‘Death in Paradise’s new Detective Inspector is a blunt and cocky breath of fresh air

It’s the dawn of a new era for Death in Paradise. This year’s Christmas special doubles as an introduction for Saint Marie’s newest Detective Inspector, Mervin Wilson, played by former EastEnders star Don Gilet.

When the Death in Paradise season 13 finale aired, marking the end of Ralf Little’s multi-season stint as DI Neville Parker, I not-so-secretly wished that the show would be willing to take a big swing in the future. Death in Paradise is known as a cozy, tropical crime show, but there was a time when it took serious narrative risks, like killing off its own leading man at the beginning of season 3. Now that I’ve seen the 2024 Christmas special, it seems my wish has been granted.

Don’t get me wrong—I’ve loved every season and enjoyed each new Inspector’s personality and growth, but I also love a show that’s willing to mix it up now and then, too, and Mervin Wilson seems to be doing just that (and not only because he’s the series’ first Black DI—honestly, it’s about time). Whereas his most recent predecessors were mostly bumbling and endearingly socially awkward, Mervin is blunt, opinionated, cocky, emotionally closed off, and even a little bit rude. His new colleagues don’t really know what to make of him at first, either. They’re visibly and verbally annoyed by his demeanor. It gives the show a fresh dynamic, one I’m hoping they’ll build on, even as he gets to know the other officers better and inevitably spends some time at Catherine’s bar.

Now, this is still Death in Paradise, so of course, it soon becomes clear that Mervin does have an emotional side to him, one he’s not in the habit of sharing with others. He’s just as brilliant and innovative as Paradise’s previous detectives, too, but he’s not as much of a fish-out-of-water as them, no matter how much he longs for air conditioning in the police station. As it turns out, Mervin has a personal connection to the island, which we’ll discover more about when Death in Paradise season 14 is released in the new year. In the special’s final scene, Dwayne says about the Inspectors, “They’re all the same, you know,” but this time, I don’t think that’s true.

They still gather all the suspects to reveal the killer—a tradition that genuinely baffles Mervin before he reveals his brilliant insights—and the supporting cast is as loveable as ever. This is still the Death in Paradise we all know and love, but it’s trying something new, something that has the potential to make our favorite characters grow and change more than ever before, and I’m excited to see where the series is headed.

The Death in Paradise 2024 Christmas special is now available to stream on BBC iPlayer in the U.K. It will premiere on BritBox in the U.S. on December 31.