Beyond Paradise delivered an emotional double departure on Friday evening as the series drew to a close. Viewers watched as Humphrey Goodman (Kris Marshall) and Martha Lloyd (Sally Bretton) bid a poignant farewell to Zoe (Melina Sinadinou), Esther Williams's (Zahra Ahmadi) daughter, as the youngster embarked on her travels.
The residents of Shipton Abbott gathered for a touching send-off. "Have a wonderful time," Humphrey offered warmly while Margo embraced Zoe.
In a particularly moving gesture, Martha presented Zoe with a compass – a treasured family heirloom. She explained, "My dad gave me that compass when I went travelling so I didn't get lost."
"Martha, are you sure?" an emotional Zoe asked, to which Martha responded, "Of course, it is for explorers, and that is what you are now."
"You are going to come home, aren't you?" Esther enquired anxiously, prompting Zoe to reassure her, "Always."
Viewers initially feared Detective Humphrey Goodman might also be departing after he put his career on the line to protect the Shipton Abbott police squad. Yet in an unexpected twist, his mother-in-law Anne Lloyd (Barbara Flynn) swooped in with a last-gasp rescue.
Following what appeared to be his final investigation, Anne confronted Humphrey's superior, James Smith (Vincent Franklin), armed with some rather incriminating photographs.
"DI Goodman, you remember our hardworking and dedicated members of the police and crime panel?" Anne announced, as a bewildered Humphrey responded, "Right, yeah. Hi."
"And you know Mr James Smith from administrative planning?" Anne pressed on. "Sorry, what is happening?" the DI demanded, as Mr Smith interjected, "That's exactly what I'd like to know."
He continued, "What is he even doing here? According to the offboarding timetable, he ceases to exist in operational terms."
Anne then outlined the urgency of the situation, revealing that it concerned "police corruption", following Mr Smith's request that Humphrey select a team member to be let go.
She explained, "I first smelt a rat on a golfing day with Mr Smith, where I noticed he was very friendly with a DI of Heston Morley station. The only officer of that rank to be invited to the event."
"And when I was accidentally detained in the records area of the Shipton Abbott station, I noticed that your budget for the previous year registered an underspend, whereas police council records show Heston Morley has seen an increase in their annual budget by precisely the same amount that Shipton Abbott was asked to lose."
Anne then dropped a bombshell, revealing she had discovered a secret affair between the Heston Morley DI and Mr Smith, who furiously hit back, "This is slander." After being confronted with photographic evidence, Humphrey was swiftly reinstated, with no redundancies made at Shipton Abbott.
With Mr Smith's own departure now seemingly inevitable, Anne coolly suggested, "Perhaps this would be a good opportunity for you to pivot towards a different career pathway, preferably one heading away from Shipton Abbott." While Martha waited outside, Anne delivered the welcome news that Humphrey's position was secure: "Reinstated with immediate effect."
Beyond Paradise is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
