Kris Marshall is back on the case in the whodunit spin-off, ‘Beyond Paradise’

• Published date: 04 May 2024
• Author: Debashine Thangevelo
• Publication title: Weekend Argus

But his roles in My Family and Death in Paradise, as well as its spin-off, Beyond Paradise are the ones that stand out for fans

With Marshall back in the second season of the latter show, where he reprises his role as DI Humphrey Goodman, whodunit aficionados are over the moon.

In the first season of the spin-off series, Humphrey followed Martha Lloyd (Sally Bretton) to Shipton Abbott, near the Devon coast. He left behind the island life in Saint Marie, taking a leap of faith for love.

But the engaged couple weathered a few storms, including a temporary split, which was compounded by Martha’s desire to become a mother.

That said, Humphrey made an indelible impression on the local team of Detective Sergeant Esther Williams (Zahra Ahmadi), PC Kelby Hartford (Dylan Llewellyn) and office support worker Margo Martins (Felicity Montagu), and quickly made himself at home in the new town.

As for where we find him at the start of this season, Marshall said: “We find him in a pretty good space. After the ups and downs of series one and the challenges he and Martha had to face – including moving home, breaking off their engagement, Martha meeting old flames – these issues have now been resolved.

“I think they’ve rediscovered their humour and their sense of fun with each other. Humphrey is back at work and eager to get back to sleuthing and solving the weird and quirky crimes that present themselves in bucolic rural Devon.”

In the previous season, Martha’s fertility concerns placed an immense amount of pressure on the relationship.

Marshall shared: “After dealing with the emotional challenges involved with IVF, they’ve come full circle and re-found their zest for each other. They’ve come to terms with the fact they can’t conceive a child and it’s made them stronger.

“There’s a lightness to them which they may have lost during their early time in Shipton Abbott. The main thing is that they’re happy.”

On the positive reception of the show, with viewers religiously tuning in, Marshall noted: “I think it has an amazing foundation as it is part of the Death in Paradise universe, a franchise with a very strong following that is loved by audiences all over the world.

“I’m extremely lucky that Humphrey was one of the show’s most popular characters. We had already had a head start from the fans, but I also hope we’ve brought on board our own fans.

“I hope people who haven’t watched Death in Paradise enjoy tuning in because Beyond Paradise is a unique and original show. It...