Beyond Paradise is making the same big mistake as Death in Paradise

This season, Beyond Paradise has focused on giving a greater role to some of its supporting characters.

Apart from Anne, Martha’s mother played by Barbara Flynn, the spin-off of Death in Paradise has primarily delved into the personal lives of characters Martha and Humphrey, portrayed by Sally Bretton and Kris Marshall respectively, either through their discussions or via cases assigned to the Shipton Abbott police team.

This time, Anne isn’t the only character getting a solo storyline. DS Esther, played by Zahra Ahmadi, is also having a separate plot, which revolves around her romance with sommelier Archie (Jamie Bamber). This has allowed viewers to glimpse more of Esther’s sensitive aspects, adding depth to her character.

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In the latest season, Esther’s daughter Zoe (Melina Sinadinou) gets a larger role to develop further. Alongside dealing with her father’s passing in the previous season, this time around Zoe experiences growth, offering support to Anne during her medical crisis and making significant decisions about her academic future.

Yet, there seems to be a noticeable lack of screen time for the character, PC Kelby (played by Dylan Llewellyn), compared to others.

Just as Death in Paradise is overlooking the opportunity to develop DS Naomi Thomas’ character more fully by not providing her with her own standalone plot, Beyond Paradise is similarly underutilizing Kelby.

Both Death in Paradise and Beyond Paradise aren’t making full use of DS Naomi Thomas and Kelby by not giving them individual storylines.

Instead of other characters, Kelby seems to miss out on more robust plot developments that could foster significant character progression. The most recent episode of this season clearly illustrates this lack.

Near the end of this season’s penultimate episode, Martha and Humphrey experience significant parenting achievements as they assist Rosie (played by Bella Rei Blue Stevenson) on her initial day at a brand new school. Simultaneously, Esther grapples with her choice to advance her relationship with Archie, while Anne celebrates the good news about her cancer clearance by checking skydiving off her list of things to do before she dies.

Until the movie “Beyond Paradise” interrupts her time, it switches to a joke where Humphrey goes alone and gets trapped on a suspended bridge instead. However, let’s move on from that topic.

This season, while others deal with significant aspects of their character arcs, Kelby confronts his phobia of cows. Yes, cows. It seems to us that this character is capable of handling even greater challenges.

In a private conversation with Digital Spy before the start of season three, Llewellyn hinted that we could expect to see Kelby thriving and living life to the fullest.

In conversation with Digital Spy, it was mentioned that Kelby is indeed evolving as an individual. He’s maturing, assuming more duties within the team, and his development has made him even more valuable in solving cases at a higher level due to his personal growth.

As a dedicated fan, I must acknowledge that Kelby has indeed found his own stride, yet he still retains the quirky charm that endears him to us all. Yet, it’s precisely this situation that leaves me yearning for more. He continues to appear as a stumbling, ambitious character, but there’s an underlying feeling that there’s so much more depth to uncover.

In comparison to Margo, the character of Kelby seems to have even fewer character-centric storylines. Margo, being a robust and self-confident figure, is often portrayed as an unconventional source of wisdom. Although it’s always intriguing to learn more about her personal life, her steadfastness provides a sense of stability. However, when it comes to Kelby, the lack of character development feels more problematic because their character seems less defined and grounded.

As a fellow gamer, I can’t help but feel drawn into Kelby’s journey. He’s constantly seeking out new challenges, be it building his self-assurance, grabbing hold of opportunities, or finding connections that resonate with him. It’s infectious, really – you find yourself rooting for him every step of the way.

This season, he seems poised for significant character growth that could advance his storyline further, but such development hasn’t materialized yet. Instead, his humor has kept audiences entertained, adding to his charm, although there’s potential for additional depth to be explored as well.

As a dedicated fan, I’ve been eagerly anticipating the romantic prospects for Kelby in “Beyond Paradise,” following his heartbreaking unrequited love for Charlie (Jade Harrison). The show hinted at a new chapter with Kelby exploring online dating. However, it subtly teased this potential romance in the early episodes, hinting that it could become a significant part of his storyline, even introducing an old crush. Yet, just like before, this too seemed to be put on hold.

For Kelby, there are alternative paths for character development, but having him in a romantic storyline could have provided fans with a fresh perspective on him beyond just his humorous persona.

With the end of the season approaching, it seems unlikely that Kelby will receive the substantial plotline he deserves. However, while keeping our fingers crossed for another season, we also eagerly anticipate the possibility of exploring more aspects of Kelby’s character in future instalments as well.

Beyond Paradise and Death in Paradise both air on BBC One and stream on BBC iPlayer.

Read more Beyond Paradise news on our dedicated homepage

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2025-04-25 23:50