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Why Death in Paradise’s heartbreaking arrest was the greatest in the show’s history

BBG News

In the second-to-last episode of Death in Paradise this season, the mystery surrounding Dorna Bray (Judith Jacob) was solved, confirming detective inspector Mervin Wilson’s (Don Gilet) suspicions that his own mother had indeed met with foul play.

From my perspective, at first glance, the arrest didn’t seem remarkable. However, as Mervin and the team delved into the details of the victim’s demise, it became clear that there was no escape for Roy Palmer (Gerard Horan), the perpetrator. They left him with no wiggle room, effectively sealing his conviction.

Nevertheless, it’s the winding path towards unveiling the truth that makes the climactic disclosure in “Death in Paradise” truly memorable and powerful.

Detective Mervin has been deeply affected ever since he discovered that his mother died around the time of the holiday special.

The sense that Dorna’s behavior prior to her last moments seemed suspicious made the detective think it was possible that some form of wrongdoing had occurred.

It didn’t make any sense to him that Dorna chose to spread her father’s ashes at sea during an incoming storm, given her upbringing near boats – this seemed particularly irrational to him.

Over the season’s progression, it was a strangely compelling sensation I experienced, as I, too, found myself inching nearer to the birth mother I was adopted from, uncovering pieces of her life through the tight-knit island community where she once resided.

In a remarkable display of talent, the versatile All-Season Gilet has excelled in his role. He’s masterfully portrayed the enigmatic character Mervin, making him more relatable despite his aloof demeanor. Through this performance, viewers have gained insights into Mervin’s hidden traumas and abandonment issues, revealing a delicate and vulnerable side that was previously concealed.

Simultaneously, the series followed his growing enthusiasm as he neared the truth about Dorna’s mysterious demise. However, it subsequently dealt a series of heavy blows, one after another, when events didn’t align with his predictions, leaving him once more in a state of unease.

While the show chronicled his increasing eagerness as he got nearer to uncovering the truth about Dorna’s strange death, it later delivered one disappointment after another when things didn’t go as planned, plunging him back into a state of disquiet.

Never had a blow been struck more forcefully than the one delivered by the new boss, Sterling Fox (Trieve Blackwood-Cambridge), when he abruptly closed the case with immediate effect, just a week before Mervin was set to depart the island permanently.

With some motivation from Catherine, Selwyn effectively took up his Commissioner role again without an official announcement and apprehended Sterling for vandalism (you might recall when he scratched Selwyn’s car). This strategic arrest kept Sterling out of commission, enabling Mervin and the team to temporarily carry on with the investigation.

Over time, Mervin came to know that his father, Charlie, was involved in a summer-long affection with Dorna, which resulted in Mervin’s birth as they grew to love each other.

Dorna’s letters to his father, which had been sent back unopened, eventually landed in Mervin’s hands. A particularly poignant instance occurred when Mervin decided to read those letters, learning that it was Dorna’s grandparents who arranged for him to be adopted and that his mother cherished him deeply.

Through her words, Dorna expressed that her affection for Mervin would endure throughout her entire life and she’d uphold that love by continuously wearing an emerald green ring, which Charlie had gifted to her. This vow of hers was evident in numerous photos that Mervin discovered over time, showing her still adorning the ring. However, this cherished ring was missing when Dorna passed away.

It was this ring that became the cause of her death.

It was discovered that the ring Dorna was wearing was extremely valuable, and since Roy was deeply in debt, he devised an intricate scheme to steal it from her. However, he didn’t act alone. Roy lured Brianna Clemetson (Joy Richardson), Dorna’s neighbor, with the temptation of a new life using the stolen wealth, convincing her to assist him in a murder plot.

Understanding that Dorna planned to spread her father’s ashes early in the day before the storm arrived, Roy decided to visit her. He then surreptitiously put something into her drink, causing her to lose consciousness. While she was unaware, he took the ring from her possession.

It might seem logical to wonder: why didn’t Roy simply abandon the ring instead of committing murder? After all, he possessed the ring, so why not avoid the trouble by forgoing the act – considering that Dorna only fell unconscious much after Roy had already departed?

Truthfully, if it weren’t for the outrageously bold scheme, “Death in Paradise” wouldn’t feel like its usual self. So, while he managed to grab the ring, Brianna sneaked off with Dorna’s attire from the house and impersonated her. Later on, in full view of some locals, the supposed Dorna embarked on her late father’s boat using it as a disguise.

The situation grew complex as Roy ventured from a secluded part of the beach, carrying an injured Dorna in his small boat, then deserted her at sea, fleeing in a lifeboat. Shortly after, Brianna appeared, dressed Dorna in the clothes she had been wearing, placed her in the appropriate boat, and made her escape in Roy’s, leaving Dorna to potentially drown.

To be honest, it was quite drawn out and a bit implausible, but what truly made the scene feel complete was Gilet’s Mervin.

Although it was lengthy and a touch unrealistic, it was Gilet’s Mervin that really tied the whole scene together.

The feelings he conveyed in that scene weren’t spontaneously generated; they were the culmination of many emotions accumulated over an entire season, which intensified the impact and made it even more poignant.

In the midst of a powerful storm that took his mother’s life, Mervin struggled to balance his responsibilities as a detective and uphold justice. This situation forced him to reveal emotions he rarely delved into personally, even more so in public view.

When he confronted the man who had taken his mother’s life, his voice trembling as he said, “Dorna Bray [pause filled with emotion], my mother, did not return from the beyond,” sent a shiver down our spines.

In this particular scene, the heavy emotional weight can be attributed to the fact that “Death in Paradise” chose to depart from its traditional case-of-the-week format, instead opting for a narrative that carries a softer, more affectionate tone.

It’s important to note that the BBC drama hasn’t shied away from creating advanced plotlines in the past. The narrative involving Neville being framed for murder by his girlfriend was equally gripping, spanning the same length as Mervin’s story, but Mervin’s tale had a slightly greater overall effect.

Neville’s path to uncovering the truth was both startling and heartbreaking, yet the treachery unfolded covertly, hidden from him until the last episodes. This meant that the core of the storyline transpired primarily in the final installments. Conversely, Mervin suffered through a lifetime of torment, with the intensity gradually increasing throughout the season, eventually reaching a climax of immense intensity.

The murder mystery series has been skillfully and intentionally crafted since Mervin took over as DI. From his habit of wearing something green, symbolizing a connection to his mother, to every emotional brick that was carefully placed, the climax was effectively set up as the season progressed – culminating in the most significant arrest ever seen on Death in Paradise.

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

Read more Death in Paradise news on our dedicated homepage

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2025-03-15 01:51

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