Silent Witness star David Caves has teased an upcoming storyline in series 27 that sees his character Jack Hodgson's niece Cara Connelly "put in danger".
Speaking to HELLO! and other journalists at a roundtable ahead of series 27, the actor revealed that Cara develops a keen interest in her uncle's work after enrolling in a criminology course at university.
"Cara has become a lot more integral to things," David explained. "She's now studying criminology at university.
"There's a great story she gets heavily involved with at the university campus about a criminology professor and so Jack is really torn with it because he doesn't want to deny her what she wants to do and she shows a talent for it. He wants to encourage that but at the same time it puts her in danger."
He added: "So it's a real push and pull, which is a really interesting place for the character to be dropped into."
As Cara develops more of an interest in criminology, both Jack and his partner Nikki Alexander assume "parental roles".
Explaining how the couple's relationship dynamic changes when it comes to Velvy and Cara, who developed a sweet friendship in series 26, Emilia said: "With Velvy and Cara, [Jack's] taking on a new paternal role and Nikki, who doesn't have children but becomes this go-to person, which you do in a partnership, you test things out. It's a real trust with each other."
David added: "They both take on those parental roles which is really great and makes sense but it's not done in a heavy-handed way."
Nikki and Jack first got together at the end of season 24 after weeks of going back and forth in a will-they-won't-they storyline.
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When we find them in season 27, the relationship is stronger than ever, with pressures in the workplace bringing them closer together.
Discussing how Nikki and Jack's relationship has evolved, Emilia explained: "I think because they are together now, we've been trying to work out how to have them in a relationship and have them working together. We didn't want to have a break-up, conflict thing.
"We wanted to do it differently to other dramas that would make them combust, we wanted the pressure to bring them closer and closer," the actress continued, adding that she and David didn't want the drama to become "too relationship-orientated" but feel the romance brings "light into what is quite a dark and heavy world".
David added: "Even in the most intense, high-stakes situations, there has to be a bit of relief and letting the valve go."
In the new series, which arrives on January 8, Nikki and Jack take on more grizzly cases across five two-part mysteries.
The Lyell team are faced with some of their most chilling cases yet, including the discovery of a mummified corpse, deaths on a university campus and fears over a serial killer resurfacing after 20 years.
The synopsis continues: "As the team use their expertise to unlock the truth, they are tested to their very limits. Gabriel seeks advice from Jack in an unexpected way, and lets down his guard at work with devastating results. Velvy tries to do the right thing by his family, but at great cost to himself. Cara navigates London student life, making friends and enemies along the way. She impresses Jack when she undertakes work experience at the Lyell, and is forced to intervene when she makes a shocking discovery about Velvy. Nikki and Jack deal with one of the most difficult cases of their career and their relationship becomes stronger than ever."
Silent Witness series 27 premieres on BBC One on Monday 8 January 2024 at 9pm.