vulnerable, "a truth-seeker, a righteous crusader, a bit of a warrior-monk, " and noted the cast and crew feel like family while delivering "gripping stories" and "interesting science. "

Schedule changes: pulled episodes and new air dates

The pulled two Silent Witness episodes that were due to air on Monday, February 9 and Tuesday, February 10, replacing them with the Creekwood chapters after an attack in Birmingham over the weekend. The episodes that were taken out of the run were an originally planned two-parter titled "The Enemy Within, " which would again have starred Emilia Fox as Nikki Alexander and David Caves as Jack Hodgson.

What "The Enemy Within" will cover and viewer reaction

The 's schedule shows "The Enemy Within" will air next week on February 16 and 17. The synopsis states: "Nikki, Jack and the team must navigate divisions in their new city in order to solve a racially motivated murder, but not everything is as it seems. " It adds: "As social media inflames tensions in the community, finding out the truth of who killed Alex Nelson becomes even more vital. "

The Creekwood chapters that replaced the pulled episodes followed the story of a deceased elderly man and prompted the Bowman team to navigate the mental health system of both the past and the present. That storyline also explored the trials of a homeless community. On social media, viewers described the Creekwood instalments as "such an emotional storyline" and "quite sad on the societal issues of homelessness and exploitation of vulnerable adults, " with other comments praising the scripts and "those lovely Jakki scenes. "

What’s next for Jack and when to watch

David Caves is scheduled to appear in the next and final two episodes of the season, which will be released next week. Silent Witness continues on One and iPlayer on February 16 and 17, from 9 p. m., when "The Enemy Within" two-parter is due to air and viewers will see whether Nikki’s efforts to keep Jack safe succeed.