Return to Paradise

Used a VPN to watch and it exceeded my expectations. I thought it would be a fun watch but not live up to the main show and Beyond Paradise. But I would have to say that I'm impressed by EP 1. Mackenzie is very strong as a lead character and I'm really liking the dynamics, especially between her and Philomena. I really like the nods and ties to Death in Paradise.

I'm really excited to see more and for it to eventually be aired on BBC One so more people will see it. Very strong spin off and I'm glad it's a part of the paraverse, I've seen that it had a strong debut in Australian which gives me hope they'll want to produce more in the future (if the rest go well as well of course).

I saw some people say Mackenzie is female Richard, I would have to disagree, but that's just me.

Both Return to Paradise and Beyond Paradise lack the verve, spark and colour of the original, Beyond Paradise. I agree with another poster that the main character, Mackenzie Clarke, is hard to like. I assume the producers will realise this and her character could easily be tweaked for the next season (should there be one - the door was, not surprisingly, left open for a second run and ratings for the first season were solid). The other characters are eclectic and likeable, the murders confounding, the "love triangle" is somewhat unsatisfactory, and the scenery is great, so there is plenty to work with and improve. Return to Paradise has potential....

Beautiful scenery backdrops a murder mystery show led by a quirky detective with a shady past. The humor is light although the first episode didn't have the intriguing plot that the French/British series it's based on has. It's passable, but the lead actress doesn't seem' comfortable in her role as a weird police officer with commitment issues and an emotional retinue understaffed. Her facial expressions tend towards pantomime. She over does the confusion of other's responses to her which seems unlikely given it's a personality trait. The second episode was better and the lead seemed more convincing in her role as a sociopath. This is an ok show but lacks the Caribbean vibe of the original. Recommended to soft mystery fans.

I will check out the next episode, not least because I tend to like seeing things shot in Australia.

But I have to wonder why some creators seem to feel the need for "weird" in every series. The lead character, Mack, has a nasty back story and a problematic current situation, an absent mother -- whom I fear will not be absent long, and who will add to the "weird" already contributed by the "volunteer police person."

The single best thing about this for me was the reference to Inspector Mooney, to whom Mack referred as "Jack." That's OUR Inspector Mooney, from the original Death in Paradise, and it holds out a little hope that Ardal O'Hanlon may make a cameo or even guest appearance at some point. The postcard on his desk that said "Visit Saint Marie" was another nice touch.

But this was a rather clunky debut, with too much time spent on telling us Mackenzie Clark, including that she is "brilliant." As a result the other cop regulars-to-be got very short shrift, especially Catherine McClements, whom I suspect is going to be criminally underused.

Let's hope it sharpens up -- a cop show in Australia always has potential, as does a Thorogood spin-off, but there have been too many first-rate Australian cop shows for one to coast on his reputation. This one will have to raise its game.

The formula is the same as Death in Paradise (which I have enjoyed over the years). The first episode was a little slow but after just watching the second episode I think the show is starting to come into its own and it too is enjoyable. The characters are starting to be fleshed out and their individuality and quirkiness is nice to see. I do think Anna Samson is probably the weak link in the cast however I've only seen a couple of episodes and she may soon shine. The rest of the cast seems great. The scenery is also great and typical of NSW. I'm looking forward to future episodes. I recommend watching!