On Friday night, the new series of Return to Paradise began and saw DI Mackenzie Clarke back at the helm
Death in Paradise fans said the same thing as they tuned in to watch the new spin-off series.
Anna Samson was back to play the Death in Paradise spin-off’s female lead detective, Di Mackenzie Clarke, along with her sidekick Colin Cartwright (played by Lloyd Griffith). However, the first episode of series three was far from plain sailing as Mackenzie came face to face with a blast from the past – her mother.
Mack’s mum not only was their prime suspect in a murder, but the detective was also trying to deal with her ex Glenn’s exit, while also dealing with his replacement – a new pathologist called Leo.
Death in Paradise fans wasted no time in sharing their thoughts about episodes one and two of series three, with many taking to social media. Praising the series, one fan said, “Watched first episode and enjoyed. Just easy watching and escapism for an hour.”
“I binge-watched it, and I’ve got to say that ending to the series? If there’s not another series, we will riot,” someone else wrote, while a third added, “Brilliant; could not stop watching it. Great ending; pity only 6 episodes, only downside.”
Another went on, “Watched first 2 series and have watched episode 1 and 2 of series 3. Really enjoying the series.”
“5 was jaw-droppingly good,” one fan beamed. However, not all fans were impressed, as one person said, “Sorry, I watched the previous series hoping it would improve. Unfortunately, no improvement.”
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Another offered their comparison to Beyond Paradise as they wrote, “It’s trying to be like our Beyond Paradise. It’s far from it.”
Each episode of Return to Paradise is available to watch on BBC iPlayer, and for those who want to watch weekly, it airs every Friday. However, next Friday, the Death in Paradise spin-off will be replaced by Children in Need.
At the end of series two, Glenn decided to leave Dolphin Cove after his wedding was ruined. When speaking about his exit and being replaced, the actor who plays Glenn, Taj Hara, said, “At the end of the second series, we see the heartache and anguish he’s experienced through two failed weddings, and he’s concluded he’s probably the root cause of it all.
“Series three, Glenn’s been off finding himself, reflecting and taking some time away where no one’s been able to contact him. He thinks he’s quite certain of what he wants in his life – that’s Mack.”
On working with his replacement Leo, the actor had nothing but praise for Jacob, who plays him. He added, “It was brilliant – such a new dynamic. Having this complete fresh take, it really just energised and gave a whole new feeling to the series. Jacob’s a brilliant actor and he fit into our dynamic so well.
“For me, it was a great experience to be able to delve into a completely different side of Glenn that no one’s really seen before. More hardened, a little bit jealous, but very conflicted. That really grows and bubbles over throughout the rest of the series.”
Return to Paradise is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.