Death in Paradise fans were left thrilled on Monday evening as BBC repeated an old episode of the hit series, which featured a number of familiar faces. The much-loved characters Neville Parker (Ralf Little) and Officer Ruby Patterson (Shyko Amos), who have since departed from the show, made a comeback, delighting viewers. The 2020 episode also brought back memories of Officer JP Hooper (Tobi Bakare) and Detective Madeleine Dumas (Aude Legastelois), adding to the nostalgia.
The Saint Marie police were seen investigating a murder at a beauty salon, which coincidentally involved Ruby’s former partner as the groom and suspect. Fans expressed their joy on social media, celebrating the return of the familiar faces. One viewer humorously noted on Twitter: “Good thing only one murder happens at a time since it takes the whole police department to solve one case #DeathinParadise.” Others shared their excitement with tweets like “Oooh Death in Paradise is on,” and “It’s raining outside so it’s sunny time #deathinparadise.”
Gratitude was shown towards the BBC for airing an episode with Neville Parker, with one fan saying: “Thank you BBC for putting an episode of Death in Paradise on with Neville Parker #ralflittle #nevilleparker,” as reported by the Express. Aude’s tenure on Saint Marie was brief, featuring in just 10 episodes alongside Ardal O’Hanlon, who portrayed Jack Mooney, and then Ralf in series nine. Shyko, a two-season veteran of Death in Paradise, exited the show between seasons, with confirmation at the time that she wouldn’t be returning for the tenth series. Tobi, who played JP Hooper for four years, chose to leave in 2020 but did make a short comeback when his co-star Tahj Miles, who portrayed Marlon Pryce, departed.
Ralf Little, the show’s longest-serving detective, decided to bid farewell to Saint Marie after the most recent series. The departure of familiar faces and the return of characters invoked mixed emotions among fans. It was subsequently revealed that EastEnders villain Don Gillet would be stepping into the role of the lead detective. Death in Paradise continues to engage audiences and is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.