Death in Paradise is a modern classic, indeed it made our 100 best TV shows of all time list.
It's a nice Christmas for Death in Paradise fans as we have both the Death in Paradise Christmas special and the Beyond Paradise Christmas special to look forward to.
Ranking the best Death in Paradise episodes is a challenge worthy of the show's to date four leading men: DI Richard Poole (Ben Miller), DI Humphrey Goodman (Kris Marshall), DI Jack Mooney (Ardal O'Hanlon) and DI Neville Parker (Ralf Little).
But with the murder and episode count rapidly heading to three figures, indeed Death in Paradise season 13 will open with the 100th episode, it's time to solve the case of what the greatest-ever episode is...
10. Season 4 episode 8
A nice delve into Humphrey's background, which goes a long way to explaining his lack of confidence and it's also an intriguing case. Humphrey is in a tizz because his father, who he's clearly terrified of, is visiting Saint Marie. Luckily, at work, he has an easy day at court with an open and shut case. Cue the defendant being shot dead in his cell!
Yes, it's the classic Death in Paradise plotline of the killer seemingly doing the impossible by entering a locked room. This is a plot they somewhat overuse but this is a good one with some fleeing ants proving crucial!
The Commissioner isn't impressed and nor is his bore of a father, who bizarrely seems to think that his son should have achieved more in his life and that he should get back together with his ex-wife. "You’re living alone, in a shack, with a bloody lizard," sighs his dad — actually putting it like that, maybe he has a point!
But Humphrey solves the case with a flourish worthy of Hercule Poirot and at last, he has impressed his dad.
9. Season 8 episode 5
The opening episode of a two-part story begins with a bloodied hand and ends with the audience wondering if Florence will die. What a cliffhanger! Florence is in love with Patrice and it's just a week away from their wedding. So, of course, Patrice’s mate's girlfriend gets stabbed to death, making things seriously awkward between the couple as Florence ends up questioning Patrice about what he knows. We will gloss over the unlikely scenario that a police officer would be allowed to investigate a case where their fiance was a potential suspect!
The tension between the pair leads Jack to give Florence some friendly advice in a nice heart-to-heart scene. Jack and Florence have a different dynamic to Richard and Camille, with Jack at times seeming almost like a father figure. There's also a nice moment when the pair are on a comedy chase of a suspect, which finishes with the suspect and Ruby in the sea.
But what really makes this episode is the dramatic end where Florence follows Patrice as she begins to wonder what he’s got involved in. The next minute, Florence is lying on the ground, with blood pouring out of her stomach...
8. Season 10 episode 6
The concluding episode to this two-part anniversary special is really Camille's story. One of the true greats of the show, she returns when her mother, Catherine, is attacked.
With Florence away in London, Camille joins Neville, Fidel, and a very excited Marlon, who has rather a soft spot for Camille!, in trying to solve the baffling case of who shot a concert pianist. But although the case rumbles on, the main interest and what makes this story stand out is Camille dealing with her ghosts.
With her mother lying dangerously ill in hospital, Camille turns to the late Richard Poole (Ben Miller in a delightful cameo) for advice.
Richard being Richard says: "They’re a hardy bunch the French, aren't they? Stoic. Always have been. Look at Joan of Arc or Napoleon, he didn't give up without a fight! Obviously, there was Waterloo, but even that didn't finish the little fellow off!”
However, Richard does finally say something useful and he also, at last, in his way, tells Camille he loves her. Eventually, Neville cracks the case and The Commissioner, who also plays a big part in the episode, tells him that despite being "an immensely annoying human being," he does respect Neville as a detective. Neville looks slightly baffled about how to take this!
7. Season 7 episode 3
Comedy has always been a big part of Death in Paradise. So, Father Ted’s Ardal O' Hanlon and Red Dwarf’s Danny John Jules were always going to provide us with plenty of laughs, and none more so than in this episode where Jack and Dwyane are sharing the shack together.
"Dwayne better get those pants on, there’s been a murder!,” cries Jack (is this the show's best-ever line?!) when he learns that a famous author has washed up on a local beach.
Later, Jack complains about Dwayne spending an age in the shower. "You take longer in the bathroom than anybody I’ve ever met and I've got four sisters and they're big girls." And things go from bad to worse when Dwayne invites over a date, Darlene (who in a later series becomes a member of the team), only for Jack to play gooseberry. There's also a top-rate guest cast including Simon Callow as an agent, who's bemused when Jack hands him a business card saying Jack Money. Jack hastily corrects him and says it should read Mooney. Everyone is in fine form, making for a classic episode.
6. Season 3 episode 7
There’s a haunted house kind of feel about this episode as Humphrey, Camille, Dwayne and Fidel find themselves trapped in a creepy building with a killer! When a millionaire property developer is shot dead through the heart, the gang heads to his private island to solve the case. But when a huge storm breaks they find themselves stuck there for the night with the murderer at large!
There are nice touches of humor, including Humphrey almost killing himself on a running machine. While during the night Humphrey and Camille share a little moment under the candlelight, before Dwayne barges in meaning nothing actually happens between the pair. Of course, the fact that the victim wasn't wearing his nice shirt proves crucial to Humphrey cracking the case...
5. Death in Paradise season 5 episode 1
The Commissioner, one of the show’s original characters, has slowly grown in importance throughout the series and his comedy relationship with Humphrey is at its best here. Humphrey decides to buy a boat and it's not just any boat! Yes, Humphrey is the proud owner of a beautiful boat or an "old rust bucket" as Dwayne puts it! The case also has a nautical theme, involving a marine biologist shot on a boat while the crew were apparently scuba diving.
But it’s really the Humphrey and Commissioner show. It turns out Humphrey's boss is a leading member of the island’s yacht club and Humphrey, who has taken to reading Yachting Monthly, has aspirations to join. At one point, Humphrey amusingly asks his team about The Commissioner: "What do you think he actually does all day?” As for The Commissioner, he can't contain his glee when he claps his eyes on the monstrosity of a boat!
4. Season 1 episode 8
The show's greatest and deepest relationship is between Richard and Camille. There's always a hint that while they annoy the hell out of each other they actually fancy each other. "You’re just so English," complains Camille, while Richard retorts: “And you’re very French”.
Death in Paradise always has great guest stars and this episode features a nice turn by Adrian Dunbar as a love interest for Catherine. "How’s things going with your new stepdaddy”, Dwayne teases Camille, as her mother dances up close and personal with Dunbar's character. "Not funny Dwyane, they're just friends," insists Camille.
Richard and Camille have a strange case as a woman is found murdered with coins stuffed in her mouth. And there's a big problem — Dwayne’s police badge is found at the scene! There's great tension between Richard and Camille as Richard considers Dwayne a suspect. However, the real tension seems to be because the gang has stopped asking Richard to team drinks!
It’s a clever case, with a cute twist. Plus there’s the fun of Fidel becoming a dad.
3. Season 3 episode 1
The saddest episode to date and also one of the most engaging. Richard attends a university reunion only to end up being murdered by an ice pick! It’s a tragic end to Richard's time on the island and you feel Camille's pain as she discovers Richard is dead. For once, the murder feels real, more personal. Could Camille and Richard ever have got together? It's clear here we will never know the answer.
It’s certainly a bold opening to a new series, killing off your leading man, and it could have gone very wrong. Luckily Kris Marshall quickly proves his worth as the island’s new top cop, DI Humphrey Goodman (although not sure why he wants the job after his two predecessors have been murdered!). It's fair to say the team isn't initially impressed with Humphrey. "London speaks very highly of him," assures The Commissioner. It doesn’t help when Humphrey goes all Inspector Clouseau and falls out of a window! But of course, he wins them over and finally gets Richard's killer...
2. Season 12 episode 6
Death in Paradise's one fault perhaps is that it's never had a great villain… until now! Step forward criminologist David Cartwright (a superb Patrick Kennedy), who sees himself as Moriarty to Neville's Holmes. Unfortunately, the makers kill him off after just one episode, but he's brilliant in his only outing, outwitting Neville and driving him to lose his temper. The episode opens with Neville getting a letter stating: "A murder will be committed today".
Neville is suitably mystified when a body, just as the letter predicts, is found in the sea. The dead man's wife just happens to clean Cartwright's house, with Neville initially thinking nothing of Cartwright as he checks the woman's alibi out. But slowly Neville begins to suspect Cartwright and the cunning professor delights in the attention. "You look a little tired Inspector? You coping all right?,” he devilishly smiles. Eventually, Neville gets so enraged he confronts Cartwright. And when Cartwright ends up knifed to death, Neville finds himself as the chief suspect in this two-part story...
1. Season 1 episode 1
Who speaks the first-ever line in Death in Paradise? It's Danny John-Jules as Office Dwayne Myers, who simply says "Oh Man" when Sergeant Lily Thomson (Lenora Crichlow) makes it clear he's expected back at work.
We meet the island's detective and no, it's not Ben Miller's DI Richard Poole, it is in fact DI Charlie Hulme (Hugo Speer). Two minutes in and we see Camille Bordey (Sara Martins) for the first time, although at this point we don't know she's a cop and she looks very suspicious! There's a gunshot and "I Shot the Sherriff" is playing at the police station! Hulme is dead! And then we get the legendary theme tune...
Yes, we’re hooked already and then we meet arguably the show's greatest detective, DI Richard Poole (played by Ben Miller). The opening superbly sets up the key ingredients of the show, a mixture of Agatha Christie-style plot, including the classic reveal at the end by Richard and a string of comedy moments. The plot is also superb with arguably the show's greatest-ever twist, which we won’t spoil. Plus Richard’s grumpiness is a delight: "It’s terrible. The airline has lost my luggage, it’s about 400 degrees in the shade and they’ve put me up in some kind of shack". In just one episode, Death in Paradise instantly hits TV gold and for that reason, we believe it's the best-ever episode.
