Since 2011, the fictional Caribbean island of Saint Marie has captured the hearts of viewers with intrigue and personal relationships. “Death in Paradise” has gone through a number of central character changes through the years, yet it still keeps its charm and holds the imaginations of the viewers.

The two characters who have endured the 13 seasons are Catherine Bordey (Elizabeth Bourgine) who is now the mayor of Honore, and Police Commissioner Selwyn Patterson (Don Warrington). The police personnel have come and gone; however, the seamless transitions have never been a detriment to the show. On the contrary, bringing in different personalities (and they are very different) has added to the fun.

This season, Detective Inspector Neville Parker (Ralf Little) is still heading up the police department in Honore. Along with Parker are Detective Sergeant Naomi Thomas (Shantol Jackson), Darlene Curtis (Ginny Holder) and Officer Marlon Pryce (Tahj Miles). The foursome face a variety of challenges this season. Officer Pryce is the latest character to end his time on the series, as he only appears in the first part of the season before leaving for Jamaica, followed by DI Parker, who also says goodbye to Saint Marie.

This season starts off with a bang. Commissioner Patterson is shot (spoiler alert — he survives and is fine), so the team must quickly find out who shot him and why. With Patterson in the hospital, he is still challenging the team to work harder. This man has given 50 years to the police force and throughout that time has made enemies. Who could have shot him?

As the season progresses, there are murders around the island that always get solved by the team, and especially the quick mind of Parker, who manages to put clues together in his mind and come up with the answers. In typical “Death in Paradise” fashion, at the end of most of the cases, the suspects are gathered together where Parker and his team talk them through the case and reveal the murderer. This aspect of the show has become a fun way viewers see the cleverness of Parker and how well his team works together under his leadership.

Other murders include a famous chef, an elderly woman in a care facility (spoiler alert — she is played by veteran actor Hayley Mills) and more. Deaths through electrocution, strangulation, gunshot, stabbing or other ways plague this otherwise peaceful island. But with this trusty team of professionals on the cases, they get solved in ways that always entertain viewers.

This show has transformed through the years as different inspectors, detectives and officers have come and gone. Each character has a unique quirk, and each inspector has his own way of working. Inspector Humphrey Goodman (Iris Marshall) was on the show for three years and now has his own spinoff “Beyond Paradise,” which can also be seen on BritBox. As with the former inspectors before him, Parker will leave his job on Saint Marie this season. Also in this season, old faces return to Saint Marie to rejoin their friends and associates.

One other character who has lasted through the run of the show is Harry, the lizard. Harry is so popular he has his own Twitter/X account. Harry is the “roommate” of whichever inspector resides in the beach house.

“Death in Paradise” still holds its appeal after character changes and 13 seasons. Season 13 is now streaming on BritBox. It looks like there will be another season in 2025.

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