When a volleyball player is fatally stabbed at the Inter Island championships, Humphrey (Kris Marshall) and his team are called in to investigate.
However, much like volleyball, this episode really feels like a game of two halves.
Director Paul Murphy is clearly at home with filming the show, as tonight’s instalment is one of the most beautifully shot episodes to date, making full use of the tropical location.
Casting-wise, we have some great turns by guest stars Joe Absolom (Doc Martin), Dominique Tipper and Geff Francis. It was also welcome to see cameos from Elizabeth Bourgine (though not a direct mention of Camille?) and Don Warrington. These characters play a part in the history of the show and it’s nice to see they haven’t been forgotten about.
It’s also nice to see this season’s new additions Josephine Jobert and Tobi Bakare developed further. Florence shows her determination and forcefulness in a conversation with Maz (Tipper), while JP is given a comical subplot that pairs him up with Kris Marshall, a welcome dynamic that hasn’t really been explored yet. Right now, he is adding to the lighthearted elements of the show well, but it’ll be interesting to see him develop dramatically as he becomes more established.
“They all have a perfect alibi,” Florence notes, but do they really? Writer Mark Brotherhood’s script is well presented but, to be fair, the central murder mystery isn’t hugely interesting and you will more than likely have guessed who the killer is before it’s revealed.
It’s a shame as there are some strong red herrings, including a forbidden romance, a spotlessly clean crime scene, an allegation of match fixing and a strange breathy voice recording on the victim’s phone. It is also hard to identify and engage our sympathies with the victim as we know so little about her when she is viciously offed.
Of course, Humphrey is on it, despite how much the people in the episode see him as inept and irritating.
“If this was a random killing, why didn’t they take anything from her room, leave her where she fell and run?” Humphrey inquires. “I think Shelley knew her killer, they knew what room she was in, the car she drove.” Marshall has really come into his own as the detective and is shining with comic skill in the absence of Camille and their unrequited romance.
The main issue I have with the episode is its pace. After a frenetic music video-style opening sequence, the pace drops dramatically. Death in Paradise has always had a more casual pace than other crime drama’s, but this week’s episode just felt slow and undeveloped in places. It does pick up in the second half with the volleyball storyline and an accompanying subplot involving illegal gambling, but by then it’s all a bit late in the game.
A very mixed episode, but one that can probably be allowed while the new gang find their feet after the loss of Camile. We can only hope the next two episodes feature the necessary character development to ensure a fifth season next year.
Aired at 9pm on Thursday 12 February 2015 on BBC One.
> Buy the Season 1-2 boxset on Amazon.
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