Who will Beyond Paradise’s Humphrey sack? Our theory may surprise you
The fourth season of the BBC crime series kicked off with drama.
Beyond Paradise is back on screens, and if you’re knee-deep in the Paraverse fandom, this will come as a great comfort to you given that Death in Paradise airs its season 15 finale on the same day.
The spin-off’s fourth season kicked off in the classic haphazard Humphrey (Kris Marshall) manner, with he and Martha (Sally Bretton) waking up to find that their houseboat had drifted out to sea.
The chaos didn’t end there for the newlyweds, who later discovered that the repairs on their floating home would be significant. This development forced the couple to prematurely take a leap of faith by buying a home of bricks and mortar which, by Marshall’s own admission, is unsettling for his character. “He’s lost a large part of what he loves,” the actor told Digital Spy.
Avid fans will know that the disruption for Humphrey has only just begun. It’s no secret that the detective has a big decision to make. In fact, it was outlined in the lead-up to the show’s debut, with the BBC revealing that Humphrey was being forced to fire one of his Shipton Abbott police team following a directive to downsize.
This is truly devastating for Humphrey, who not only found the perfect fit in Devon after uprooting his life in Saint Marie and relocating, but also built a makeshift family out of his close-knit team.
Humphrey, lamenting over his heartbreaking predicament, confided his troubles to Martha, uncertain over what to do. However, if he isn’t able to dissuade the higher ups at The Hub from going forward with the cutbacks, there is only one clear choice. And no, it’s not going to be Margo (Felicity Montagu).
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The receptionist may seem like the obvious choice given that she’s not officially part of active investigations, except, officially or not, she very much is. Margo is the ‘Jacqueline’ of all trades who does more than man the phones. She fields questions from victims, the public, journalists, The Hub – pretty much anyone who dials in.
She researches leads while the detectives are out on the beat developing said leads. She’s the beating heart of Devon and her knowledge of everything that’s happening in the community helps further the team’s investigations. Margo is an invaluable asset – without her, things will fall apart at the seams.
She is also probably the lowest paid employee in the station, meaning there’s more to be gained from axing someone else.
Those who have turned their eyes to Kelby (Dylan Llewellyn) better think again. He’s often thrown into the craziest cases, that more often than not see him racing down the streets of Shipton Abbott. Ultimately, he too is invaluable.
His ability to jump straight into the most bonkers low-priority investigation frees up the senior detectives to handle the more intricate cases. They can solve the ‘bathtub-murder’-type cases, because he is there to fish snowmen out of wheelie bins and aid shopkeepers who have had their dog poo bags snatched.
Which, to our utter devastation, only leaves Zahra Ahmadi’s Esther (not that losing the aforementioned staff wouldn’t have been equally upsetting). Esther is the only individual who the team could muscle through without.
While she brings a different perspective to investigations, playing a part in the cracking of the case, it can be argued that having two senior detectives is a luxury rather than a necessity. As it’s not going to be Humphrey who’s put on the chopping block, we think that it simply has to be poor Esther, whose earnings would probably amount to significant savings for The Hub.
The episode also hints at Esther considering a life change during a conversation with her daughter Zoe (Melina Sinadinou). While in Martha’s restaurant, Zoe shares with her mother feelings of restlessness.
“Everyone seems to have things going on,” she says. “And here’s me. Exactly the same as I was last week, last month, much pretty much the whole of last year. Literally nothing is happening in my life right now.
“One morning I’m just going to wake up and find out I’m old, still on my own and still living in Shipton Abbott.”
Instantly, alarm bells start ringing in Esther’s head. Viewers can see the cogs of contemplation grinding behind her eyes. Is she wondering if this is a reflection of her? Does she fear that she’s been wasting her life?
“Can’t think of anything worse,” is her response to Zoe, and it’s possible that the timing of this reflection is not accidental.
Humphrey choosing Esther could be the propulsion she needs to change the direction of her life for the better, especially now that her old flame Archie (Jamie Bamber) has moved on. Now that Zoe is considering a life change of her own, this could free Esther up for the first time in her life, allowing the single mother to put her own needs first for once.
Of course that would mean saying goodbye to Ahmadi on the show, which is truly unacceptable, so we’re hoping for two things to happen this season.
We want Esther to find a renewed purpose in her life, all while realising that Shipton Abbott is where she belongs.
As for Humphrey, it would be great to see him succeed in persuading The Hub to relinquish the idea of cutbacks. We’re crossing fingers and toes for the best of both worlds as the rest of the season unfolds, but time will tell.
