Murder mysteries and children are not a pairing that go hand in hand. Perhaps that’s why ankle biters slot so nicely in the Death in Paradise spin-off Beyond Paradise, where the crime rate may be high but the actual number of suspicious deaths is comparatively low.
Save from a few, minor roles and background appearances – such as the local school’s nativity in the Christmas special – the island of Saint Marie has been a relatively kid-free place until now.
The latest episode of Death in Paradise ended on an intriguing note with the introduction of DI Mervin’s (Don Gilet) niece Eloise (Avah Cotterell). Surprised? Well you couldn’t be as flabbergasted as Mervin, who initially came to the island hoping to find a mother and is slowly ending up with a whole family tree.
PHOTOGRAPHER:Philippe Virapin//BBC
With her laid back, smooth-talking attitude, Eloise has all the charisma of her banged-up father Solomon (Daniel Ward) and she comes at just the right time. Solomon and Mervin’s fledgling relationship hit a wall last episode when Solomon’s latest dodgy scheme got sorely out of hand and landed him in jail for the foreseeable future.
It was a disappointing development and a premature end to what was shaping up to be an exciting storyline for the emotionally detached detective. His inability to be flexible was being thoroughly tested by his incompatibility with Solomon and it was leading to some very rich character growth. Much of which felt snatched away with the incarceration of his brother.
Now, Death in Paradise writer James Hall means to test Mervin in a whole new way with the already gambling, extremely forward tween Eloise. In less than two minutes of screentime, Cotterell already has us eating out of the palm of her hand.
Able to bring Eloise to light with just a few shoulder shrugs, eye rolls and gestures, the mini-Sol asked Mervin: “So, what would you prefer I call you? Merv, uncle Mervin, just Merv?” before pushing her way into his home and asking, “What’s for breakfast?” It wasn’t much but it was enough to get the rule-abiding hairs on Mervin’s skin standing up when he demanded that she not touch anything.
Fast-forward to the preview for the finale, which hinted at a junior investigation taking place. “We need to work out a plan, Uncle Merv, to find evidence that proves he’s innocent,” Eloise tells the detective of her father.
This confirms two things: one, she’s settled on calling him ‘Uncle Merv’ (the right choice to be honest), and two, she’s not going anywhere any time soon, which quite frankly is great.
Not just because Cotterell is a marvel who we already want to see more of, but because her character Eloise adds a whole new dimension to Mervin’s character arc and to the show.
BBC
Up until now, Mervin has been somewhat in control of his affairs on Saint Marie. Sure – thanks to Solomon – they have spiralled into avenues he’d much rather have stayed clear of (who would want hot sauce in the eyes?) but when the time came to call it quits he could.
Now, Eloise seems set to test Mervin’s patience, albeit in a different way. But what will he do now that he cannot simply walk away, when moral obligation and responsibility are part of the equation?
This Eloise situation forces change on the resistant detective, which can only reshape him in more interesting ways. While we weren’t ready for Solomon to leave, this is a very clever way to keep the exploration of Mervin’s lineage and that family link alive.
PHOTOGRAPHER:Philippe Virapin//BBC
On top of that, the inclusion of a child in the show takes the series into uncharted territory. Mervin will now have to manage dangerous and nefarious investigations while, for the time being, shielding a very inquisitive minor who reeks of someone who likes to get involved in situations they have no business being in. This opens up whole new storylines and has the potential for even more emotional nuance.
That’s if she sticks around longer than the two episodes – and we hope she does. It would be a wasted opportunity for her not to.
Death in Paradise and its spin-offs, Beyond Paradise and Return to Paradise, air on BBC One and stream on BBC iPlayer.
Read more Death in Paradise news on our dedicated homepage
The new edition of Living Legends, a 100-page all-colour celebration of Harry Styles, is here! Buy Harry Styles in newsagents or online.
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.