All 120 Death in Paradise and Beyond Paradise Episodes RANKED!

Many consider Death in Paradise and Beyond Paradise mediocre detective shows, but I couldn't disagree more. These are two of my favorite shows! I love the mysteries well enough, but even more, I love the characters and the settings! Now, without further ado, I, Brighton Nelson from The Reel Ranker, present to you: All 120 Death in Paradise and Beyond Paradise Episodes RANKED!

The Unreel Tier

Season 11, Episode 2 - "A Double Bogey"

This is quite an awful episode and one of my, by far, least favorite episodes of the show. There are a couple of lovely moments here, with Marlon and Naomi's partnership being fun, Florence deciding to go undercover, and Florence and Neville's friend-zoning each other in an unexpectedly natural way. However, those moments are the minority in a heaping hogwash of hysterically horrendous horrifica. This episode simply is way too hectic and has way too many suspects coming forward and saying a ton of random crap, just for the big reveal to be at best convoluted and, at worst, lame as all blazing sins mixed into a heaping dose of heckin' cheeseburger sauce. Ultimately, this may just be the only episode of Death in Paradise that I hate.

F Tier

Season 2, Episode 4 - "A Deadly Curse"

I see how this could be an appealing episode to many, but I found it to be one of the weakest episodes of the show. The idea of an episode revolving around a Saint-Marie pirate curse of legend is rather alright, but the big reveal that the treasure the characters were fighting over was an underground palladium reserve was underwhelming and not too interesting to me.

Season 3, Episode 6 - "The Early Bird"

This episode is easily one of the weakest episodes of Death in Paradise. Its mystery revolves around the Saint-Marie Green, an almost-extinct bird that a group of birders are trying to see. Not only is it revealed by the end of the episode that the birds have already been extinct for a while, but the revelation that the victim was killed because he knew too much about the perpetrator's bird-egg-poaching business was, well, nothing special. And the mystery itself? It was a little too simple and unbelievable that Humphrey wouldn't have solved it in mere minutes. In the end, the Dwayne subplot was the only memorable and decent part of this far-below-average episode.

E Tier

Season 5, Episode 7 - "The Blood Red Sea"

This episode is far too odd for me, I have to admit. The whole framed murder and killer's affair with his stepmom? It's disgusting and makes for one of my absolute least favorite episodes of the show. The only redeeming quality here is JP's stag party surprise, which, admittedly, was an amusing sequence. Still, that can't save this bad episode in the slightest.

Season 3, Episode 2 - "The Wrong Man"

This episode is one of the show's most middling episodes. I have no complaints, but I also have a few praises. This episode has a straightforward mystery with a movie-based setting and an absolutely despicable murderer-of-a-friend, and it's an episode that exists to exist. Let's move on before I start making less sense than one of Humphrey's spontaneous quotes.

Season 2, Episode 6 - "A Dash of Sunshine"

This episode wasn't disappointing like the fourth, but it didn't boast anything extraordinary outside of the small revelations regarding fake sunscreen. I found the arguments between Richard's old colleague, Doug, to be fun and very watchable, but the mystery itself was rather forgettable and predictable. Because I enjoyed the humorous raging of Poole in this episode, it doesn't secure the last-place spot on this list, but it isn't exactly one of the best episodes of the season.

D Tier

Season 1, Episode 4 - "Missing A Body?"

This episode's premise starts relatively strong: a woman visits the police station and admits that she's killed her husband, but there's no body or gun. As much as this could've been a fascinating episode, the incredible premise falls apart when it's revealed she barely grazed her husband, and then her friends killed him. With how well the tension is built up throughout the episode, it falls off a cliff in how mediocre the reveal is. And the only real subplot here? Camille teasing DI Poole about his type of girl. Ultimately, this could've been one of the season's best episodes, but it couldn't live up to its premise as well as I would've liked.

Season 1, Episode 8 - "Among Us"

This episode would rather easily be in last place on this list if it weren't for a couple of reasons—the subplots are significantly better than Episode 4's. Fidel's wife has a baby here, Dwayne is targeted as a potential suspect (not really, but still funny), and DI Poole gets his first chance to return to his old job back home in London. However, while these subplots are fun, the actual mystery of this episode was so predictable I almost laughed because, frankly, with a season loaded with fabulous twists, the finale shouldn't be so overtly mediocre. Really? The guy who arrived two weeks ago for an absolutely unknown reason killed the victim? No way! Yeah, this wasn't a great episode, but at least some of the character moments are fun to watch.

Season 2, Episode 2 - "An Unholy Death"

The mystery of this episode is mediocre—a typical gum-in-the-door plot. Alone, this would be one of the show's worst episodes. However, with the character drama involving the precepts of the nunnery and its scandalous dealings, this is quite an intriguing setting, even if the murder plot is basic. Notably, the scene where the Holy Mother attempts to apologize to the Father is very emotionally-acted and one of the most memorable confession scenes of the show. However, as much as the nun drama was unrelentingly entertaining, the mystery was nothing special, in my opinion, making it a below-average episode of Death in Paradise.

C Tier

Season 1, Episode 2 - "Wicked Wedding Night"

This episode has a grand mystery with a great setting and an exciting family of suspects. While the mystery itself was nothing spectacular, the hotel setting and fun banter of Camille and Poole going off about how "the butler did it" was fun to see. As much as I enjoyed the setting and suspects, with a more mediocre mystery than later episodes on this list, I can't justify placing this episode any higher.

Beyond Paradise Season 2, Episode 4

The mystery of this episode centers around a priest from a Catholic boarding school going missing in a place with the mystery of "the Devil on the Rocks." I love the spooky footage and the animated portrayal of the tale of the Devil on the Rocks. I also found the subplot about Martha's mom and Richard heartbreaking, as the too-good-to-be-true relationship falls apart when Anne realizes Richard was married all along. While the mystery's portrayal is top-notch, and the emotional scenes are great, the ultimate conclusion to the mystery is underwhelming. This is a good episode, but not quite a brilliant one.

Season 11, Episode 7 - "Murdering Lyrical"

There are some pretty good things here: Izzy finally stops being a complete and unabashed idiot, Marlon and his friend steal the show, and Marlon's gratitude toward the Commissioner. However, the case here was predictable and rather uninteresting. What a tragedy.

Season 11, Episode 5 - "Painkiller Thriller"

This episode doesn't really have a good mystery, nor does it have any superb subplots. But it does have one thing that makes it a solid episode: Darlene carrying the boats. I always loved her when she was dating Dwayne, so seeing her join the Honoré Police Force? So exciting! However, other than the fun fan-servicey plot twist, this wasn't exactly my favorite episode. Still, certainly not the worst of the season, nor a bad episode as a whole.

Season 7, Episode 3 - "Written in Murder"

This episode focuses on two things: the death of a prominent author, Frank O'Toole, and Dwayne's Erzulie date with Darlene. And the sad thing is that the latter is the better storyline. The mystery itself had a cool enough plot for an episode, with the victim being killed during his attempt to fake his death. Now, as much as I love the idea here, the execution isn't quite as good as it could've been, and, unfortunately, the suspect felt a little too obvious for my liking—a good episode, but not a great one.

Season 8, Episode 1 - "Murder on the Honore Express"

I don't mean to be offensive, but this whole episode was a teensy bit disappointing. The murder was boring, and the lack of Dwayne couldn't be more apparent. The best part of this episode had to be JP believing that Florence's new boyfriend, Patrice, was the new officer, which led to some super silly gags. Ultimately, this wasn't a bad episode, but it was a mediocre one.

Season 5, Episode 1 - "The Complex Murder"

This episode centers around Humphrey and his team attempting to solve a crime where a member of a coral reef research team is murdered in a seemingly impossible case. The odd twist is that a man invites both his wife and ex-girlfriend onto the trip, and they seem to be in a feud—unsurprising, judging their statuses. The big reveal is that they were lesbian lovers conspiring against him. The mystery is incredibly mediocre here, with the only true highlights being Humphrey buying an old, beat-up boat and J trying to learn to swim. It's my least favorite episode of the season and one of the weaker episodes of the show.

Season 1, Episode 5 - "Spot the Difference"

This episode had a brilliant concept: the murder victim dies while handcuffed to DI Poole. It turns out the killer used a disguise and pretended to be an officer, stabbing the "prisoner" at the rough turn of the boat. This episode has a grand reveal, but the episode in and of itself was probably the most mediocre of the season. With so many random suspects, the interrogations and clue-finding of this episode weren't particularly interesting, and nor was the beggar thief subplot. Ultimately, this episode had a great beginning and end, but everything in the middle was pretty below average for Death in Paradise.

Season 9, Episode 5 - "Switcharoo"

As Detective Inspector Neville Parker's introduction to the show, I'll just have to say—this transition was anything but seamless. Compared to the introduction of the last two new Detective INspectors, Neville's was overtly irritating. While he certainly gets better, and his character grows over the seasons, this was really the first time I wasn't excited about a new Detective Inspector. Ultimately, this episode rubbed me the wrong way—I'll admit, this is a me problem—still, an alright episode as a whole.

Season 5, Episode 5 - "Lost Identity"

The mystery of this episode is mediocre at best, but there's one thing I love about it: Humphrey's excellent Aunt Mary. I love seeing that one of Humphrey's family members always had his back, and if I were to take a wild guess, Aunt Mary is probably the inspiration behind Humphrey becoming a detective inspector! This is one of those bad episodes that was solely elevated by its guest star, which happens a couple of times here and there in Death in Paradise. It's a solid episode, but it could be a lot better!

Season 7, Episode 1 - "Murder from Above"

This episode focuses on a murder that initially appears to be a suicide but is revealed to have been done from a room contrary to the onlookers' beliefs—a rather interesting twist. On top of that, there's a lovely scene where Siobhan (Mooney's daughter) leaves the island to attend university, and, you know, goodbyes are always heartwarming to watch. And, of course, I love myself some melon curry scenes. Overall, it was a good episode.

Season 10, Episode 1 - "Pilot of the Airwaves"

This episode isn't quite the bombastic introduction to a season I needed to win me over to a season I was expecting to dislike. It certainly didn't sell me on Neville Parker, and I desperately wanted Mooney back. This episode focuses on a television presenter who works under one Garfield Tourné. While Tourné has a brilliant screen presence—with perhaps the most villainous presence of the show so far—it's far too obvious he committed the murder, to the point this episode was just a heaping disappointment. I loved that Florence was back and Neville's whole chicken and chips and arson nonsense, but, in the end, this was quite a weak episode.

Season 12, Episode 2 - "The Communal Death"

Frankly, I found the mystery here to be awful. Luckily, this episode has a few things that save it from the mediocrity of one of the show's worst mysteries. Marlon's "wild card" subplot was hilarious, and Neville's dates with Sophie were tons of fun to watch. In the end, this episode isn't bad, but it could be much better.

Season 12, Episode 3 - "Murder on the High Seas"

This episode is rather unmemorable, but I did like the con artist scheme plot, the end-of-episode plot twist, Neville missing Sophie, and Neville talking to his old friend. Nothing too spectacular, but it was still a solid episode all around. Definitely a better mystery than the previous episode of the season!

Season 11, Episode 8 - "Death of a Pawn"

I liked how this episode gave the Commissioner a ton of time in the spotlight, with him heading the case and having many heartfelt moments with the Commissioner's ex-wife, Maggie Harper. The murderer also had an intriguing screen presence, and the case wasn't all too bad. However, like most episodes of the season, this wasn't all too special.

Beyond Paradise Season 2, Episode 3

The mystery here centers on a woman who allegedly committed suicide but was eventually found that she faked her own death. She does this because her daughter and she had a falling out, and her daughter said her funeral was the only time she'd see her again, hence the faked death. A truly great mystery here and, of course, with a fun side of applying for the foster care system. This is an excellent episode across the board.

B Tier

Beyond Paradise Season 1, Episode 1

This episode does a decent job of introducing the series, instantly setting it apart from its mother series with its unique music choices, cinematography, humor, setting, and storytelling! However, this first episode alone didn't have a long enough runtime for me to really enjoy any of the new characters. On top of that, the mystery here was so mediocre I don't have anything to say about it. The only reason I can't consider this a bottom-tier episode? Humphrey and Martha's heartbreaking conversation about losing their baby. This scene instantly establishes the show's darker and more profound nature and gives the show a unique flair and foundation by which the other episodes can soar. This is a good episode, but not a great one.

Season 1, Episode 1 - "Arriving in Paradise"

With a great introduction to the original cast of Fide, Dwayne, Lily, and, of course, DI Poole, this episode simultaneously balances introductions with a solid mystery about a seemingly impossible case. In a fun twist of events, Lily, one of the seemingly main characters of the show, turns out to have committed the impossible crime, and the "bad guy", Camille, ends up being an undercover seargent and an actual main character of the show (unlike Lily). Everything about this episode was done very well, but I still can't consider it one of the show's best episodes or anything.

Season 12, Episode 4 - "An Unpleasant Homecoming"

This episode is rather interesting, with it focusing on a murder that happens at the wedding of Detective Sergeant's best friend at her home in Saint Barnabas. I liked seeing a bit more about Naomi, as she's a pretty underdeveloped character who seriously benefitted from some extra backstory. Sophie coming back after a several-episode hiatus was terrific, the people of Saint Barnabas were intriguing and welcoming, and Odette's character stole the show here. Tons of good stuff here.

Season 1, Episode 7 - "Music of Murder"

The entire episode was beautifully built with one of the show's best settings and set of suspects. While the mystery of the time-changed clock was nothing all too special, the whole episode was a joy to see as a massive music and mystery fan. The whole getting the band back together plot was fun, and the father-daughter subplot was somewhat heartbreaking to see and made the entire episode all the more sad. In the end, I Just dug this episode in every way of the word.

Season 7, Episode 6 - "Meditated in Murder"

This episode takes place in an exclusive meditation resort where everyone was participating in a prayer at the time of the victim's death. While the interrogations themselves and the Commissioner's speech subplot are nothing too noteworthy, the reveal here is utterly shocking and very interesting! With the complexity of the case, I couldn't rank this any lower, even though it suffers in some areas.

Season 6, Episode 8 - "Murder in the Polls"

This is a rather mediocre season finale across the board. It's not awful, but as much as I love DI Mooney's official declaration of staying on the island and Catherine's mayoral candidacy, the mystery is incredibly weak, as much as the episode is fun. For a season finale, this was rather forgettable and quite underwhelming.

Season 9, Episode 8 - "Now You See Him, Now You Don't"

As Ruby and Madeliene's final episode, as well as the episode in which JP takes his sergeant's exam, this episode has some good stuff going for it. The case centers around a blind woman who believes she murdered her husband, but, in reality, she shot a blank, and somebody else did the actual murder. It's a pretty good episode all around.

Season 2, Episode 3 - "Death in the Clinic"

I don't know about you, but an undercover criminal fake-identification organization hiding under the ruse of a plastic surgery clinic is absolutely genius. Like the last episode, the murder plot isn't the most special, but I dug the criminal drama here. And the constant "half-drunken tea" joke somehow never got old! The fact that this brilliant episode is this low compared to the other Season 2 episodes is a testament to the strength of this show's second season.

Season 1, Episode 6 - "An Unhelpful Aid"

Fidel and Dwane get an episode practically to themselves here, as DI Poole is bedridden, and Camille is on vacation in France. But a temporary sergeant comes to take over, and she's so stupidly hilarious and bat at her job that it makes the whole episode very fun to watch. On top of that, the mystery of this episode is one of the most surprising of Season 1, building out a mystery with an unexpected motive; with a great mystery and a hilarious narrative, this is a standout Death in Paradise episode.

Season 9, Episode 6 - "Murder on Mosquito Island"

There are a couple of cool things about this episode: one, the Commissioner has an epic boat oddly named Hortense, and two, JP and Rosie conceive twin babies! So exciting! Now, the case here isn't too bad. It focuses on a murder where a man lets himself be stabbed and purposely makes it look like an intruder because he feels he deserves to die. What an odd case but a good one!

Season 9, Episode 2 - "A Murder in Portrait"

With mousey action and bodacious Boom Ting, this episode focuses on a well-known, big-time artist with quite the energy drink addiction. The case here focuses on someone who wants to keep their art plagiarism a secret at first but takes an interesting new twist. The murder is interesting, with the alibi being air-tight until Mooney realizes that she was first knocked out and killed later. This is a pretty decent mystery! We also get to see some more adorable romance with Mooney and Anna, which I can never get enough of!

Season 9, Episode 7 - "Death in the Salon"

Quite a few people online deem this the worst episode of the entire show, but I can't agree. Sure, it isn't top-tier, but it's great. The mystery is out there but intriguing, and Ruby's getting over her hyper-hormonal hysteria was hilarious. In the end, this is a great episode.

Season 11, Episode 1 - "Last Call to Honoré"

This episode's case centered around a kidnapping gone wrong that escalated to murder. This was good and all, but, like many episodes, it's the subplots that mainly interested me here. Florence and Neville hosting quiz night together and being drunk was fun, and I rather enjoyed Naomi's introduction to the series. This is an excellent episode as a whole!

Season 12, Episode 8 - "A Calypso Caramba"

The mystery here wasn't all that bad—it's one of the better of Detective Inspector Parker's stay on the show! The reveal with Clifford was pretty heartbreaking, as I sympathized with him. I enjoyed seeing Neville prevail over his heartbreak with Sophie. I liked the Calypso music and the bickering bits between Marlon and Darlene, and the revelation that Camille is a mother now was fantastic to hear! In the end, this episode has a lot of great stuff going on, but it wasn't extraordinary.

Season 7, Episode 8 - "Melodies of Murder"

This episode has a fun musical setting, an interesting double murder, and a great send-off to Dwayne, who's finally reconciled with his father and has gone off adventuring with him. While I'm usually happy about episodes giving new characters, this episode was different—it simply isn't the same show without Dwayne. Regardless, this episode has an intriguing murder case, and Nelson Myers steals the show, which makes for quite the Death in Paradise episode!

Season 4, Episode 7 - "She Was Murdered Twice"

The idea of a woman being so despicable she was murdered twice in one night? Equally intriguing and oddly humorous. Once it was revealed it was the same person trying to secure a lesser attempted murder charge? The episode became rather interesting, though retrospectively predictable. This is a great episode, but not quite top-tier Death in Paradise.

Season 5, Episode 3 - "Posing in Murder"

This episode revolves around the murder of a female model right after she exits the catwalk. Yet again, nothing is too unique, like most episodes of the show's fifth season, but there are definitely some good moments here! The mystery here was mid again, but what wasn't mid? The epic moments of Humphrey's anti-rizz and JP's W-rizz! Good stuff. Good stuff.

Season 4, Episode 6 - "The Perfect Murder"

The fact that this is my least favorite episode of the fourth season shows how great of a season it is! This episode revolves around two beach volleyball teams that are major rivals and are determined to be the inter-island champions. However, the plot soon thickens when one of the losing team's players is killed in an odd fashion that Humphrey later claims could've been the perfect murder. The whole rigged volleyball match was intriguing, and the tension is relatively high for the majority of the episode in an attempt to hide scandalous action. Ultimately, this is a fantastic episode, even though it is my definitive least favorite episode of the season.

Season 3, Episode 4 - "Ye of Little Faith"

With an intriguing mystery that tackles killing someone from over 30,000 feet off the ground, this episode has a fascinating set of suspects and a great set of reveals! This episode also has some heartbreaking scenes with the murderer, as she was simply grief-smitten that her husband ceased to love her. Not that I condone her actions in any way, but with the actress's heartbreaking and emotional portrayal of the suspect, I certainly sympathized with her a little. This was a great episode and it being ranked as one of the season's weakest episodes goes to show how strong Season 3 is.

Season 3, Episode 3 - "An Artistic Murder"

Featuring a faked painting scam and drama about Fidel's old friend's death, this was an intriguing episode in many ways. Fidel's old friend happens to be this island gigolo, with tons of women confiding in him and being jealous of one another. This makes for an interesting case to follow, and the twist that it was never a case of love or jealousy came as quite a shock to me. All around, this is a brilliant episode with great relationship drama and artistic scandal.

Season 13, Episode 4 - "Murder Most Electric"

This is an odd but satisfying episode! It centers on a man who was murdered by being pushed into electricity over a dispute in a cryptocurrency wallet. This was a pretty nifty idea, but, unfortunately, there is one big issue: Naomi is so annoying in this episode. Her complete lack of cryptocurrency knowledge was just too much, and it brought the episode down for me. Naomi wasn't my favorite character in the first place, so that did not help her reputation. But I digress. The mystery here is superb, and the romantic subplot with Sunset Chaser and the whole spelling error with "erotic" was hilarious, especially with Marlon's claim that it could be "a middle aged dude named Barry" catfishing him. There was fun stuff here, but with Naomi driving me up the wall, it wasn't as good as it could've been.

Beyond Paradise Season 1, Episode 3

This episode boasts quite an interesting mystery, centering on an art theft that seems could only be committed by a single person. However, after much digging, the Shipton Abbott Police Force discovers that it was retracted into its frame upon display by the owner, who had faked the worth of the painting and was caught. This was quite a mystery! However, for a show that is usually quite emotional, this episode is a bit more on the light side. This is fun for a mid-season break from Humprey and Martha's relationship issues, but, ultimately, this episode lacks the emotional brilliance of many of the show's episodes.

Season 12, Episode 5 - "On the Sanctity of Children"

This episode has an interestingly complex case, Marlon's Sergeant exam failure, and more fun Sophie/Neville action, which is always great. By far, the best of all, though, is the Comissioner meeting his daughter in a sequence of heartfelt moments that make this a cut above many of the other episodes of the show.

Season 7, Episode 5 - "Murder on the Day of the Dead"

This episode takes place during Fete Mouri, the island's Day of the Dead. The island lives up to its name with a mysterious murder, where a man calls the police force to report that he believes his wife was murdered. It gets more interesting when it's revealed her murder was attempted twice by two different people! We also get two fun subplots here, one involving Darlene and her niece and the other being Mooney taking Harry to the vet. Ultimately, this is a great episode!

Season 8, Episode 2 - "Murder Most Animal"

This episode's mystery revolves around a zookeeper being killed by a poisonous dart, with the killer staging it to look very much like a certain coworker of theirs. It's a pretty great mystery! Dwayne's replacement, Ruby Patterson, was introduced in this episode, and I liked her quite a bit from the beginning! Not as much as Dwayne, but that's an incredibly high bar. All around, this was a great episode!

Season 8, Episode 3 - "Wish You Weren't Here"

With Florence's engagement, more focus on Ruby and JP with Flroence on vacation, and an interesting accidental death case, this is a relatively solid episode as a whole! Besides, it's impossible not to get at least a little kick out of good old Sherman and the unfortunately female Sherman Mk. 2. Great stuff.

Season 6, Episode 1 - "Erupting in Murder"

This episode is a rather decent introduction to the brilliant Season 6! It focuses on a team of researchers in a dispute over whether or not they should let the mayor of Saint-Marie purchase the land near a volcanic site. The leader of the research team doesn't want to sell the land and risk losing any potential prospects for research. It turns out that the whole team goes against the beliefs of the leader and kills him in an elaborate plan. This is a great episode, but it is a smidge underwhelming in the grand scheme of the season.

Season 4, Episode 5 - "Swimming in Murder"

This episode utilizes the melting of ice as a murder weapon, which, frankly, is brilliant. But that alone isn't what makes me really enjoy this episode. So what does? The introduction of the man, the myth, the legend, Officer JP Hooper. Seeing him and Dwayne's mentor-student relationship start to blossom here was fantastic (and thank heavens it was since two awesome characters left in Season 4). Ultimately, due to its sentimental value, this is an above-average Death in Paradise episode.

Beyond Paradise Season 2, Episode 1

This is an excellent intro to the show's second season! This episode has a bombastic intro, where a man acting in a show Humphrey and Esther are participating in is killed for real instead of, well, for the scene. It's quite a fun mystery and is basically Death in Paradise Season 8, Episode 1, but a whole lot better. We also get the typical, lovely Humphrey and Martha subplots and Anne's hilarious dating drama. It's one of those episodes where you don't really feel too bad for the victim, which is refreshing at times, as it gives the viewer a more lighthearted and likable episode. This is a great episode all around!

Season 7, Episode 4 - "The Healer"

While I understand that some people find this episode a little too similar to "Predicting Murder" (Season 1, Episode 3), that's one of my all-time favorites of the series, and this has all the epicness of that episode with enough difference to make it stand out. Granted, it isn't as good as that episode, but it's still a great episode that I thoroughly enjoyed.

A Tier

Season 8, Episode 8 - "Murder Begins at Home"

With the first of the few cases we get to see with DEtective Sergeant Madeleine Dumas, this episode has a rather exciting mystery where a body is found inside the locked police station! It is revealed that someone attempted to murder the man, but in an odd twist, he didn't die from the strangulation but just passed out from the asphyxiation. He then tries to find help from the police, but he suffers from a stroke before he comes. It is a rather brilliant case if I say so myself. On top of that, Mooney gets a call from Siobhan and attempts to help her with her relationship issues but, unfortunately, feels there's nothing he can do without seeing her in person. Mooney attempts to visit her in London but is sidetracked by the case, and, in response, the Commissioner buys a ticket for Siobhan to come into town. This is a great episode overall!

Season 10, Episode 3 - "Lucky in Love"

There's one major flaw with this episode: the entire mystery is convoluted and needlessly silly, even more so than most of the episodes. Nevertheless, all the surrounding drama is fun to witness, per usual. This episode marks the anniversary of Patrice's death, the birth of JP and Rosey's twin girls, and Marlon's first case (where he is almost immediately removed from the force, but that's beside the point). If they attempted to smoothen up the rough patches of this mystery? The episode could break through mediocrity. Unfortunately, that is not the case.

Season 11, Episode 3 - "Death in Flight"

While I was hoping somebody was actually going to be stabbed mid-skydive, I still found this a decent episode! I liked the stupidly absurd Buddy Base, which paralleled the cruelty and silliness of Facebook well. I found Marlon's sudden pursuit of aircraft knowledge and creation of a rubbish bin barbeque absolutely hilarious, and Florence's departure to work undercover. In the end, this is a great episode.

Season 7, Episode 2 - "The Stakes Are High"

This is an enjoyable episode, with epic poker madness, the much-wanted-by-me Detective Dwayne Myers, and a heartbreaking murder case with a brilliant murder weapon! Putting poison on the tip of the cigar and having it burn away, leaving no evidence behind? What a murder. This episode is just full of fun!

Season 8, Episode 7 - "Murder on the Airwaves"

This episode is the first introduction to DS Madeleine Dumas, which is done rather well! Thankfully, she's toned down a bit in the following season, so she doesn't piss us off too much. But I digress. I like the scenes where JP and RUby try to win over Madeleine in their unique ways and, of course, utterly fail. Madeleine threatens to boot Mooney out of his role as Saint-Marie's Detective Inspector, but she changes her mind in the nick of time when she sees his method to the madness. Great scenes! Outside of the discourse, the mystery here is fantastic, with it focusing on a circumstance in which a famous radio host is killed live on air in an intriguing twist of events. This is a great episode all around.

Season 13, Episode 2 - "Your Number's Up"

This episode doesn't have the fun subplots of many Death in Paradise episodes, but it does have the epic mystery I like to see from a great Death in Paradise murder plot. The whole old lady Bingomaster being a gangster wife was an insane twist that I loved! However, without any notable subplots, I can't rank this any higher, as the characters are genuinely my favorite part of this show.

Season 11, Episode 6 - "Phone-In Murder"

Darlene's first day on the job is the scintillating star of the show here, with her subplots showing her formidable persona as a policewoman right out of the gate, with her trying to help the odd Cornelius, who ends up being necessary to the case. Major Dwayne vibes here, eh? I also hated Izzy in this episode, but, as such, I loved seeing her get roasted into the ground. Also, perhaps the most fantastic quote of the show is present here when Marlon, not knowing the meaning of the word, asks: "is this a cranny, sir?" in referring to the murder weapon. That got me really hard. It's a great episode, for sure.

Season 10, Episode 2 - "Steamy Confessions"

As the episode that introduces Marlon to Death in Paradise, this is pretty much inherently a fantastic episode. Outside of Marlon stealing the show, this episode has a bizarre, edge-of-your-seat mystery with some unexpected and unique twists, and with Marlon's methodical madness and meticulous mystery, this is an above-average episode.

Season 6, Episode 2 - "The Secret of the Flame Tree"

This episode takes place on an island that was the setting for a famous Saint-Marie novel, and it deals with a murder that is staged to look just like the suicide that occurs in said novel. As much as I loved the setting here and the JP and Dwayne banter, the actual mystery itself was simply a smidge too predictable for my taste. The whole fake authorship and 100% devoted secretary plot? Sadly, I saw it from a mile-and-a-half away. It was a fun episode, but regardless, it could've been a whole lot better. 

Season 5, Episode 6 - "Dishing Up Murder"

Finally, we've got a good murder; it's in a restaurant, too! There is also a good little scene with Dwayne calling back to "A Personal Murder" (Season 5, Episode 4), where he teaches a little kid to play basketball and not to make bad choices in life, just like his mentor did before him. And JP proposing to Rosie? That was awesome! This episode has lots of fun little stuff that adds up to lots of great moments. And an unexpected murder that I didn't predict! Good job, Episode 6; you finally surpassed the mediocrity of typical Season 5. I'm proud, Episode 6, I'm proud.

Beyond Paradise Season 1, Episode 6

This episode's mystery is relatively weak, only topping that of Episode 1's by a smidgen. However, the surrounding drama here is phenomenal! Martha and Humphrey break off their engagement in a heartbreaking sequence where Martha states Humphrey is too good for her and deserves a wife who can bear children. Humphrey couldn't disagree more but let her go because he endlessly respected her opinion. Humphrey travels to Saint-Marie to clear his head, but Martha surprises him there and admits she made the biggest mistake of her life. While the mystery could've been better, and the Saint-Marie cameo could quite literally be over twenty times better, this emotional episode makes many romance movies pale in comparison with how good the breakup drama is.

Season 4, Episode 2 - "Hidden Secrets"

This episode has an incredible mystery in which somebody is framed to have been killed in an attempted robbery before it was discovered it was a facilitated suicide murder. This mystery is brilliant, and Dwayne's antics to impress newcomer Florence are hilarious. This is an all-around well-rounded episode that is incredibly entertaining.

Season 6, Episode 7 - "In the Footsteps of a Killer"

As DI Jack Mooney's first solo case, this was a pretty fantastic episode! This episode centers on a multiple-year-old case where Mooney has to prove the innocence of a woman who was wrongfully accused of murder. It was a simple mystery, really, but it was utterly brilliant and a great way to get into Mooney's inner psyche. Ultimately, this was just a fun and above-average episode! 

Season 3, Episode 5 - "Political Suicide" 

With a murder involving political scandal and press leakings, as well as an emotional subplot involving Camille's estranged father, there's lots to love here. While the means and mystery of the crime here are rather mediocre, the motives and characters are intriguing in many ways. But, when it comes down to it, it's really the subplot of Camille's father, Marlon, that secures this as a great Death in Paradise episode. Camille simply talking to both her parents back-and-forth in this episode added a lot of depth to her character and made for some fantastic, emotional drama! Without the engaging subplot, this episode would be overtly average, but with it? This is an outstanding episode.

Season 3, Episode 8 - "Rue Morgue"

I'll be the first to admit that this episode has a really lame mystery. But the Humphrey and Sally subplot makes this an incredible episode, especially in the emotional scene where Humphrey decides to officially move on from her—he's a true islander now and has fallen in love with Camille! What a legendary moment. This likely would be an episode in the running for a top-ten Death in Paradise episode if its mystery wasn't so mediocre. Still, it's a great episode all around.

Season 12, Episode 1 - "Murder in the Stars"

This episode is absurd and off-the-rails. Its mystery quite literally goes from a suicide to a faked death to a murder—this was an epic episode in an 80s kind of way, even if it is cheesy and overtly overstuffed beyond belief. On top of that, Neville and Sophie's relationship starts to bloom here; Darlene becomes an official trainee officer and gets some Dwayne-esque action on her first day, and more. This episode is fun, goofy, and, as such, great.

Season 3, Episode 7 - "The Man with the Golden Gun"

Isolated on a rich man's private island, the motley crew of four attempts to solve a murder with no cell service, electricity, forensic equipment, or, well, sleep. Frankly, this is one of my favorite mysteries on the show! While I do think the episode would be more interesting if the murderer tried to take out one of the show's characters or two, it's still remarkable just how it is. The mystery here was rather complex, featuring lots of intriguing, moving parts that made for a brilliant mystery. While I typically prefer episodes with character-growing subplots, this is one of the episodes that I enjoyed the mystery enough to rank it higher than some of the more emotionally resonant episodes.

Season 2, Episode 7 - "A Stormy Occurrence"

Like the last two episodes, there's nothing too special about the mystery of this episode. But there's one thing about this episode that made it stand out a lot: the raw emotional scene where DI Poole and Camille are stranded together during the hurricane. This episode shows how much the two care about each other as friends and how, when they put aside their differences, they have a powerful friendship that isn't just a relationship of coworkers. This makes the next two episodes even more heartbreaking when you rewatch this episode knowing Poole's inevitable fate in Season 3's premiere episode. This episode has some of my favorite character moments, even if the mystery ends up being relatively simple (though, I will admit, the plagiarism and second-author plots are interesting!), making it a high-tier Death in Paradise episode.

Season 2, Episode 1 - "A Murder on the Plantation" 

This episode has an incredible mystery with even better side characters and metacontextualization! The mystery had interesting notes of foiling between the two parties—the family and the new wife's family. This is one of the few episodes that have a sympathetic killer, so much so that I almost wished they had a "get out a jail free card." This episode takes the plot into a morally gray zone instead of keeping things black-and-white, with the killers trying to serve justice for unsafe equipment that killed their father without repercussions for the plantation. While I obviously don't condone murder, this brilliant episode balances sympathy and justice in a way that keeps the episode endlessly gripping, making it an outstanding episode.

 Season 13, Episode 0 - "Christmas Special 2023"

Dave carries this episode! I loved him, found Neville's mom fun, and the drunken Naomi and Marlon kiss humorous: the "it's behind you" twist was pretty awesome, with a six-million-dollar Ming Dynasty Vase being such a marvelous McGuffin. But, honestly, this episode dragged on way too much for its plot and didn't use its runtime as well as the other Christmas episodes—it really could have been a normal-length episode! It also isn't nearly as good as the other two Christmas specials, at least in my opinion. It's a good episode but one of the weaker episodes of the season.

Beyond Paradise Season 1, Episode 4

Contrary to the sixth episode, which had great emotion but a mediocre mystery, this episode has a phenomenal mystery (yet isn't too lacking in emotion). The mystery revolves around a man-made crop circle used to drive farm sales, yet a man is found dead in the middle soon after it's formed. It's revealed the man left the father of the farm owner rotting in jail, later begging for his forgiveness in an attempt to receive a cut of his inheritance so he can allegedly be a sort of guardian angel for his kids. He then looks for his buried inheritance and dies of cardiac arrest in the middle of the field. The narrative here had me hooked all along, making it one of the season's best episodes.

Beyond Paradise Season 2, Episode 6

This episode is a heartwarming and perfect conclusion to Beyond Paradise's second season. It predominantly focuses on the drama surrounding Humphrey and Martha's wedding, and unfortunately, everything goes awry. How surprising. This is a super fun episode, but the mystery is somewhat lacking, especially for a season finale. This is a good episode but not a great one.

S Tier

Season 9, Episode 3 - "Tour De Murder"

This episode's mystery is Mooney's penultimate case, and it does not disappoint! It focuses on a biker who mysteriously died during a race that looks like a tragic accident. Yet, there's one inconsistency: there's a large tear in the jersey of the deceased, leading Mooney to the conclusion it was a murder. It's discovered there was a whole extraordinarily elaborate plan to kill the biker, and it's quite a brilliant reveal! Even better is the Anna and Mooney romance climaxing here in a lovely series of moments—such great stuff here! 

Season 2, Episode 5 - "Murder Onboard"

This episode has two aspects that make the whole episode extraordinary: 1) the victim was one of Camille's best friends, and 2) every single action on the boat was recorded in real-time in picture form. The former adds a lot of emotional weight to the episode, and the latter makes the whole mystery feel elusive and almost surreal. The scenes where the socially awkward Richard Poole attempts to comfort Camille are fun to watch and build out their sure-but-strained friendship and Poole's soft side in an engaging way. The collection of pictures makes DI Poole and the viewer feel rather stupid for not catching the killer, and the episode continues to convince the viewer to look away from the obvious—like trying to find something in the refrigerator that is right in front of your face. The music aspect of the plot is also the cherry on top as a vocalist myself, and the illicit alcohol bust is also a fun side story to whisk away Fidel and Dwayne on. Ultimately, this episode strikes a perfect balance of everything about this show, making it a quintessential Death in Paradise episode.

Season 5, Episode 2 - "One for the Road"

This is a brilliant episode with intriguing political undertones, suspicions toward the Commissioner, and, of course, some Humphrey love life scenes as a cherry on top. I don't think there's a more intriguing murder plot in Season 5 than this one, as an emerald island and road-based revenge is incredibly interesting. Nevertheless, two episodes surpass this one due to subplots and emotional sequences.

Season 4, Episode 8 - "Unlike Father, Unlike Son"

This episode centers around a murder where the killer is paid to break a man out of prison by faking his death, but the man kills the prisoner for real instead. This is a very intriguing mystery indeed! Arguably better than the mystery itself would have to be the subplot where Humphrey's dad visits Saint-Marie to lecture Humphrey about his divorce and how he is wasting his life's potential in a supposed "gap year." However, as the episode progresses, his father sees that it is quite the contrary—Humphrey has more joy and success than ever before! This is an emotionally resonant and relatable episode with a brilliant mystery, and for that, it's a fantastic episode.

Season 9, Episode 1 - "La Murder Le Diablé"

This episode is terrific! With Madeliene finally custom to the island and "Uncle Selly" literally quoting Spider-Man: "On this island, with great power, comes great responsibility," this is quite the episode. On top of that, this episode shocked me with a couple of out-of-the-blue jumpscares I didn't reasonably expect to see from the lighthearted Death in Paradise and an epic plot twist involving a man not being able to read or write.

Season 13, Episode 1 - "Going Round in Circles"

The fact that this emotional episode, in which Selwyn literally gets shot, isn't a top-tier episode of the season goes to show just how phenomenal this season is. This episode is emotionally terrific and phenomenal! In addition to the fantastic main plot, the villain here makes a return from the show's first episode. Neville returns from the show's first episode, and Neville reveals he still has feelings for Florence, and Camille gives birth. All around, this is a fantastic episode.

Season 13, Episode 3 - "Serving Up Murder"

This episode has an unhinged plot about a serial rapist who runs a hotel and recruits his head chefs by hosting a cooking competition. It's seriously unbelievable. The murder is committed by multiple people putting small traces of poison into their recipes to kill the victim in a nuanced way, making for a top-tier Death in Paradise mystery. On top of that, this episode also introduces Sunset Chaser and Catherine's estranged best friend, Lucky! I also liked Andrina Harper's role in the episode, as she writes an exposé on the vile Stanley Drake and encourages his victims to come forward and confess the truth. Ultimately, this is a brilliant episode of Death in Paradise.

Season 1, Episode 3 - "Predicting Suicide"

With an episode full of prophecies, voodoo jokes, an alleged suicide, and a more than absurd mystery, this is a brilliant episode and my favorite of the show's first season. This episode boasted one of the most genius and shocking mysteries of the entire show and, frankly, of any show I've watched. If you've forgotten it, I suggest you rewatch this episode. If you haven't forgotten, the brilliance of this episode is "in the bones". This episode is incredible all around, and, well, that's that!

Season 4, Episode 3 - "Damned If You Do..."

This episode follows a society that attempts to honor the history of Saint-Marie, but the memorial goes horribly wrong when one of the members is poisoned in their tent. This is an alright enough mystery, but that's certainly not what makes this a special episode. As revealed in the Season 3 finale, Humphrey has fallen in love with Camille, and in this episode, he continues to build up the courage to tell her. However, when he comes desperately close to telling her the truth, everything goes awry when Camille intercepts him to tell him that she has been offered a job as an undercover agent in Paris. This subplot is one of my absolute favorites—it is equal parts humorous, heartbreaking, and heartwarming, making this an all-around terrific episode.

Season 4, Episode 1 - "Stab in the Dark"

"Stab in the Dark" is, unsurprisingly, about somebody being stabbed in, you guessed it, the dark. This enigmatic stabbing happens during a traditional islander séance to exorcise the demonic spirit of Mama Beth, an alleged slave with a vengeful vendetta. This séance is in celebration of the festival Fete Mouri, a local holiday. Not only did this episode build out a believable and entertaining fictional setting, but it also had many standout moments. The mystery is gripping; the Comissioner has a brief stint as a member of the team in all his glorious awkwardness, and Dwayne tries to woo Florence, who turns out to be Fidel's permanent replacement due to his relocation to Saint-Lucia with incredible worldbuilding and mystery, a cornucopia of hysterical moments, and the introduction of fan-favorite Florence, this is an impeccable episode.

Beyond Paradise Season 2, Episode 0

This episode does a fantastic job of delivering the spirit of Christmas through its brilliant plotline. The mystery revolves around a "burgalar" who is breaking and entering houses but only leaving things, not taking them. In addition to the Christmas drama, we get more of the story of Humphrey and Martha planning to foster children. In the end, this is a heartwarming, cozy episode and one of the best of the series.

Season 13, Episode 6 - "Murder Going Down"

This episode marks a monumental moment—Officer Dwayne Myers is back! And hopefully for good! His dad, Nelson, wanted to move back, as it was his dying wish to live out the rest of his days on Saint-Marie. I loved seeing Dwayne and Darlene bickering here as partners since they haven't seen each other since their Season 7 fling. This episode has a fantastic case, with a woman being murdered in fifteen seconds in a closed elevator—quite an absurd death. The mystery ends up being rather disheartening, as a girl's whole family was in on murdering her alleged mother. Luckily, she finds solace in meeting her real biological mother for the first time. Outside of the mystery and Dwayne's return, Neville also decides to leave Saint-Marie for love (as inspired by his ex-girlfriend, Zoe), and Florence is revealed to be out of witness protection at the end of the episode. Ultimately, this is a brilliant episode.

Season 11, Episode 4 - "Undercover and Out"

As Florence's second send-off, this episode is impossible not to love! Of course, she makes a guest appearance in Season 13 and will probably appear again in the future, but that's basically beside the point. I loved the whole undercover vie of this episode, the badarse shooting scene, and the strong screen presence of the three-time-murdering antagonist taken down in this episode. The realization that Florence would have to go under witness protection after the covert operation is something I didn't really expect from Death in Paradise. Still, I found it to be awesome and heartbreaking. After all that has happened with Neville and Florence's complex relationship? This was a brilliant send-off for one of the show's most beloved characters. DS Cassell, you'll be missed for two-and-a-quarter seasons, you hear?

Beyond Paradise Season 1, Episode 5

The first half of this episode is generic Beyond Paradise action, but the second half is excellent! The emotional scenes involving a firefighter committing arson to protect her daughter's reputation are heart-wrenching, and Humphrey and Martha's separation is even more so. The Three Little Pigs cover-up was a great touch, and the crescendoing relationship conflicts make this otherwise decent episode absolutely brilliant.

Season 10, Episode 7 - "Somewhere in Time"

From here on out, every Season 10 episode is surprisingly sensational. This episode boasts way too many iconic moments: Marlong going on an insane boat chase, Florence and Neville swimming and playing board games, JP being offered a job that is more flexible and pays more off-island, and, by far, the best of all, Marlon's emotional speech that, somehow, made me cry. And, on top of all of the above, there's a fascinating accidental nautical assault that later escalates to cold-blooded murder. This is an incredible episode through and through.

Season 13, Episode 5 - "As the Sun Sets..."

This episode's mystery focuses on an intriguing plot of faking deaths and odd discrepancies—a solid narrative. The real highlight of this episode is Marlon's tribute and farewell, making for one of my favorite episodes of the show! As one of my favorite characters in the show, I'm glad he got a real send-off (unlike, say, Fidel, Madeliene, and Ruby), and his whole dedication to his sister's dreams was beautiful. Marlon decides to give up his dreams for his sister, showing just how great of a person he's become after the last few seasons. I also loved the moment when JP wouldn't let Marlon give up on his dreams, using his influence to let Marlon become a police officer in Jamaica. In the end, this episode is an emotional and terrific conclusion to Marlon's story! I'd love to see him back, but if this is his last appearance, I wouldn't be sad—it's that well done.

Season 12, Episode 0 - "2022 Christmas Special"

While not nearly as legendary as the previous Christmas special, this is still quite a great episode. This episode's mystery focuses on a cold case that the Commissioner wasn't able to solve due to a lack of technological prowess, and it quickly blossoms into a fantastic episode. Sophie is introduced in this episode as well, which is nice. In the end, this episode has a beautiful narrative about two twins that reunite due to the efforts of the Honoré Police Force. It spends a lot of time focusing on my man, Selwyn, making it a particularly top-notch episode.

Season 9, Episode 4 - "Pirates of the Murder Scene"

This is the final episode of Detective Inspector Jack Mooney's stay on the show, and it's a pretty grand finale! The case centers around a woman who kills her abusive husband as a form of self-defense and is helped by one of her best friends to obstruct the evidence. Ultimately, both the people involved get off without too much of a sentence. However, while Jack Mooney is talking to the perpetrator, something dawns on him: he wants a new beginning, just like she does. Mooney declines Anna's offer to travel the world and move back to London to get his life back and live with Siobhan again. This is a beautiful moment, as it juxtaposes Humphrey's exit rather nicely yet still leaves a chance for Mooney and Anna to get back together down the road. This episode is, without question, a brilliant Death in Paradise episode.

S+ Tier

Season 8, Episode 4 - "Frappe Death Day"

This episode has some amusing subplots: illegal crab racing, Florence preparing for her wedding, and Ruby almost being removed from the police force before JP vouches for her! But even better? The brilliant mystery. This case focuses on a woman who tries to frame someone for her murder. The catch? She attempts to frame someone by dressing up as herself. How? She dressed up like herself but with a little bit of difference to make the team suspicious that somebody else dressed up as her, as she had the perfect alibi. Ultimately, this case is entirely brilliant!

Season 10, Episode 4 - "Chain Reaction"

This episode doesn't seem too special at first, but it soon evolves into a top-notch episode! This episode's mystery is solely confined to Neville's stay at the hospital, and, simply put, the setting and story are tons of fun. Now for the plethora of magnificent moments throughout the episode! Firstly, Neville leaving hospice early and injuring the Comissioner was a good bit of embarrassing fun. Secondly, JP and Marlon singing to the Hooper twins were equally adorable and amusing. Thirdly, Marlon arresting a priest had me gallantly guffawing in ever-evangelical eloquence. Disregard all I just said. Fourthly, the obnoxiously operatic froggy-fatale was a bit funny. And, last and the absolute opposite of least is Freddie, the patient adjacent to Neville, who gets his own fun and heartwarming character arc! It's something that none of us expected or deserved from a random character, but we thankfully got it anyway.

Season 7, Episode 7 - "Dark Memories"

This is pretty much all I wanted from the episode "Missing a Body?" (Season 1, Episode 4). I always wanted an episode where someone confessed, but frankly, that one was quite dissatisfactory. On the contrary, this episode had an excellent execution, with an actually good faked murder by confession and a brilliant mystery. On top of that, the original suspect is an acquaintance of JP's, making for a more exciting interrogation. Another epic part of this episode is Dwayne's birthday, which gets some fantastic Darlene and Nelson Myers action as well. This is definitely my favorite episode of the show's seventh outing and a top-tier episode.

Season 6, Episode 4 - "Stumped in Murder"

This episode focuses on a murder that has taken place in a cricket club. Still, everything gets somewhat funky when it is revealed it is not a murder but a suicide influenced by the deceit and blackmail of an alleged friend of the victim. This "Friend" gaslights our victim here (literally, not the diluted Gen-Z definition of gaslight) into making him believe he caused his son's paralysis through underhanded means, and the father simply can't cope with himself anymore due to believing this lie. This case really makes you reflect on the difference between murder and, simply put, emotional murder. On top of the suicide plot, we get to see the emotional sequence of Martha leaving back to London, which leads Humphrey to eventually make a difficult decision later in the season.

Season 5, Episode 8 - "Flames of Love"

This episode is a brilliant conclusion to Season 5, with JP getting married, Humphrey and Martha finally meeting, and Dwayne getting mixed up in the drama of it all in some great scenes. The mystery isn't too shabby either, with the murder taking a wild turn due to an absolutely obsessive lover. Ultimately, this is, without question, a top-tier episode of Death in Paradise.

Beyond Paradise Season 2, Episode 2

What an episode this is! The mystery focuses on an alleged psychic who uses her ability to distract a woman and steal an antique piece of jewelry. It was definitely a journey of an episode! There are also some fun subplots here: more Anne dating, more Zoe hilarity, more Martha and Humphrey relationship bliss, and, of course, Esther's conflicted stance on the spiritual side of the world. Ultimately, this was an awesome episode!

Season 6, Episode 3 - "The Impossible Murder"

Since Martha's back in Saint-Marie, Humphrey plans to take her for a romantic night out at a remote, beautiful hotel. Suddenly, while they are having dinner, with Humphrey as a witness, a murder takes place in plain sight—yet it makes no sense as nobody ever got upstairs in the one way possible. In a rather rare twist of events, this episode isn't premeditated murder, nor is it a suicide but, for once, accidental manslaughter. This twist is masterfully done, with many disheartening and emotional scenes that make for an episode full of heart. What a spectacular episode.

Season 4, Episode 4 - "Until Death Do You Part"

The mystery of this episode focuses on a girls-night-out with a woman, her lifetime best friend, her favorite college roommate, and her sister-in-law. After a despicable turn of events, the lead woman is drowned in her bathtub with no explanation, and Humprehy and the crew have to discover the cause of the murder. The mystery is good enough, but the true strength of the episode is Camille's farewell, which is one of the show's most emotional moments. Humphrey's decision to let Camille fulfill her dream was beautiful, and seeing her family and friends wish her their goodbyes was great to watch. I instantly missed Camille the moment she left, but that doesn't make this episode any less emotional or brilliant. This is easily my favorite episode of Season 4.

Season 12, Episodes 6 & 7 - "A Murder Forewarned" & "Sins of the Detective"

This episode duology is brilliant! The first episode focuses on Neville and the crew catching a killer, but for the first time on the show, the team doesn't have enough incriminating evidence to prove that the killer must be implicated. Naturally, this pisses Neville off, and he goes to the perpetrator's home to confront him. However, he's set up, and at the end of the episode, the Honoré Police Force, unfortunately, has to arrest Neville on suspicion of murder—such a bold move. The second episode focuses on the team trying to solve who framed Neville for murder, which has got to be the most fantastic idea for a storyline of the whole show. After lots of searching through files for people who were put behind bars by Neville, the team fails, and he is sent to prison. And then he figures it out: it was Sophie who framed them. This whole time, the Sophie romance was a complete ruse! What a plot twist! Even better than the twist is that all of the team is responding to it in absolute grief, which is sad but intriguing to watch. This episode was excellent and so heartbreaking, making it one of the greatest episodes of Death in Paradise.

Beyond Paradise Season 1, Episode 2

After the first episode, I almost had the urge to stop watching the show, but I'm so glad I stuck it out! This is one of the most emotional episodes of TV I've watched! While the characters and setting are still not too fleshed out, the side characters and mystery make this an unforgettable episode of TV. The suicidal father scene brought me to tears! If this was saved for, say, Season 2, when the main cast had more chemistry and such, this would likely be one of my favorite episodes of TV. Take the hilarious banter of Season 2, Episode 2, and this episode's mystery and it'd be practical perfection.

Season 11, Episode 0 - "Christmas Special 2021"

As the first episode of the season, it's also the apparent best! With Florence on vacation for Christmas and Dwayne in Saint-Marie, Dwayne steals the show as a guest star here! He and Marlon make for one of the best teams in Death in Paradise history, and Marlon comforting Dwayne over Nelson's sorry state was so touching. I loved that we finally got some Guadeloupe action. I loved Colin and how, even after all hell broke loose, he got a happy ending. I loved the cringey Neville and Florence moments, as always. I loved the Christmas chicken-and-chips lunch. I loved everything about this excellent episode! It's one of the best episodes of the whole show!

The Reel Tier

Beyond Paradise Season 2, Episode 5

With an epic framed bow-and-arrow attack with an absolutely brilliant reveal, the beautiful tattoo subplot, the heartbreaking dementia subplot, and the epic end-of-episode "hag do," few episodes of Death in Paradise and Beyond Paradise can compete with the brilliance of this episode. Who knew Beyond Paradise would be this terrific!

Season 6, Episodes 5 & 6 - "Man Overboard"

I lumped these together because they tell a singular narrative, and it'd be rather silly to rank them separately unless one was significantly worse than the other, which, evidently, isn't the case. This two-episode mid-season climax splits its time between Saint-Marie and London, as well as splitting time with the two associated teams, respectively. Heading the London team are Detective Inspector Humphrey Goodman and Jack Mooney, assisted by Detective Sergeant Cassell and Officer Dwayne Meyers, and heading the Saint-Marie team is Officer JP Hooper, assisted by Police Commissioner Selwyn Patterson. This duology has some terrific moments, with the introduction of DI Mooney, Humphrey's happy and permanent reunion with Martha, Dwayne's not-so-happy reunion with his father, JP's testing with the commissioner, the team's reaction to how cold London is and its odd liquor, and so much more. Yet again, like Season 3, Death in Paradise found a believable and seamless way to transition detectives from Humphrey to Mooney. And that's without all the extraordinary mysteries of the episode's case! I loved this episode set for a wide variety of reasons, and, in the end, these two episodes are certainly top-tier Death in Paradise episodes.

Season 2, Episode 8 - "A Deadly Party"

This episode has a fascinating concept—everybody at the party has an alibi confirmed by another. It ends up being that multiple people in the party who allegedly saw the perpetrator had made up the man and attempted to pull off the perfect murder for three million dollars. This is one of those episodes I had to rewind multiple times to understand fully, which is always a plus— a complex case to get the mind going! Yet after the brilliantly concise murder of the episode, fifteen minutes of the episode remain. This is where a great episode goes from being focused on the mind to evoking emotions from the heart! And these fifteen minutes are the best part of the episode! DI Richard Poole finally gets a chance to go back to London to transfer a killer to a better facility in London. At this moment, he realizes he has a choice to either stay in London or return to Saint-Marie. This is a beautiful montage that keeps you on the edge of your seat as, frankly, this very much could've been the end of the whole show, where Poole could get his happy ending. The emotional tension here makes for one of my favorite moments of the entire show, and, for not knowing the absolute outcome when it came out, I was overcome with joy when the crotchety Londoner decided to come back. At this moment, the beautiful bond of friendship between Richard, Camille, Fidel, and Dwayne is at its strongest—they may not want to admit it, but these four are absolutely best friends. This episode could've just been a mediocre send-off to DI Poole, but his next-episode death is made infinitely more heartbreaking by this terrific episode.

Season 13, Episodes 7 & 8 - "A Tale of Two Islands" & "A Murder in the Skies"

Another fantastic Death in Paradise episode duology, another time a duology takes the top spot. This duology is a brilliant emotional farewell to both Detective Sergeant Florence Cassell and Detective Inspector Neville Parker! These episodes had me smiling all the way through! This episode was a bloody brilliant finale to one of the show's best seasons. Great stuff here, great stuff.

Season 3, Episode 1 - "Death of a Detective"

After Poole's beautiful return to Saint-Marie at the end of Season 2, being killed off was the most out-of-left-field thing this show could've possibly done! This is easily one of the most shocking, engaging, and emotional episodes of the show due to the events surrounding Poole, but it also masterfully introduces DI Humphrey Goodman as a juxtaposition to the episode's events with some for-once-well-utilized bathos. This episode is one of the episodes by which I compare all others—it's practically a masterpiece and easily the best episode of the season and one of the best of the show.

Season 8, Episodes 5 & 6 - "Beyond the Shining Sea"

This episode set does a brilliant job setting up settings, motives, suspects, and more! The mystery here takes place during a Saint-Marie festival, and the maiden of the festival is killed during her ritual in front of many bystanders. In the meantime, Patrice and Florence are all set to get married in this episode, with lots of celebratory measures in place. After discovering the information regarding a delayed murder during the first half, Mooney realizes that there are some suspicious details left over from the case, one of which being a phone call taken by Patrice and him spontaneously leaving. Florence follows Patrice and, in a heartbreaking turn of events, Patrice is murdered, and Florence sustains a gunshot wound. The real highlight here is the aftermath of this, with Florence facing the most challenging moment in her life. Watching her and Mooney discuss the pain and grief of loss was beautiful to watch, and the shocking plot twists that the real murderer was brainwashed by a professional, the person who killed Patrice? Absolute perfection. Ultimately, this duology is one of the best episodes Death in Paradise has ever had.

Season 5, Episode 4 - "A Personal Murder"

This is certainly an episode in the running for the magnum opus of Death in Paradise. This episode is immaculate down to the last detail, with brilliant backstories, firm friendships, and a magnificent score. This episode unexpectedly brought me to tears multiple times, as it was so masterfully acted. The guest-star Four Musketeers each had a great screen presence, and the whole drama hit close to home. While I've obviously never concealed the death of one of my best friends, I have had many friends abandon me over the years; more specifically, my brother, my three best friends, and I used to hang out all the time before one of them practically cut all ties with us. I really felt that aspect of this show! Also, Dwayne was already my favorite character, but after seeing his heartbreak over his life mentor, all the onions ever eaten or planned entered my room at once, and I suddenly found myself emotionally drained. All from a random mid-season Death in Paradise episode. What can I say? This episode is television perfection! There's no denying it! But, as much as I'd call it Death in Paradise's magnum opus, it's not quite my favorite episode of the show.

Season 10, Episodes 5 & 6 - "Music to my Ears" & "Fake or Fortune"

It's infrequent for the duology episodes to not place at the top of my season-by-season episode rankings, but, shocking even myself, that's not the case here. This case has so many brilliant and shocking moments, with some of the best including the initials AS revealing that a man who allegedly died is still alive, Catherine Bordey is a victim of attempted murder, Camille stepping in as a guest star for the second half of the case, Richard Poole making an interesting cameo, and, of course, Neville awkwardly crushing on Florence. This duology never ceases to impress, and the two episodes are two of the best and most entertaining episodes of the entire show.

Season 10, Episode 8 - "I'll Never Let You Go"

The case here was absurd, with amnesia and some unexpected twists along the way! Now, that isn't what makes this one of my favorite Death in Paradise episodes! The romantic tension between Neville and Florence is some edge-of-your-seat stuff, and JP's sendoff and sacrifice for Marlon are both some of the greatest moments of the show, for sure. It's the close-knit, emotional sentimentality of this episode that made it a brilliant episode. It's an episode I'll never forget and an episode of the show that won't stop making me tear up, even if I watched it subsequently six times in a row back-to-back. Regardless of it not being the most bold or flashy episode, it's one of the most heartfelt, securing it a spot at the top of this list.

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