Viewers of BBC One’s murder-mystery Death in Paradise series 11 have a theory about why the commissioner Selwyn Patterson (Don Warrington) has taken new recruit Darlene Curtis (Ginny Holder) under his wing – and it’s not strictly professional.
A Death in Paradise viewer tweeted what everyone was thinking during Friday’s operation: “A new romance is blossoming me thinks”.
Another agreed: “Come on guys, the Commish has a crush, let’s not beat around the bush”.
Darlene has joined the Saint Marie police team as an office admin but she has been quick to show her crime-solving skills. Perhaps too quick?
Friday’s episode swung on an attempted murder of an Irish visitor, Eve Wilding, who was on the island with her family and a friend to scatter the ashes of her late husband. But it was quickly apparent there was deceit and adultery at the heart of the story.
In the course of the drama, Eve knocked local man Benny off his motorbike and left him for dead. The commissioner, meanwhile, enlisted a surprised Darlene to go in search of Benny with him.
Darlene told him: “You know commissioner, when I said I wanted to get a little bit hands-on I didn’t mean for you to be getting hands-on as well…”
Ooh-er! The double entendre was there for all to hear.
A Death in Paradise fan wrote her appreciation of the development: “Love how this series has tried different things. worked especially well last night and in episode 2. The recruitment of fun, feisty Darlene is another genius move”.
#deathinparadise Love how this series has tried different things. worked especially well last night and in episode 2. The recruitment of fun, feisty Darlene is another genius move and I quite like Neville now he's much less neurotic. Even Izzy was more human this episode, too!February 12, 2022
There has been a big romantic hole left in the series by the departure of Neville’s (Ralf Little) crush, DS Florence Cassell, but that vacuum may well be about to be filled by the commissioner and Darlene – never mind the age gap!
The Commissioner and Darlene is the ‘new ship’ for one viewer.
The Commissioner and Darlene - my new ship #deathinparadiseFebruary 11, 2022
Another fan tweeted that the “sexual tension between Darlene and the Commissioner is making me nervous”.
London actress Ginny Holder first appeared as Darlene in DiP in series seven, as a love-interest for police officer Dwayne Myers (Danny John-Jules), and with her new prominence in the show, we’re fully expecting Dwayne to turn up and try to reignite the romance sometime during series 11.
How will the commissioner react to that?
Death in Paradise continues on BBC One in the UK each Friday night.
