Last Updated on April 22, 2026
With millions of global fans, Death in Paradise is a cozy mystery phenomenon.
Every January, we are whisked away, courtesy of the BBC, to the Caribbean island of Saint Marie, where an out-of-his-depth British detective tries to solve the most puzzling of puzzling crimes.
It has it all – sunshine, heat, fun characters, great guest stars and head-scratchers that only the best amateur sleuths can work out.
It is genuinely a warm hug in an otherwise dark and seemingly endless cold Winter.
So, with viewing figures riding high, the first spin-off – Beyond Paradise – was announced.
Former Honore Police DI, Humphrey Goodman (Kris Marshall), had returned home after his stint in paradise ready to take up a new post in a much smaller coastal town in Cornwall.
Again, it was another hit for the Beeb, who smartly scheduled it after the Death in Paradise seasonal run had ended.
And, just when you thought there couldn’t be more, the powers that be announced Return to Paradise, an Australian version which has just landed on British shores.
So what is it all about and, more to the point, is it any good?
Meet DI Mackenzie Clarke
DI Mackenzie Clarke (Anna Samson) is from the beach town of Dolphin Cove – don’t worry if you don’t remember the name; it’s mentioned about 58 times in the opening ten minutes of the first episode.
Mackenzie has spent the last six years working for the MET in London under the supervision of none other than DI Jack Mooney (Ardal O’Hanlon).
That is until she is framed for evidence tampering and put on suspension. With nothing else to do while the case is internally investigated, she returns to Australia, where the welcome is less than warm.
The reason? Mackenzie was engaged to local forensic guy Glenn Strong (Tai Hara) before she unceremoniously jilted him at the alter and did a runner to the other side of the world.
She hasn’t seen or spoken to anyone there since, including her former boss, Senior Sergeant Philomena Strong (Catherine McClements).
She also happens to be her ex’s mother, so her arrival is met with a little surprise!
Before she even has time to say “G’day mate”, she finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation when local bigwig Stuart Granger washes ashore with a knife in his back.
While her old boss would love nothing more than to tell her to sling her hook, she also knows Mackenzie Clarke is a brilliant detective, and this is definitely a case where her skills are needed.
And so begins Clarke’s journey back to Dolphin Cove as she returns to paradise.
What Sets It Apart?
If you’re going to do a spin-off of an already hugely successful show, it has to have something that differentiates it, otherwise what’s the point?
In the case of Return to Paradise, Clarke is a very reluctant DI who would rather be anywhere else other than Dolphin Cove.
While the other detectives have embraced their surroundings and wanted to be there, Clarke is the opposite.
So, too, is her personality, which at times is devoid of any warmth, instead focusing on her incredibly analytical mind.
She is, by a long way, the least bumbling of any detective across the entire series, almost to the exclusion of her social and interpersonal skills.
That can be explained initially by the fact that she knows nobody really wants her there, so her guard is up.
As the six episodes in the first season roll by, she does come around a little bit, engaging more with her colleagues.
That isn’t to say that she isn’t likeable, she just more of a Sherlock to DS Colin Cartwright’s Watson (Lloyd Griffith). He, incidentally, is British, keeping the series grounded in its original roots.
What is does have that the other two don’t is the potential love story. Death in Paradise rarely strayed into this territory, and Beyond Paradise had a ready-made couple.
So the will-they-wont-they that is evident from the beginning is new for the show.
All that said, there isn’t a lot that sets it apart from its predecessors which is great if you want the status quo maintained, not so much if you were hoping for something a bit different.
Is It The Same Ole Paradise?
Return to Paradise is a heady blend of the two shows that came before it.
From the theme tune to the character set up, this is Beyond Paradise but in Australia.
The beach side setting is the same, the small town vibe is the same.
Even the characters are almost identical so much so that some of them even look alike – check out Celia Ireland as Reggie Rocco and Felicity Montagu as Margo Martins – it’s uncanny!
Where we have Catherine running a bar in Saint Marie, we have Martha running a coffee shop in Cornwall and Daisy running a beach side cafe in Dolphin Cove.
We also have the young and less experienced police officer, the usual share of locals and for some unfathomable reason, a lead detective who wears almost the exact same outfit every single day.
In the same way that DI Neville Parker never took his blazer off, no matter the temperature, Clarke is attached to her waistcoat, shirt and trousers ensemble.
So, after all of that, what is the final evaluation of Return to Paradise?
Yea or Nay?
I watched all six episodes, I really enjoyed the development and the characters and overall it has the same sense of humour and fun that we’ve come to expect from this series.
The setting is gorgeous, the cast are great and the mysteries are good. However, I guessed both the who and how in episode three before a body even hit the ground so that one wasn’t exactly a brain teaser.
There’s plenty of room for the show to grow, and we were left on a bit of a cliffhanger as Mackenzie had to decide whether to stay or return to London.
It’s easy TV but it doesn’t quite have whatever it is that makes Death in Paradise so special. Then again, neither does Beyond Paradise and I still watch that!
Where to Watch
If you’re in the UK then you can watch all six episodes on BBC iPlayer. Likewise in Australia where all episodes have now aired on regular tv.
As for elsewhere, you may have to wait a bit longer before it airs in your country.
