Death in Paradise is no stranger to major character changes. Every few seasons, a new Detective Inspector is brought to the tropical, fictional island paradise of St. Marie, and the small yet effective police force (which has also weathered multiple staff changes) needs to find out how to work with their new boss. Traditionally, though, that’s been easier for the officers to deal with than it is this time around.
Don Gilet’s DI Mervin Wilson is unlike any of his predecessors. Whereas DI Humphrey Goodman (Kris Marshall), DI Jack Mooney (Ardal O’Hanlon), and DI Neville Parker (Ralf Little) all presented with relatively gentle, if not slightly bumbling, personalities, Mervin is much cockier, brash, and sometimes even downright rude. In that way, he actually reminds me most of Death in Paradise’s first Detective Inspector, Richard Poole (Ben Miller), a man who couldn’t find the joy of living on the island until he truly connected with his team.
That doesn’t mean Mervin doesn’t have a softer side. We see it whenever the subject of his estranged and sadly deceased mother comes up or when it’s revealed that the Commissioner’s job is on the line. He’s clearly not entirely comfortable sharing that side of himself, though, relying instead on his wits, rudeness, and distance to get through the day. Thankfully, one character isn’t letting him get away with it: Shantol Jackson’s DS Naomi Thomas.
Mercifully, not every DI has fallen in love with his DS in Death in Paradise (though I admit that Neville’s and Florence’s literal ride into the sunset in the season 13 finale moved me), and it doesn’t seem like that will happen in this era, either. Instead, what we’re offered is a character dynamic we arguably haven’t seen since the very first season of Death in Paradise, in which the Detective Sergeant is entirely unafraid to call out her boss, both for the way he treats his co-workers and the way he’s handling his emotions and personal life. Naomi’s honesty is so refreshing, and we get a perfect example of it in Death in Paradise season 14, episode 4.
Spoilers ahead for Death in Paradise season 14, episode 4.
In the episode, Mervin takes Naomi for a meal at his mother’s favorite restaurant. Naomi, like the audience, is pleasantly surprised by this development and prepares herself to sit down with her boss and maybe discuss what he knows about his mother and her tragic (and potentially suspicious) death. That’s not what Mervin has in mind, however. After a brief comment about the café being “nice,” Mervin rushes them along, ordering within seconds of sitting down, asking the chef to hasten their food, and wolfing down his meal. All he wants to talk about is the current case they’re working on, too, rather than reminisce about his mother or share anything about himself.
Naomi becomes increasingly irritated during the meal until she finally snaps and unleashes her frustrations in the parking lot. “What’s the matter with you?” Mervin asks as Naomi sets down her takeaway box, and she answers, “You are. You’re always in such a rush. Never pausing or taking a moment … we’re talking about you and how annoying you can be.” Mervin scoffs, and Naomi continues, “This was supposed to be a nice thing for you to do, not a quick working lunch kind of thing. And if you’d just taken a moment, you’d have seen there’s a board inside with photos of customers on it. And there’s one of your mother. Sir, there’s so much you’re going to miss if you don’t just slow down.”
Surprisingly, Mervin agrees with her assessment and acknowledges that “speeding through things” is his default setting. He doesn’t become angry, like you might expect the boss to; instead, he confirms her feelings and still manages to joke with her about who is the most “narky.” While all DIs eventually end up having great relationships with their sergeants in the show, I think Mervin and Naomi have a chance to understand each other better than any of the previous pairings ever did, even those whose relationships morphed into something romantic. There’s something truly freeing about allowing Naomi to yell at Mervin, and it gives the show a wonderfully realistic (and I’d argue, much-needed) new character dynamic to enjoy.
Yes, we watch Death in Paradise for the cozy crime vibes and because we want to escape the gloom of the winter months, but we wouldn’t love it as much as we do if it weren’t for the characters. Mervin and Naomi are quickly becoming one of my favorite character pairings on the show, maybe ever. The series’ feel-good nature doesn’t just have to come from warm, easy friendships. It can come from two people learning to trust and respect one another wholeheartedly, too, even if they sometimes disagree viciously, and I think that’s what’s happening here. I understand missing Neville Parker, but honestly? I kind of love how Mervin Wilson is shaking up the status quo in more ways than one, and I can’t wait to see how it unfolds in the rest of the season (and the next).
Published: Mar 13, 2025 02:45 pm