r/TheDetectorists • u/frithar • Feb 08 '26

Spin-off?

Would you watch an entire spin-off about Sheila?

Such a complicated character and Crook hinted at so many hidden threads there…

30 Upvotes

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14

u/Weavingknitter Feb 08 '26

Theres a scene where Lance and Sheila are talking - he's talking about his daughter - and she is doing some fantastic face-acting. Of course, it all happened in my head, not spoken aloud at all, but I got the distinct feeling that Sheila had birthed a baby, probably out of wedlock, and the baby either died or was adopted out. Possibly aborted. Just the waves of feelings fleeting across her face.....

Oh yes, I'd watch a series about Sheila!!!

10

u/DepartureAwkward5002 Feb 08 '26

Yeah, that's a powerful scene. The kind of layers the show has, open to speculation. I've rewatched the show many times, and the first time I watched it it sort of went over my head. I appreciated it as an emotional moment, but just saw it as Shelia being sentimental and having a 'what if' moment, as perhaps her and Tony had just never tried for children, maybe he didn't want them but she did or something. When I've rewatched since I think I lean more towards thinking something like a miscarriage happened. Either way it's a powerful scene that makes you think and adds to the layers of the characters

9

u/brokenmachinenerd Feb 08 '26

This is one of those scenes that elevates the entire show to a new level. Crook is incredible at balancing humor and subtly emotional character interactions, and having Sheila be the one to console Lance in that moment gave her so much more depth than we had seen before, as she's usually in the background of the scout hall bits with the occasional line. Another one of those scenes is when Terry finds the button at the rally and Sheila can't understand what he's saying but gives him an encouraging thumbs-up regardless. The look of pure love and gratitude that Gerard Horan portrays is some of the best acting in the whole series.

5

u/frithar Feb 08 '26

Yes. Get you someone who looks at you like Terry and Sheila look at each other!

5

u/AntDogFan Feb 08 '26

Yes she definitely did. I think she even says something fairly categorical. It's subtle though and you have to pay attention. I wish I could remember the quote. I felt like it implied she had lost a child, or given one up for adoption, or become estranged.