David Caves at the Centre of Silent Witness Season 29 Turmoil as Jack Is Cleared While Schedules Shift
david caves’ character Jack has been through a season-defining ordeal — handing himself in for murder, being cleared in the second part of "Grace of God, " and entering therapy — even as the moves episodes around after a real-world attack in Birmingham and wide sporting coverage disrupts the schedule. The developments matter because they combine a major plot resolution with concrete broadcast reshuffles that affect viewers this week.
Jack’s actions in "Grace of God Part 2" and immediate outcome
The episode opened with Dr Nikki Alexander and Jack testifying at a hearing over a series of shootings in Birmingham. After a pub fight with a local punter, Jack later finds that same man dead on Nikki’s examination table. Consumed by guilt and with evidence mounting against him, Jack hands himself into police custody.
The second part of "Grace of God" then clears Jack of the man's murder and shows him returning home to Nikki. The storyline reveals that Jack’s apparent involvement was part of a wider investigation that treated him as a pawn. The arc ends with Jack attending therapy, offering the line: "I want to be there for all of it. I'm ready, " a final reflection that signals his intent to return to work.
David Caves’ schedule and on-screen presence
david caves is confirmed to appear in the next and final two episodes of season 29, which are slated to be released next week. The series-wide narrative has followed Jack struggling with life in Birmingham: earlier in the season he fell foul of a racist gang that used his image to create an AI video appearing to show him sharing hate speech, and he also spent time in jail. Those events are woven into his current emotional state and the personal odyssey the actor said the character would undergo prior to the season.
Why the moved episodes after an attack in Birmingham
A spokesman said the decision to pull episodes from this week’s slot was made "Due to the attack in Birmingham over the weekend, " and that the affected instalments would be replaced with episodes from later in the series. The direct cause — the attack — led to the immediate effect: scheduled Silent Witness transmissions were postponed for sensitivity and programming reasons.
Which episodes were reshuffled: "The Enemy Within" and "Creekwood"
Season 29 has already seen multiple schedule changes. Episodes 3 and 4, titled "The Enemy Within, " which centre on the forensics team investigating a fatal stabbing that appeared racially motivated, were replaced last week by the storyline "Creekwood, " featuring guest actors Lydia Wilson, Cat Simmons, Megan Cusack and Mark Stobbart. The Enemy Within — part one and part two — is now set to air on Tuesday, February 17 and Wednesday, February 18 at 9pm, with guest performers Chris Reilly, Selin Hizli, Gerard Kearns and Phaldut Sharma joining the regular cast.
Broader broadcast disruptions: sport, Death in Paradise and the Winter Olympics
The scheduling shake-ups extend beyond Silent Witness. This week Silent Witness moves from its usual Monday and Tuesday slot to Tuesday and Wednesday. The Monday 9pm slot will feature the latest season of Death in Paradise on Monday, February 16. Earlier in the run, an episode of Death in Paradise was removed to accommodate an FA Cup fixture between Hull City and Chelsea.
In addition, Father Brown has been taken off air for two weeks because of the ’s Winter Olympics coverage. The corporation is providing more than 450 hours of live action from Milan-Cortina, and that coverage is expected to continue until February 22, at which point the disruption to usual schedules is due to end.
Cast continuity and where to watch
Viewers will see guest stars alongside familiar faces: Emilia Fox returns as Dr Nikki Alexander, Maggie Steed appears as Harriet and Fran Mills reprises her role as Kit, while David Caves continues as Jack. Silent Witness is available to watch on iPlayer.
What makes this notable is the overlap between on-screen material and off-screen events: a storyline set around shootings in Birmingham and a real attack in that city prompted an immediate programming response, while major sporting commitments have further reshaped the series’ broadcast timetable.
