All Eight Death in Paradise Season 1 Episodes 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 Eight Death In Paradise Season 1 Episodes RANKED!
8: 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.
7: 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.
6: 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.
5: 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.
4: 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.
3: 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.
2: 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.
1: 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!
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The Verdict
The Reel Ranking:
8: Episode 4
7: Episode 8
6: Episode 2
5: Episode 5
4: Episode 1
3: Episode 7
2: Episode 6
1: Episode 3
Common Consensus:
8: Episode 7
7: Episode 6
6: Episode 4
5: Episode 2
4: Episode 8
3: Episode 5
2: Episode 1
1: Episode 3
