Best episode in many a season
As a long time viewer of Death in Paradise, the series had been progressively losing its lustre, though I continued to watch it out of habit. While I am by no means "woke," I cheered when a black detective finally became the local DI. The tired trope of the stereotypical Englishman out-of-place in a tropical clime was at long last retired in favor of a Londoner of Caribbean ancestry who merely missed watching live English football on TV.
After a decent Christmas special, however, I found the first few episodes disappointing. They began to improve from Episode 4, and this unusual episode broke the mold with an exceptional storyline that the season had been building towards: Was the DI's mother -- who had apparently accidentally drowned at sea in a storm while scattering her father's ashes -- actually murdered and, if so, why and how?
As fans of the show, we can suspend our disbelief at certain dramatic contrivances to enjoy the "whodunit" aspect of the show, which is invariably brought to a gratifying conclusion. Such was the case here.
But this episode was unusual in the number of suspects, as well as in the way the season's backstory was integrated into the murder mystery. In addition, the writing combined humor, a touching emotional resonance at appropriate moments with some clever detective work to solve a seemingly impossible case in a manner that made this exceptional episode stand out.
After a decent Christmas special, however, I found the first few episodes disappointing. They began to improve from Episode 4, and this unusual episode broke the mold with an exceptional storyline that the season had been building towards: Was the DI's mother -- who had apparently accidentally drowned at sea in a storm while scattering her father's ashes -- actually murdered and, if so, why and how?
As fans of the show, we can suspend our disbelief at certain dramatic contrivances to enjoy the "whodunit" aspect of the show, which is invariably brought to a gratifying conclusion. Such was the case here.
But this episode was unusual in the number of suspects, as well as in the way the season's backstory was integrated into the murder mystery. In addition, the writing combined humor, a touching emotional resonance at appropriate moments with some clever detective work to solve a seemingly impossible case in a manner that made this exceptional episode stand out.
- jologo-12649
- 14 mar 2025