There appears to be trouble in paradise for DI Mervin Wilson as new pics hint at the tension between him and his long-lost brother Solomon ahead of this week’s Death in Paradise season 15 debut. The BBC already teased the spiky start to their relationship in the synopsis for the season, which shared: “As DI Mervin Wilson (Don Gilet) continues to adjust to life in Saint Marie, he and the police team must face a myriad of baffling cases.
“Whilst attempting to connect with his recently discovered half-brother Solomon (Daniel Ward), Mervin’s newfound familial happiness soon turns to frustration as he discovers the pair are not quite as similar as he hoped they might be.”
Said frustration is evident from Mervin’s expression in the teaser pics which hint at he brothers struggles to get along.
Elsewhere, the new season lives up to its promise of a “myriad of baffling cases” as the Saint Marie investigative team get stuck into a murder investigation on the beach.
The image is the first time fans of the show get to see Sergeant Mattie Fletcher (Catherine Garton) in action in the series. Mattie, joins the BBC crime series just as actor Ginny Holder (known for her role as Darlene Curtis) departs after seven years on the show.
PHOTOGRAPHER:Philippe Virapin//BBC
PHOTOGRAPHER:Philippe Virapin//BBC
PHOTOGRAPHER:Philippe Virapin//BBC
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Season 15’s synopsis alludes to trouble for Mattie too when it mentions the character’s problems settling into the team thanks to the “shadows from her past [which] begin to reveal themselves”.
Also joining the cast as a guest star for the brand new season is Happy Valley actor and Gilet’s partner Siobhan Finneran.
While being interviewed by on This Morning, Gilet said he had “loved” working with the Downton Abbey star and went on to praise her talents, saying: “There’s something about the way she acts now, there’s a confidence to her. She gets more work now.”
PHOTOGRAPHER:Philippe Virapin//BBC
PHOTOGRAPHER:Philippe Virapin//BBC
The new series also welcomes Selwyn Patterson (Don Warrington) back to the role of Saint Marie’s Commissioner after he was pushed out last season.
During an interview with Radio Times, Warrington revealed he was shocked by the fandom’s response to his potential exit at the end of season 14 when the character revealed he was relinquishing his Commissioner post and heading to London.
PHOTOGRAPHER:Philippe Virapin//BBC
“Well, [their response] came as a shock to me, I have to say,” said Warrington. “I thought it would just pass by under the radar and we’d carry on. But, apparently, there has been an outcry. It’s flattering and I would be dishonest if I said it wasn’t. But it came as a surprise to realise how deeply the characters had got into the consciousness of the public.”
The fan-favourite teased a change to the Commissioner this season when he told Radio Times: “[The producers] came to me and told me the plan for the character and it seemed to me a good way to expand the series. Because Commissioner Patterson comes back with a different energy.”
Death in Paradise season 15 airs on Friday 30 January 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. 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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