Beyond Paradise star confirms core Martha and Humphrey story has been put on the “back burner” in s4
The new season looks different for the BBC series' main couple.
Beyond Paradise star Kris Marshall has confirmed that Martha and Humphrey’s “fostering journey is very much on the back burner” for the upcoming fourth season of the hit detective drama, which returns on Friday.
The Detective Goodman actor spoke exclusively with Digital Spy, explaining: “They made a decision in season three, after Rosie left, to have a break. It doesn’t really feature in season four.”
Since Beyond Paradise debuted, Martha and Humphrey’s journey has, in part, been about growing their family by having a child. First through IVF after suffering a miscarriage in the premiere episode, later followed by their decision to foster.
The pair finally got their first long-term foster placement in the third season with nine-year-old Rosie, but found that her eventual departure hit them much harder than they had initially expected.
“Their experience with Rosie was difficult,” Marshall told us. “I’m not sure ‘hurt’ is maybe the right word, but they wanted to foster to give something back. They didn’t realise that it was actually going to really affect them in such a way.
“They got very attached to her. She was the person who spent the most time out of all the foster kids they’d fostered so far. Even though she had to go back to her natural mum, it’s difficult because you start to imagine what that life would be like as a family unit.”
He went on to say: “Of course, when the reality kicks in, it’s quite harsh for them and I think that was a lot of the reasoning behind Martha and Humphrey getting finally married in the Christmas episode.
“They decided that, no matter what happens with anything else in terms of the nuclear family, they always have each other. They’re the core — that’s the core that matters.”
Instead, this season will throw other challenges Martha and Humphrey’s way as they move out of the boat home and into a more conventional house.
Related: Death in Paradise drops exclusive finale clip as DI Mervin’s problems are far from over
“Humphrey loves his boat,” said Marshall. “He loves the poetry of living on a boat, but the reality of living on a boat is quite different, I think. So he’s lost a large part of what he loves.”
“Humphrey is a kind of head-in-the-clouds kind of guy, so he’s not the most pragmatic of people. And so really it’s kind of left to Martha to sort things out.”
As for any future fostering plan Marshall said: “Whether they’ll revisit it in some way in the future, well that’s to be seen. Maybe they will, maybe they won’t… or maybe they’ll go a different route altogether. I mean, only the writers know.”
Beyond Paradise, Death in Paradise and Return to Paradise air on BBC One and stream on BBC iPlayer.
