All Thirteen Death in Paradise Seasons RANKED!

Many consider Death in Paradise a mediocre detective show, but I couldn't disagree more. This is one of my favorite shows, and it has been for many, many years. I love the mysteries well enough, but even more, I love the characters and the setting! Now, without further ado, I, Brighton Nelson from The Reel Ranker, present to you: All Thirteen Death in Paradise Seasons RANKED!

13: Season 11 - C Tier

The Reel Ranker Score: 46%

Year: 2022
Common Consensus: 54%

After absolutely adoring Season 10, this season was quite the major disappointment—even as a big fan of all eras of the show! The only major highlight of this season is the fourth episode, where Florence goes undercover and ends up leaving the show for a few seasons due to requiring witness protection, while the illicit business she ran a cover operation to take down was being destroyed from its roots. That's good stuff. Otherwise? This season is simply mediocre. Honestly, almost every episode this season is in the bottom third or fourth of my Death in Paradise episode ranking. The new Detective Sergeant, Naomi Thomas, is one of the show's more middling characters and does a lousy job replacing Florence. Darlene made a return here, which was a welcome surprise and another rare highlight of the season.

Last of all, parts of the finale are excellent, with introducing the Commissioner's ex-wife being my third favorite part of this not-so-great season. With Darlene returning, Maggie Harper's introduction, and Florence's heartfelt departure, this isn't an awful season. Nevertheless, with predictable mysteries, a lack of memorable subplots, and some of the worst episodes of the show (with this season's second episode as my all-time least favorite Death in Paradise episode), this is about as bland and unintriguing as Death in Paradise can be.

12: Season 1 - B Tier

The Reel Ranker Score: 56%

Year: 2011
Common Consensus: 88%

I know Seasons 1 and 2 are commonly considered top-tier Death in Paradise, but I simply can't see it too much. Episodes 1, 4, 5, and 6 are relatively predictable, 8 is flat-out dumb, 2 and 7 are fun but simple, and 3 is the only one I'd call "top tier" Death in Paradise. I love the banter here between Detective Inspector Richard Poole and Detective Sergeant Camille Bordey. Still, otherwise, I've never seen it as anything but a solid foundation for the other, better seasons of the future. Its simplicity is commendable but leads the show to be predictable. This season is homey and nostalgic, but the show was mostly going up from here! Still, very glad this season exists because, frankly, none of the others would exist without it.

11: Season 7 - B Tier

The Reel Ranker Score: 58%

Year: 2018
Common Consensus: 64%

I liked the season a tad better than Season 1 because I'm a fan of the fact this season gives Dwayne a great send-off. Still, otherwise, it's plagued by the same issues of the first season: mysteries that I wasn't too fond of (though the poker case was a standout), no new characters, and nothing that really sets it apart as better than other seasons. Again, I'm glad this season exists due to Dwayne's Darlene relationship and his departure (as well as for solidifying Mooney as the new DI). Otherwise, this season is quite uninteresting.

10: Season 12 - B Tier

The Reel Ranker Score: 60%

Year: 2023
Common Consensus: 55%

This season has one extreme strength: Sophie. Her whole inclusion always feels a bit off, like the show moved entirely away from Neville and Florence in an abrupt way. However, after enough time, I actually started to like her quite a bit! And, as soon as she finally grew on me? There's an insane two-part episode where she is revealed to have framed Neville for murder because he put her sister behind bars. Brutal stuff. However, as much as I love those episodes and the finale, the first five episodes have the most mediocre mysteries of the show—even worse than Seasons 1, 7, and 11. This season has a brilliant overarching plot unrivaled by any other season of the show, but, unfortunately, the rest of the season is so "blah" that it's hard to rank it any higher.

9: Season 9 - B Tier

The Reel Ranker Score: 62%

Year: 2020
Common Consensus: 60%

As the season to bid farewell to DI Jack Mooney and bring in DI Neville Parker, there's a lot of stuff happening here! If it weren't for the mediocrity of how DI Madeliene Dumas and Officer Ruby Patterson were incorporated into the plot, this season would likely rank higher. Granted, I love Ruby, but still, she doesn't do all too much in this season. And I certainly don't love Madeliene; as much as the actress wasn't bad, the character was written to be very dull and off-putting. But I digress. I loved Mooney and Anna's relationship, the brilliant way Mooney's farewell is handled, Neville's memorable introduction, and as much as I feel bad saying it, Madeliene finally getting replaced... ten episodes were still too much somehow. There's quite a bit of great stuff here, but there are also some of my least favorite parts of the entire show, so I can't say this is a top-tier season of the show.

8: Season 2 - B Tier

The Reel Ranker Score: 64%

Year: 2013
Common Consensus: 83%

Season 2 was quite a step up from the first, with it being the most straightforward and most carefree-feeling season of the show. The Poole and Camille banter here is taken up another notch and so is Fidel and Dwayne's friendship! Season 2 is brilliant! Anyway, more of a Humphrey and JP kind of guy. Anyway, I especially loved the season finale here, with it being one of the most heartwarming moments of the show. The finale shows DI Poole leaving to go back to London and, frankly, at the time, it was hard to know what he'd choose. His decision to come back was one of the most heartwarming moments of the whole show, and the show having this episode right before he's killed off? Brilliant! It would've not been nearly as emotional if he just left and Humphrey replaced him. In the end, I love Season 2, but it isn't quite as good.

7: Season 8 - A Tier

The Reel Ranker Score: 67%

Year: 2019
Common Consensus: 63%

This season is peak DI Mooney, and easily one of the best of the show. First of all, I loved the team of Mooney, Florence, JP, and Ruby—it was so much fun! Wished it was more prevalent and not just a five-episode squad, but whatever. Second of all, this season had some immaculate mysteries! Third of all, I loved Florence and Patrice's relationship. Fourth of all, as much as I don't particularly enjoy Madeliene, her introduction led to some engaging and humorous moments. Fifth of all, the fifth and sixth episodes of this season are some of the best episodes of the entire show! Patrice's death and Florence's grief are heartbreaking and emotional, and the mystery is brilliantly done. All in all? There's a lot to love here.

6: Season 3 - A Tier

The Reel Ranker Score: 70%

Year: 2014
Common Consensus: 87%

I adore this season and, as such, hate I have to place it so low on this list. However, I find the second and sixth episodes to be incredibly awful compared to other episodes of the show, and when a fourth of your season isn't great, it's hard to rank it super high. Also, Fidel feels out of place here, which, again, makes for another conundrum—I don't love one-fourth of the cast. However, the season opener and season finale? Two of the most phenomenal episodes of the show! The opener has the show's most shocking twist: the main character dies. Richard Poole solving his own murder? Crazy stuff. Humphrey's intro? Fantastic. Easily one of the best season openers I've seen on TV. The finale is also fantastic, with heartfelt ex-wife drama and Humphrey admitting his love for Camille in a rather remarkable moment (which he conveniently only has with Fidel, who leaves... so nobody but the two of them knows the truth). In the end, Season 3 is a classic, brilliant Death in Paradise season, but it has a few glaring flaws in my eyes.

5: Season 5 - S Tier

The Reel Ranker Score: 72%

Year: 2016
Common Consensus: 82%

Outside of the gross stepmom affair present in the seventh episode, this is an excellent season with quite a few magnificent mysteries! From solely a mystery standpoint, there's a fair argument to be made that this season is the best of the best! On top of that, the team of Humphrey, Florence, JP, and Dwayne is top-notch, and one of the best the show has! And, even on top of that? Humphrey and Martha finally get together after perfectly matching online! So good! Also, this season has a very unassuming episode that I truly believe is the magnum opus of the show: Season 5, Episode 4, an episode all about Dwayne's mentor and his best friends—it is one of the most emotional episodes of the show! It's not my favorite episode, but perhaps the most well-made. In the end, this season is easily one of the best.

4: Season 4 - S Tier

The Reel Ranker Score: 76%

Year: 2015
Common Consensus: 79%

This season has an emotional send-off to Detective Sergeant Camille Bordey and triumphant introductions of two of the show's most iconic characters: Detective Sergeant Florence Cassell and Officer JP Hooper. It still shocks me how these two were introduced in the same season! But I digress. This season has a plethora of iconic mysteries, from a séance to purge the spectral Mama Beth to crazy fakeout deaths solved by ants! It's not my favorite season, but when I reminisce about the show? This is the season I think of, the season that's classic makings of brilliance made me fall in love with the show in the first place. If Season 3 hooked me onto the show, this season reeled me in.

3: Season 6 - S Tier

The Reel Ranker Score: 78%

Year: 2018
Common Consensus: 70%

With tons of Martha and Humphrey romance, Humphrey's send-off, the only episodes of the whole show not set in "paradise" but instead in London, a fantastic introduction to Mooney, and some of the show's best mysteries? Great stuff. The cast? Better than ever. This is the peak of retro Death in Paradise and has so many of the show's crowning moments. Yet, stupendously, as Humphrey would say: "and then there were two." Because, yes, somehow, two modern Death in Paradise seasons absolutely blew me away, taking the top two positions on the list. And here I was thinking Season 6 would always be my favorite...

2: Season 10 - S Tier

The Reel Ranker Score: 80%

Year: 2021
Common Consensus: 67%

After being underwhelmed by Season 9 (and especially Detective Inspector Neville Parker), Season 10 blew me away! The chemistry between Neville and Florence elevated this season to new heights, Camille's return in a phenomenal two-part episode, Marlon's introduction to the show and his fantastic relationship with JP, JP's send-off, amazing mysteries, and all-around, tons of other good stuff makes this a top-tier episode of death in paradise that putting it lower on this list would be bloody stupid. A terrific season as a whole.

1: Season 13 - S+ Tier

The Reel Ranker Score: 82%

Year: 2024
Common Consensus: 58%

As the most recent season of the show, this season absolutely shocked me! After loving Season 10, actively disliking the majority of Season 11, and feeling indifferent about Season 12, Season 13 blew my expectations out of the water and instantly passed The Reel Ranker's Death in Paradise ranking Sergeant exam with flying colors. Sometimes, if a season looks like it'll be a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it won't be a duck, but a much better season than its predecessors in every way of the word. With a lovely send-off to my second favorite character, Officer Marlon Pryce, a return of my favorite character, Officer Dwayne Myers, a beautiful farewell to Neville and (for the third time) Florence, the COmissioner getting shot, JP making a cameo return, a hilarious not-so-meta cryptocurrency episode, fabulous Andrina Harper exposé drama, Camille having a baby, and so much other good stuff? This is practically a greatest hits Death in Paradise season, and if the show were to end with this episode, I wouldn't even complain: it'd be the perfect conclusion. Granted, I'm eternally grateful we are getting more seasons with a new detective, but the fact I wouldn't be mad if it ended goes to show how perfect this season was. Only one word can genuinely do this season justice: supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

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The Verdict

The Reel Ranking:

13: Season 11 (46%)
12: Season 1 (56%)
11: Season 7 (58%)
10: Season 12 (60%)
9: Season 9 (62%)
8: Season 2 (64%)
7: Season 3 (67%)
6: Season 8 (70%)
5: Season 5 (72%)
4: Season 4 (76%)
3: Season 6 (78%)
2: Season 10 (80%)
1: Season 13 (82%)

Common Consensus:

13: Season 11 (54%)
12: Season 12 (55%)
11: Season 13 (58%)
10: Season 9 (60%)
9: Season 8 (63%)
8: Season 7 (64%)
7: Season 10 (67%)
6: Season 6 (70%)
5: Season 4 (79%)
4: Season 5 (82%)
3: Season 2 (83%)
2: Season 3 (87%)
1: Season 1 (88%)