Death In Paradise - General Discussion

[Prevailing Wind]

In my mind's eye, I always picture the Commissioner as way bigger, fatter, than he really is. I don't know why I do that.

[kaygeeret]

Wait - I don't think there is a Darlene working at the police station.

I am at the epi where the young sgt. is hired -her last name is Thomas and I do not remember her first name.

What am I missing?

I agree that I don't think The Commissioner is corrupt.  Part of his job is hobnobbing with the big wigs, but we really haven't seen that much of him lately -he seems to hang out with the rest of them after work which is a nice change.

 

[Seelouis]

31 minutes ago, kaygeeret said:

Wait - I don't think there is a Darlene working at the police station.

I am at the epi where the young sgt. is hired -her last name is Thomas and I do not remember her first name.

What am I missing?

I agree that I don't think The Commissioner is corrupt.  Part of his job is hobnobbing with the big wigs, but we really haven't seen that much of him lately -he seems to hang out with the rest of them after work which is a nice change.

 

You are a few episodes behind. Darlene is in the most recent episode I saw. I think it’s episode 5 of season 11. 

[kaygeeret]

Ah!  Thank you SeeLouis!

[Prevailing Wind]

11 hours ago, kaygeeret said:

I am at the epi where the young sgt. is hired -her last name is Thomas and I do not remember her first name.

 

Naomi.

[TVForever]

On 5/19/2022 at 5:47 PM, dgpolo said:

What?! When was he ever corrupt?

On 5/19/2022 at 10:19 PM, Ms Lark said:

Let's call it shifty? Open to --uh-- bribes?

Maybe not so much corrupt. More like "CYA"  super bureaucrat. 

[wanderingstar]

Just finished the latest season and I loved it. They had some excellent guest stars this season, especially Orla Brady in the last episode. 

Of course, I'll miss Florence (Josephine Jobert was one of my favorite parts of this show), but I like the dynamic of the new team. Naomi is truly a find - love her! 

Do we know if the show will be back for a 12th season?

Edited May 26, 2022 by Gillian Rosh

[libgirl2]

3 hours ago, Gillian Rosh said:

Just finished the latest season and I loved it. They had some excellent guest stars this season, especially Orla Brady in the last episode. 

If course, I'll miss Florence (Josephine Jobert was one of my favorite parts of this show), but I like the dynamic of the new team. Naomi is truly a find - love her! 

Do we know if the show will be back for a 12th season?

I'm pretty sure there is a season 12 lined up. 

I like Naomi too and Marlon has calmed down and is more the voice of reason. 

I do miss Florence though. I was thinking about this "romance" vs. Humphrey and Camille. In that case he had tried to sabotage her getting that job that would take her off the island. In this case, Neville, not only had the "lets be friends" talk, he recommended her for the job. 

Edited May 25, 2022 by libgirl2

[Crashcourse]

I'm watching Darlene in Episode 6 of Season 11.  Are she and Dwayne still together?  I hope so. 

[catrice2]

We all look alike

[Crashcourse]

https://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/1569459/Death-in-Paradise-Dwayne-Myers-return-romance-Darlene

https://www.whattowatch.com/news/she-needs-to-go-quick-sharp-new-death-in-paradise-cast-divide-viewers

Edited June 2, 2022 by Crashcourse

[laredhead]

I could not stand Izzy's character, and was glad that she returned to the UK.  I hope that's the last we see of her. 

[dgpolo]

31 minutes ago, laredhead said:

I could not stand Izzy's character, and was glad that she returned to the UK.  I hope that's the last we see of her. 

I just texted my sister about how much I loathed that character. Whoever thought that story arc was a good idea should be fired. There is no way Izzy should have a baby, she behaves like one herself.

[Ms Lark]

4 hours ago, dgpolo said:

I just texted my sister about how much I loathed that character. Whoever thought that story arc was a good idea should be fired. There is no way Izzy should have a baby, she behaves like one herself.

Struck me as pure filler with no purpose whatsoever. Completely unnecessary character and storyline. Although, it did show that the whole family is probably very irritating each in their own way!

[mikeb]

It was strange that the last episode of new season (the chess episode) did not have any scenes at the police station and instead had them working together in a room at the hotel where the murder occurred.  I wonder if the show couldn't get access to the police station building.

Also, the big reveal at the end involving the Commissioner was so obvious much earlier in the episode.

[mojito]

Finished season 11. I liked that they've softened the Commissioner up. He now tries to help and encourage his employees (Naomi, Marlon, Darlene). I never understood why he got irritated with the head guys, though. In real life, does the actor only speak in four-word bursts, pauses, four more words? It takes him forever to get a sentence out.

I liked Florence, but I'm fine with the new office personnel. (I liked Jack, Dwayne, and Ruby, too. JP was okay, but his accent...) 

I like that Naomi dresses differently than Florence and Camille. It seemed strange to me that a police department that attired their female uniformed officers in skirts would be okay with such casual wear for the female detectives. But, I know. It's fantasy TV. 

I supposed we'll have the Commissioner's daughter come to the island to upset things for awhile. I really don't care for people's private lives except when they overlap with work or scenes at Catherine's.

[Prevailing Wind]

I liked JP, but I liked Fidel better. Either of them was better than Marlon. I still can't warm up to Marlon.

[Door County Cherry]

They've started production on Season 12.

[AnimeMania]

Death In Paradise - Season 12 - Production Begins + Christmas Special - Press Release

Last year, 2021’s first-ever festive special gained an audience of over 8.8 million, making it the third most watched show of the festive period (based on all-screens 30+ days figures).

[wanderingstar]

6 hours ago, Prevailing Wind said:

I liked JP, but I liked Fidel better. Either of them was better than Marlon. I still can't warm up to Marlon.

I adored Fidel, and JP eventually grew on me. Marlon I liked from the first. Same with Naomi.

[kimaken]

13 hours ago, Gillian Rosh said:

I adored Fidel, and JP eventually grew on me. Marlon I liked from the first. Same with Naomi.

Same here. I like that Marlon has a shady background that gives him more insight into some of the criminal workings of the island (much like Dwayne had) than the regular cops have. I especially liked how he's come to appreciate police work and being an officer now and  approached the Commissioner to admit it and thank him for being given this opporunity. Darlene is a nice addition, too--since the 4-person police force usually split into teams of 2, she's the anchor at base, looking up information, tracking data, contacting people, and providing some medical explanations when needed.

I think what's kept DiP from becoming too tired of a show after all these years is the cast turnover (fortunately not too frequent but enough to infuse some new blood for more story lines).

[libgirl2]

On 5/22/2022 at 3:03 AM, Prevailing Wind said:

In my mind's eye, I always picture the Commissioner as way bigger, fatter, than he really is. I don't know why I do that.

I think in the earlier episodes he was portrayed as a very "big" and menacing presence. It might have to do with that. He has softened a lot since then. 

[mojito]

That belted coat didn't flatter his figure. This season, though, I'd begun to wonder if perhaps the actor peeled off some weight, enough to noticeably scale back his gut.

[libgirl2]

15 minutes ago, mojito said:

That belted coat didn't flatter his figure. This season, though, I'd begun to wonder if perhaps the actor peeled off some weight, enough to noticeably scale back his gut.

I have noticed he looks a bit slimmer. 

[TVForever]

On 6/4/2022 at 9:28 AM, mikeb said:

It was strange that the last episode of new season (the chess episode) did not have any scenes at the police station and instead had them working together in a room at the hotel where the murder occurred.  I wonder if the show couldn't get access to the police station building.

Also, the big reveal at the end involving the Commissioner was so obvious much earlier in the episode.

Good catch. I also noticed that they did their post-case get together on what appeared to be the restaurant/lounge of the hotel instead of at Catherine's cafe/bar. It made me laugh when Catherine told the commissioner "I'm going to bring you a large rum," because I was thinking that's not her bar, where was she going?

I wonder what happened with all their usual filming locations.

Edited June 10, 2022 by TVForever

[seacliffsal]

My PBS station just started showing season 8 so Ruby is the new member of the team.  So far I really like her enthusiasm and ideas.  It's a good team at this point even though I miss Dwayne.

[dgpolo]

4 hours ago, seacliffsal said:

My PBS station just started showing season 8 so Ruby is the new member of the team.  So far I really like her enthusiasm and ideas.  It's a good team at this point even though I miss Dwayne.

When I first saw Ruby I didn't like her much but learned to like her as the season progressed. Watching again in reruns I like her a lot. You're right that she brings a lot of enthusiasm, I can see why they introduced a character like this after the loss of Dwayne as he was the 'big personality' before. Since she left I believe the show has suffered a bit in having too many low key personalities. Madeline was so low key she hardly registered. I don't mind Marlon too much (though I resent the way he was introduced to the team) but even his personality is not as 'big' as Dwayne's or Ruby's.

[wanderingstar]

Rewatching season 11, and I really am liking Darlene as a member of the team. And I'm loving the styling for both her and Naomi.

[WildPlum]

Neville's not my favorite of the DIs, but he's not my least favorite. My favorites have been Richard and Humphrey, my least favorite Mooney. I have always loved the Commissioner. I've never really been a Florence fan, nor really a Camille fan, they seem like they exist to show off mostly work-inappropriate island fashion. I did like JP and I liked Dwayne, I've found Marlon's character to be really uneven.

So far this season I have liked Naomi and I have only seen up to the 4th episode but Darlene looks to be a reasonable character. It would really make sense to have a civilian receptionist/dispatcher so that station isn't locked and closed for large chunks of episodes - although I suspect Darlene will be right in there with them and not based at the station. Of course, that is applying common sense to what is, essentially, a fantasy show with massive leaps of logic/illogic and jumping to conclusions based on the DI's hunches.

Edited June 18, 2022 by WildPlum
added

[kaygeeret]

So, my PBS station is finally showing season 11 and I just finished epi. 4....and am confused and disappointed?  Not sure as I think it was a strange epi.

Last week we had a huge send off for Florence and I honestly didn't realize it was just for the character going undercover, I thought it was the final sendoff.

Imagine my surprise when she comes back to Ste. Marie while still undercover. And while she worries about being recognized - NO ONE LOOKS TWICE.  Just a bit weird.

It was a convoluted plot and not all that interesting frankly.

On another note, I am weirdly disappointed in the transformation of Marlon to a non-entity.

I loved him last season and I recognized his character needed to be 'normalized' to be a cop, but to be completely disappeared?

Where is his personality, his humor and his 'Marloness'?

I really hope they give him more stories, but also bring back some personality - and not just angst because he has "bad" connections.

This seems to be a really unfocused year and, dare I say, kinda boring so far.  Not something I am really used to from DIP.

[SusanwatchingTV]

I thought the show lost something while they were sending off Florence, but just wait a few episodes.  Once all of that is over, it gets back on track and imho is better than ever. I loved the new people, I loved them letting Marlon shine a bit, and I enjoyed the cases.  I’m only sad that it’s over.  I’m ready for next season.

[hula-la]

A spin-off series has just been announced. “Beyond Paradise” will follow DI Humphrey and Martha as they settle down in a British town with a shockingly high death rate. 

https://redplanetpictures.co.uk/news/death-in-paradise-universe-to-extend-with-humphrey-goodman-spin-off-series

[libgirl2]

15 minutes ago, hula-la said:

A spin-off series has just been announced. “Beyond Paradise” will follow DI Humphrey and Martha as they settle down in a British town with a shockingly high death rate. 

https://redplanetpictures.co.uk/news/death-in-paradise-universe-to-extend-with-humphrey-goodman-spin-off-series

Neat!

[Prevailing Wind]

Is it in Midsomer county?

[Door County Cherry]

Least favorite inspector but I do love cozy mysteries.   I hope they film it in a picturesque place in the UK to keep up the resort theme.

[libgirl2]

1 hour ago, Prevailing Wind said:

Is it in Midsomer county?

The people do drop like flies there. 

1 hour ago, Door County Cherry said:

Least favorite inspector but I do love cozy mysteries.   I hope they film it in a picturesque place in the UK to keep up the resort theme.

I like him, but I like all of them. I'm looking forward to this a lot. 

[wanderingstar]

7 hours ago, hula-la said:

A spin-off series has just been announced. “Beyond Paradise” will follow DI Humphrey and Martha as they settle down in a British town with a shockingly high death rate. 

https://redplanetpictures.co.uk/news/death-in-paradise-universe-to-extend-with-humphrey-goodman-spin-off-series

I love Agatha Raisin and Father Brown, so I could be into this. Who am I kidding - of course I will watch it-lol

Edited to add: I'm still holding out hope for a spinoff featuring Camille, Ruby, and Madeleine solving murder mysteries in Paris.

Edited June 29, 2022 by Gillian Rosh

[libgirl2]

1 hour ago, Gillian Rosh said:

I love Agatha Raisin and Father Brown, so I could be into this. Who am I kidding - of course I will watch it-lol

Edited to add: I'm still holding out hope for a spinoff featuring Camille, Ruby, and Madeleine solving murder mysteries in Paris.

I love Shakespeare and Hathaway. I keep looking for it to come back on PBS. 

[sadtvjunkie]

You need to get Britbox on Prime. They just released their 4th season.

[J-Man]

I'm confused about the Commissioner's backstory now. Where did he and Orla live when they were married? I've always had the impression he was a life-long islander, but clearly Orla is British or Irish. And hasn't the Commissioner ever mentioned a local wife or children before? 

[Ms Lark]

On 7/3/2022 at 7:25 PM, sadtvjunkie said:

You need to get Britbox on Prime.

You can get Britbox without going through Prime.

[seacliffsal]

My PBS just showed the episode in which Patrice is killed and Florence was shot.  I had the sad feels while watching-and then at the end when Florence left just really saddened me.  I have enjoyed the Jack Mooney episodes as he tries to embrace life in San Marie (he does bingo, has dominoes buddies, and goes to all of the festivals, etc.).  Humphrey was so awkward in my opinion while I really enjoyed Poole's eccentricities.  I think the show, in general, does well when introducing new characters (I'm surprised by how much I like Ruby).  

I know that most of you receive the current/recent seasons so I appreciate knowing about some of the changes that I will soon be viewing.  I look forward to this show every week.

[wanderingstar]

1 hour ago, seacliffsal said:

My PBS just showed the episode in which Patrice is killed and Florence was shot.  I had the sad feels while watching-and then at the end when Florence left just really saddened me.  I have enjoyed the Jack Mooney episodes as he tries to embrace life in San Marie (he does bingo, has dominoes buddies, and goes to all of the festivals, etc.).  Humphrey was so awkward in my opinion while I really enjoyed Poole's eccentricities.  I think the show, in general, does well when introducing new characters (I'm surprised by how much I like Ruby).  

I know that most of you receive the current/recent seasons so I appreciate knowing about some of the changes that I will soon be viewing.  I look forward to this show every week.

The two-parter where Patrice is killed and Florence leaves is one that I don't rewatch much (and I've rewatched this show a lot since discovering it last year). Always makes me sad. 

I also enjoy Jack's episodes, but I am probably in the minority in that I didn't find Poole's eccentricities endearing. I actually found his constant complaining about the island a bit obnoxious - particularly in the first season. As a result, he's probably my least favorite of the inspectors. I did like Humphrey, even if I did find him irritating at times-lol

[Prevailing Wind]

My annoying hierarchy, least to most: Mooney, Poole, Goodman, with Neville being the most annoying.  Ruby started off annoying, but mellowed. I preferred Fidel, but JP quickly settled into the role. Can't stand Marlon. Really adored Dwayne.

Those women in short shorts just all run together for me. They're so similar.  Shirley Henderson as the substitute DI was interesting, but only as a one-off. Nobody could have stood her for more than one episode.

[kimaken]

17 hours ago, Prevailing Wind said:

My annoying hierarchy, least to most: Mooney, Poole, Goodman, with Neville being the most annoying. 

I don't have a hierarchy per se, but what I liked about Richard was that despite his constant whining about NOT wanting to be there, etc--he showed he was quite a smart detective (piecing together broken vase pieces; figuring out bullet trajectories; determining music pitch/notes; etc). Goodman showed his detective smarts on occasion, and while I liked Mooney overall and appreciated his total embrace of a new lifestyle, he seemed to always want to call it quits for the day and "sleep on it" a lot more frequently (that was probably lazy writing on the part of the show's writers, though). Neville has brought back "the smart detective" somewhat, but he also falls back on the "let's call it quits early; sleep on it" before suddenly pulling out the solution the next day.

Edited July 11, 2022 by kimaken
grammar correction

[Maren]

My favorite was Jack. He was settled and calm and always seemed a little bemused. I really liked how he really embraced the island and the life there. But most of all, I really REALLY loved that they NEVER did anything romantic or implied anything romantic with his Sergeant. I'm really tired of that trope on this show. 3 out of 4 have had this written for them. Humphrey's was the most annoying for me, but maybe that was because he was the one who borderline annoyed me anyways. He was way too bumbling. Neville is a little bumbling but his is more ailment related, which I have empathy for. He can't help his health problems. 

Edited July 12, 2022 by Maren
Grammar

[kaygeeret]

I have liked all the 'chiefs' for however they presented themselves.

This discussion has caused me to think a bit and I landed on Jack as my fav.  His character was a grownup with no visible 'anxieties' plus a successful career, marriage and fatherhood.  We saw his daughter, heard about her, etc.  His time on the island made some sense to me.  And, for sweet Maria's sake, he did not have undying love for his second in command!  Gods of TV, I thank you for that.

I hated Neville at first because the whole bug thing was so out there.  Now in this season he is cured - bless the magic properties of the island.

As much as I hate what they make the female detectives wear, I hate the endless stories of these weird guys with social anxieties/phobias falling in love with the first dame they get to know.  Because they sure never seem to get to know anyone else and are so socially out of it they have no chance anyway.

The new Neville seems like an ordinary guy, social as Jack was and smart as the rest.

We will see what the future brings.

[msani19]

11 hours ago, Maren said:

But most of all, I really REALLY loved that they NEVER did anything romantic or implied anything romantic with his Sergeant. I'm really tired of that trope on this show. 3 out of 4 have had this written for them

I totally agree with that sentiment. It's SO played out, tired, and lazy. I'm glad that wasn't part of Jack's story. I really enjoyed his time on the show. 

[wanderingstar]

I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed Jack. He had an easy rapport with all of the characters and never took himself too seriously. 

[dgpolo]

2 hours ago, Gillian Rosh said:

I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed Jack. He had an easy rapport with all of the characters and never took himself too seriously. 

So I guess I'm going to go against the flow here. I liked Jack to begin with but then his interminable stories started to get too much! he'd just go on and on and on!. Also against the flow it that I like Humphrey way more than most people here seem to, I thought he was kind and interested in people and willing to try things. I didn't seem to mind his clumsiness much. If I ranked them I'd probably have Humphrey first (and I'm glad he's getting a spin off), Richard next, despite being so rude most of the time he did soften toward Catherine and was very respectful of his officers, he also had the advantage of being first so his storylines were more, or seemed more, creative and unique. Then Neville who I hated when he started but has mellowed a lot and then Jack, not that he's offensive or anything, just that I usually want him to shut up!

They way the DSs dress is just a small irritation for me, I think they would excuse it as they get to wear 'civvies' and island wear is most always shorts and short sleeves so that's what they wear. Florence certainly wore different type clothes when in London. My biggest peeve with the way they dress is Florence's (and maybe some others sometimes) footwear, she usually wears flimsy sandals that are not really good if she has to chase someone down, but she seems to be able to do that anyway!