Beyond Paradise

I'm a big fan of Death in Paradise and Humphrey in particular. I'm also a fan of Johnathan Creek and this series has the same kind of feel.

I've rewatched Death in Paradise so many times and the Humphrey episodes are just that little bit more fun, and now we have more of the kindest, most unintentionally funny, brilliant detective St. Marie ever had. What's not to love?

I'm really enjoying the series so far, the cases are weird and new and enjoyably confusing, and I love that they've found a way to bring it home but still base it in a small community. Plus they've actually kept the character, there's even been a couple of call-backs to the original series. So many spin-offs take a beloved character and throw their entire personality and history out the window, as if just the name and the actor are enough, they aren't. But this series is obviously created by someone who really appreciates DI Goodman in all his bumbling glory.

Humphrey and Martha's relationship really drags the show down. I don't think they have good chemistry and none of their plot lines make a lot of sense. They are both a bit old for the baby storyline IMO. Humphrey is played by a 50 year old man, Martha is played by a woman in her mid-40s. They look their age, especially in the brutal lighting of this show. Shouldn't there at least be a line about how time is running out to have children at all and that's why they needed medical interventions?

Why is there a love triangle at all? The other man is also well into his forties. Their engagement was decades ago. It seems forced for drama.

Their relationship story just seems like it's written for characters around age 30-early 20s failed relationships are still fresh but they are thinking about settling down, deciding if they want kids but still have a lot of time left for these big decisions. These two don't have that time! Where is the urgency?

Why is her mom so against Humphrey? Wouldn't it be better for her to excited about her daughter getting married and maybe having a baby? Not that anyone has to do either but by your mid-40s having never been married or having children is still unusual in 2023, you'd think someone would remark on it. Finding love when you least expect it, a chance at grandchildren. Something!

The mysteries are cute and the team there is pretty solid. They all seem to get along well and have their own personalities. Why have the dragged out, downer, unrealistic personal life subplot? Why couldn't Humphrey move there and be happy? Do the writers realize their relationship is a bad idea/they don't have chemistry and that's why it gets worse every episode? Could they be writing Martha out? I can only hope.

I am pleasantly entertained by the comic police investigations by Humphrey and his police team.

However I find myself reaching for my phone every time Martha gets a scene. She is a potentially charming character, but she has somehow been burderned by BBC script writers who scrape the barrel for woeful daytime soap plots.

I cannot guess why the BBC has tried to mix overwrought histrionics with the otherwise comic and light theme of the detective work. This strange conflation of genres rather emphasises that the soap plots are tacked on, and so stand out like a sore thumb.

Perhaps it is BBC social propaganda, or perhaps it is a cast member or film maker who wants to do something more 'worthy' or 'serious'.

Either way it working like a reverse romance where I am rooting for Humphrey to find another girlfriend (or script writer).

We cannot help but compare this series to Death in Paradise. DiP instantly showed its core identity and we were hooked. It was crime-solving with true friendship, joviality, trusted teammates and likeable characters. We enjoyed them in their off-time as if we were part of their merry making. The writers achieved a unique and tight balance; well written and a pleasure to watch, season after season.

I just finished season 1 of Beyond Paradise. I am disappointed at the product that has been delivered to a pre-existing captive audience! It struggles to find its identity: Is it a comedy, a comedy/drama or just a dark drama? BP has few likeable characters, it is thin on comedy. We want DI Goodman to be clumsy and endearing, to excel in his work and enjoy a home life - the formula we loved. Instead he is living a sad undercurrent at home. He has no reprieve from sleuthing. The best supporting character was supposed to be his fiancee. She instead offers nothing but pain. It is dark and depressing. We did not sign up for a soap opera home life. It distracts from the story and is a major disappointment that does not serve the series or its audience well. I would not be surprised if it is cancelled unless they change tack.

Was really looking forward to this death in paradise spin off, especially as Kris Marshal was one of my favourite DIs from the series, and also because being a West Country boy it's set in my part of the world.

Filmed in Cornwall but bizzatly set in Devon, obviously didn't want to be seen to be mimicking Doc Martin too closely, although actually it's just a police version of doc Martin with a less grumpy lead. Just like Doc Martin & other West Country based series such as the dreadful McDonald and Dodds the actors have been sent to the same school of generic West Country accent coaching, (clearly based in the middle of Bristol) and ridiculously unsubtle, over the top and of course spoken by every single resident.

The locals are depicted as the stereotypical dumb village idiots which is just boringly tedious, plane lazy and unimaginative writing.

You couldn't get away with depicting any other social group in this way these days but here we are yet again!

The police officers in death in paradise weren't written as being imbeciles so why are they in this, especially the incredibly irritating older female secretary character.

It's a shame because this stupidity really ruins what could be an acceptable series, the fact it's different mysteries rather than murders is an interesting touch and of course some lovely scenery and touching moments between Humphrey and Martha. However the tiring carrot crunching yokel routine just ruins it.

You can mix comedy with more serious issues as shown in Death in Paradise and other successful pats series such as Heartbeat, but beyond paradise just come across as being an idiotic farce than amusing light hearted police drama.