Look out Return to Paradise, Shipton Abbott’s finest is on its way! At least if we’re reading the clues right in this week’s episode of Beyond Paradise, but how could we not be? They were hardly subtle.
Last week’s frustrated Zoe (Melina Sinadinou) has taken Martha’s (Sally Bretton) advice to heart this week. “Take risks” and “choose adventure”, Martha told a restless Zoe, not knowing that she had unwittingly sparked Zoe’s interest in traveling the world.
With her newfound passion ignited, the 18-year-old intends to follow in her boss’s globetrotting footsteps, starting with Dolphin Cove. Hardcore fans, whose Paraverse consumption extends to DI Mackenzie Clarke’s (Anna Samson) Australian spin-off, will know that Return to Paradise is set in the fictional beachside town of Dolphin Cove.
Coincidence? We think not. Especially now that Return to Paradise has officially been renewed for a third season…
BBC
The giant anvil of a crossover clue was dropped when a distracted Zoe bumped into Kelby (Dylan Llewellyn) while staring at her phone in the street. Immediately, a recent search caught the eye of PC Kelby who recognised Dolphin Cove from the pictures on the website she’d been researching.
“Looks like paradise,” he said (*wink, wink, nod, nod*) before asking her if she was planning a trip.
“Thinking about going traveling, seeing a bit of the world,” Zoe replied, and he told her she is brave.
“That’s what life’s about, isn’t it?” Zoe confidently shared. “Having those different experiences. Taking those risks.”
In a later scene, Zoe was again looking up Dolphin Cove, this time at home, but quickly hid it from her mum Esther (Zahra Ahmadi). She then attempted to tell her mother of her exciting plans towards the end of the episode, but bottled it.
However this only goes to show just how serious she is about leaving and these are just the small steps she’s taking towards taking that leap. That, and ensuring that her mum will be okay by also encouraging her to take risks.
To quote Esther, you could “hardly class a neck massage as risk-taking”, but it does push Esther out of her comfort zone, something she’ll need to get used to if she’s to accept Zoe leaving.
However, Zoe may not be the only one with plans to jet across the world. Beneath those eye-wateringly obvious teases about her going, Beyond Paradise seems to be setting up another character’s crossover journey.
BBC
We couldn’t help but notice that there was a little flicker of longing in Kelby’s eyes when she mentioned she was thinking of going, which makes sense. Zoe’s not the only character who has been feeling fed up with their lot of late.
“I’d give my right arm for a burglary at the moment,” Kelby told his team earlier in the episode. “Honestly, if I get one more call out about kids doing wheelies in the high street or eating people’s custard creams, I could scream.”
He later confessed to having “definitely had enough” when he was called to deal with a fight involving teenagers at the train station, echoing his discontent and desire to be stretched.
BBC
His link to Zoe came about during their talk when she told him she would probably end up traveling by herself.
“Well good for you,” Kelby encouraged. “As long as you take care of yourself.” Well, she’d certainly be able to do that with the dedicated police officer by her side.
This theory could be easy to brush off as just a fun bit of speculation, but actor Ahmadi hinted at something exciting for Kelby prior to the show’s release.
When asked whose storyline she’d enjoyed seeing evolve this season, outside of her own, the Esther actor told Digital Spy: “Oh, Kelby for sure… No spoilers, but Kelby, absolutely Kelby. I think you’re going to love it.”
Craig Hardie / Red Planet Pictures//BBC
When discussing a possible crossover, Ahamdi revealed that she was not tired of talking about the possible merging of worlds, stating: “Until I’ve been to Australia and done an ep of Return to Paradise, I’m never sick of hearing that question.”
Is it possible that Esther could temporarily go along too, to escort her daughter safely to the other side of the world? Kelby, by her own admission, may be a “highly competent police officer and a fully grown adult”, but Zoe, also by her own admission, “will always be [her] little baby girl”, and that trumps everything.
If it does happen this will be the first time that anyone from Beyond Paradise has made it to Return to Paradise.
We feel that Beyond Paradise has dropped far too many clues to have them all amount to nothing. So fans, let’s sit tight and see how this all unfolds…
Beyond Paradise, Death in Paradise and Return to Paradise air on BBC One and stream on BBC iPlayer.
Read more Beyond Paradise news on our dedicated homepage
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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. Â For six years she honed her analytical reviewing skills at the Good Housekeeping institute eventually becoming Acting Head of Food testing. Â 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.
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