Death in Paradise fans took to social media with their verdicts as the spin-off series Return to Paradise launched its third run on Friday night, with DI Mackenzie Clarke back in charge and facing a personal twist.
Anna Samson returned as the spin-off's lead detective, DI Mackenzie Clarke, alongside her colleague Colin Cartwright, played by Lloyd Griffith. The opening episode of series three saw Mackenzie come up against a blast from the past in the form of her mother, who became the prime suspect in a murder investigation.
At the same time, the detective was dealing with the departure of her ex, Glenn, and adjusting to his replacement, a new pathologist named Leo.
Fans share their verdicts on the new series
Viewers wasted no time in sharing their thoughts on episodes one and two of series three, with many posting on social media. One fan praised the show, saying, "Watched first episode and enjoyed. Just easy watching and escapism for an hour."
Another wrote, "I binge-watched it, and I've got to say that ending to the series? If there's not another series, we will riot," while a third added, "Brilliant; could not stop watching it. Great ending; pity only 6 episodes, only downside."
One more viewer commented, "Watched first 2 series and have watched episode 1 and 2 of series 3. Really enjoying the series," and another said, "5 was jaw-droppingly good."
Mixed reactions and comparisons
Not all fans were impressed, however. One person said, "Sorry, I watched the previous series hoping it would improve. Unfortunately, no improvement."
Another offered a comparison to the other Death in Paradise spin-off, writing, "It's trying to be like our Beyond Paradise. It's far from it."
Glenn's exit and replacement explained
Each episode of Return to Paradise is available on BBC iPlayer, and the show airs weekly on Fridays. However, next Friday the spin-off will be replaced by Children in Need.
At the end of series two, Glenn decided to leave Dolphin Cove after his wedding was ruined. Taj Hara, who plays Glenn, said of his exit and replacement, "At the end of the second series, we see the heartache and anguish he's experienced through two failed weddings, and he's concluded he's probably the root cause of it all."
He added, "Series three, Glenn's been off finding himself, reflecting and taking some time away where no one's been able to contact him. He thinks he's quite certain of what he wants in his life – that's Mack."
On working with Jacob, who plays his replacement Leo, Hara had nothing but praise. He said, "It was brilliant – such a new dynamic. Having this complete fresh take, it really just energised and gave a whole new feeling to the series. Jacob's a brilliant actor and he fit into our dynamic so well."
He continued, "For me, it was a great experience to be able to delve into a completely different side of Glenn that no one's really seen before. More hardened, a little bit jealous, but very conflicted. That really grows and bubbles over throughout the rest of the series."
Return to Paradise is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
