The crime-solving drama has featured a will-they-won’t-they plot between Nikki (played by Emilia Fox) and Jack (David Caves) for the last several seasons following the departure of lead Harry Cunningham (Tom Ward) six years ago.
Yet despite their constant flirting, the forensic investigators have never taken their connection to the next level, despite Jack’s apparent intense feelings for his colleague.
Last season, Nikki suffered a harrowing trauma in the form of being buried alive when the team were in Mexico, and the first four episodes have shown her finding it hard to move on.
After struggling from the odd reality that Jack has been giving her the cold shoulder, Nikki admitted to her therapist Dr Eleanor Hill that she was trying to accept the fact “nobody saved her” from the horrifying event in last year’s finale.
Explaining that she doesn’t blame Jack for his behaviour, Nikki said: “He’s suffering too but it didn’t happen to him. I have my PTSD he doesn’t get to call it some fancy name. Isn’t something like this meant to bind us, bring us together but instead…”
Uncomfortable when the therapist suggests she wants his forgiveness, Nikki declares: “I want him to look me in the eye. I was trapped, I was dying alone in the dark, I’m never getting out of there. I’m dead.”
Yet later, as the team continue their fight to get to the bottom of estate agent Karen Sawyers’ death, and the subsequent deaths of her husband and secret lover afterwards, Nikki starts to fall apart.
Taking her distress out on her therapist, Nikki cries: “I’m not a child anymore I’m not trapped.
“You’re saying that I can’t go back to how things were before it happened, that this has been there for a long time. So you’re saying that this condition is defeat, that I can’t make connections, or keep them.”
Unable to cope any longer, Nikki stormed out of the session before breaking down in tears in the hallway.
The episode also saw Jack get closer to his boxing sparrer, and coincidentally also a DCI, Naomi Silva (Kiza Deen).
The pair enjoyed a brief drink together getting to know each other but the stoic character wasn’t ready to take things further.
It wasn’t until the instalment’s closing moments that Jack threw caution to the wind in a particularly intense round of boxing that finally saw the characters give in to their lust and begin kissing in the gym.
What will this mean for Nikki and Jack in the coming episodes? How will the pair’s stand off finally come to an end?
Silent Witness continues Mondays at 9pm on BBC One.
