Thursday 28 January 2016

DEATH IN PARADISE - SERIES FIVE, EPISODE FOUR (BBC ONE)

[Spoiler-Free] A very special episode with a great Danny John-Jules.
 
Officer Dwayne Myers (Danny John-Jules) attends the funeral of his old mentor, the popular barber Cedrik Verga. Shortly after the cremation of the body, Dwayne receives a text from Cedrik claiming: "I was murdered." The thing is Cedrik apparently died of natural causes and his phone was in the coffin («  It's an island thing. »)

DI Humphrey Goodman (Kris Marshall), DS Florence Cassell (Joséphine Jobert) and Officer J.P. Hooper (Tobi Bakare) help their colleague and friend in his search for the truth amongst childhood pals of the defunct. A missing pillowcase, a death during a hurricane 45 years ago and the "Myth of Mont Clair" are the keys to solve the mystery of this message from beyond the grave.

« I'm scared. I've looked up to these men my whole life and I'm starting to wonder if I've got it all wrong. »

This episode is the first written by Emma Goodwin (Casualty) for Death in Paradise. Her bold departure from the format is a hit, highlighted by an emotional performance from Danny John-Jules, a splendid direction by Audrey Cooke and the score by Magnus Fiennes. Don Warrington shows a tactful side of Commissioner Patterson (« All I can ask is... if feathers are to be ruffled, that you'll ruffle them as delicately as possible. »)

Kris Marshall successfully adjusts his character to the gravity of the story though humour is not completely absent (« JP, you're the closest thing we have to a teenage boy. ») Tony Armatrading, Burt Caesar, Joan Hooley, Nimmy March, Gary McDonald and Trevor A. Toussaint are the very competent guest actors of this episode. Oh, Humphrey cooks.

Death in Paradise is produced by Red Planet Pictures for the BBC. Yvonne Francas is the producer. Series creator Robert Thorogood is the co-executive producer. Tony Jordan and Tim Key exec produce. Produced with the support of the Region of Guadeloupe and Film Commission of Guadeloupe.

Next week: Humphrey's most favourite aunt comes to Saint Marie. The pitch of the fifth episode says it all, looking forward to it.

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