Sunshine and suspicious deaths mean a return to Saint Marie and the ever-popular series of Death in Paradise. Picking up from where the 2024 Christmas Special left off, the latest series sees the new DI, Mervin Wilson, adapt to life on the island while searching for his familial roots.

Over the course of eight episodes, series fourteen introduces a host of new whodunits for Mervin and the squad to solve, ranging from a death at a distillery to a deadly football game. These mysteries vary in quality, and while the first couple are underwhelming, they regain their footing by the end of the series.

New Recruits

The fourteenth iteration of the show sees significant changeover from the previous series, the most notable of which is DI Mervin Wilson (Don Gilet). Brought in to replace DI Neville Parker (Ralf Little), his adjustment to the island is rougher than most.

Wilson’s first episodes on the scene provide a less-than-stellar impression of his character. Rude and abrasive, it takes a while for viewers and members of the Saint Marie squad to warm up to his quirks. Thankfully, as the series progresses, his attitudes soften as he gets used to the island and develops a rapport with the rest of the team, especially with DS Naomi Thomas (Shantol Jackson), who has a love/hate relationship with him.

As Wilson’s character is established, the show explores some interesting story arcs surrounding his continued time on the island. His original reason for visiting the island was to find his birth mother, who had died before he arrived on the island. This storyline is picked back up when Wilson finds evidence that her death can be chalked up to more than just a misadventure at sea.

While these developments are obvious from the outset, they are written impactfully, focusing on Wilson. This journey is incredibly personal for his character, and the story succeeds in hitting every shocking and heartfelt moment, which will ultimately endear people to the new DI’s stint on the island.

Alongside DI Mervin Wilson, the Saint Marie police department also welcomes a new junior officer, Sebastian Rose (Shaquille Ali-Yebuah). His journey throughout the series can best be described as a fixer-upper.

Officer Rose doesn’t have the most natural of police instincts, and there are natural parallels between his character and Ruby’s from a few series prior. To improve his skills, Darlene (Ginny Holder) offers to take him under her wing. Through her tough-love approach, she’s able to drag him kicking and screaming up to standard by the series’ conclusion.

The End of an Era

With all these new recruits brought into the show, change is a big theme for the series. However, it is with one of the show’s longest-serving members that it delivers its biggest shock.

Commissioner Selwyn Patterson (Don Warrington), a stalwart of the series, has been a part of Death in Paradise’s landscape since the beginning. He’s seen the island change and grow through the years, and by the end of the series, he finally decides to call it quits.

His final story arc as commissioner is a journey of acceptance and a battle to leave on his own terms. At the start of the series, the story introduces the idea of Selwyn being pushed out of the police force as his position is being retired. Grappling with a new sense of insecurity, it leaves the story able to show new, vulnerable sides to the usually no-nonsense chief of police.

Selwyn’s retirement seems set in stone by the halfway point until they introduce his replacement. Sterling Fox is a young go-getter and easily the most aggravating man on Saint Marie.

Brilliantly played by Trieve Blackwood-Cambridge, he serves his purpose well in provoking the commissioner to fight back. It’s a battle that re-energises Selwyn’s love for the job and showcases sparks of how he reached his position of authority.

Ultimately, Selwyn wins back the position of commissioner during the series’ climax only to turn it down. Despite the hole he’ll leave in the series, the finality and closure that come with his choosing a new chapter in his life are more than good enough. Not every exit needs a big bang, and this one leaves the possibilities open for more guest appearances.

Death in Paradise’s fourteenth series is a testament that good things come with change. While the episode-by-episode mysteries were a little underwhelming, the arcs told across the season more than made up for it. Mervin and Selwyn’s arcs are particularly strong. They sport tight storytelling that ends in deserved emotional payoffs. Series fifteen will have big shoes to fill, but this show always manages change well.

I Give Death in Paradise’s Fourteenth Series: 7.5/10