Death in Paradise knew exactly what it was doing when it introduced the character of Solomon (Daniel Ward), the brother of Mervin (Don Gilet). This rule-bending, immature and spirited man was, unlike Mervin, born to colour outside of the lines (and probably onto the floor too).
Solomon is the antithesis of the central detective inspector, which creates a delicious tension that leads to a fully clothed Mervin being tossed into a pool, only to be followed by the pair of knuckle-headed brothers becoming drenched in a hot sauce.
It’s the kind of outlandish comedy that suits the BBC murder mystery series, and a wonderfully dramatic yet chaotic way to authentically infuse the episodes with physical comedy. Their relationship, however, is so much more than mere hijinks.
Solomon and Mervin’s mismatched brotherhood gives the series a change of pace – and a new lease of life – that stops the beloved franchise from feeling stale as the main series enters its 15th season.
While the discovery of his long-lost brother may feel like a natural progression for Mervin given that he was drawn to Saint Marie to seek out his birth mother, it’s less so for the series in general, which has always leaned heavily on the romantic relationships of its detectives to carry the storylines outside of the main mystery.
There was Richard Poole (Ben Miller) and Camille (Sara Martins), Humprey Goodman (Kris Marshall) and Camille – before Martha (Sally Bretton) – and, who could forget the Neville Parker (Ralf Little) and Florence (Joséphine Jobert) arc?
PHOTOGRAPHER:Philippe Virapin//BBC
Admittedly, their tepid love-story took a slight detour when Neville coupled up with a con-artist who framed him for murder. Still, he eventually found his way back to Florence so all’s well that ends well…sort of.
The only deviation from that slow-burn formula has been with Ardal O’Hanlon’s Jack Mooney, who entered the show with the most painful baggage: the grief over the death of his wife all while navigating being a single father to his daughter Siobhan (Grace Stone).
Eventually, there was room for some romance when he fell for Anna Masani (Nina Wadia), until they ultimately broke up when he decided to move back to London to be with his daughter.
All these couplings gave the audience something to root for, and the excitement that was born out of the shipment of the show’s characters was a successful narrative hook. However, there are only so many times that storyline thread can be pulled on before it becomes frayed, which makes Mervin’s storyline all the more interesting.
PHOTOGRAPHER:Philippe Virapin//BBC
The series creator, Robert Thorogood, already took a different approach with Gilet’s character when he initially focused on his search for his mother, Dorna Bray (Judith Jacob).
This narrative created some of the most intense and heartfelt scenes, as he wrestled with feelings of abandonment whilst being conflicted over his desire for answers. When the truth came out, it was a bittersweet pill that, while heartbreaking for him, was engrossing for the audience.
With those familial issues put to bed, it would have been too easy for Death in Paradise to instantly pivot to a romantic arc. There already seems to be a small spark between Mervin and DS Naomi Thomas (Shantol Jackson) that could easily be built upon, but the series’ creators made the right move when they chose to lean into a different kind of shipment.
PHOTOGRAPHER:Philippe Virapin//BBC
That of Mervin and Solomon – their relationship is already made more precious by the fact that Mervin carries the weight of abandonment, even after learning the truth. To some extent he feels unlovable, pushing people away and isolating himself because it’s easier than connecting, and yet he wants to connect. Ultimately, he wants a family.
He’s slowly building a found family with his Saint Marie police team and those in the community, namely mayor Catherine Bordey (Élizabeth Bourgine), but he still has a desire to connect with his mother through Solomon, as well as a desire to connect with his brother in his own right. His need to be healed by this relationship is easy to root for, and hugely engrossing.
Sure, something romantic may or may not build between Mervin and DS Thomas, but foreground his bond with Solomon was the right direction for Mervin’s arc, charting a new and even more exciting course in the process.
Death in Paradise season 15 airs Fridays on BBC One. Death in Paradise and its spin-offs Beyond Paradise and Return to Paradise are all available to stream now on BBC iPlayer.
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TV writer, Digital Spy Janet completed her Masters degree in Magazine Journalism in 2013 and has continued to grow professionally within the industry ever since. For six years she honed her analytical reviewing skills at the Good Housekeeping institute eventually becoming Acting Head of Food testing. She also freelanced in the field of film and TV journalism from 2013-2020, when she interviewed A-List stars such as Samuel L Jackson, Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson. In 2021 she joined Digital Spy as TV writer where she gets to delve into more of what she loves, watching copious amounts of telly all in the name of work. Since taking on the role she has conducted red carpet interviews with the cast of Bridgerton, covered the BAFTAs and been interviewed by BBC Radio and London Live. In her spare time she also moonlights as a published author, the book Gothic Angel.