Return to Paradise

Both Return to Paradise and Beyond Paradise lack the verve, spark and colour of the original, Beyond Paradise. I agree with another poster that the main character, Mackenzie Clarke, is hard to like. I assume the producers will realise this and her character could easily be tweaked for the next season (should there be one - the door was, not surprisingly, left open for a second run and ratings for the first season were solid). The other characters are eclectic and likeable, the murders confounding, the "love triangle" is somewhat unsatisfactory, and the scenery is great, so there is plenty to work with and improve. Return to Paradise has potential....

I know we all love the original in Death in Paradise and all had thoughts that "oh god this is going to be bad.." "oh its set in Australia.. at the beach because of course."

BUT.. I did read a few internet reviews who didn't recommend watching this, in fact do the opposite.

It may not be England, or the original series but the spin off is worth a watch. Anna Samson is amazing in the role of DI Mackenzie Clarke. Great to see her back on TV after leaving Home and Away.

Also great to see on screen again is Celia Ireland as "Reggie Rocco" who is hilarious in the scenes she is in.

Recommend watching this as I caught it very early on the ABC Iview ap, a great first episode, will watch to see what happens next.

I mean though, if you don't like it, maybe watch something else?

The main attraction of the main series and its spin-offs is always nature. As an Australia and nature fan, you will of course get your money's worth. The plots have not been reinvented. It's the old "Death in Paradise" concept with a little "Beyond Paradise" sprinkled in. For me personally, it was nice entertainment to watch the team getting together and solving cases. What I personally could have done without is the love triangle. This concept is outdated and boring for me. I was annoyed that it was used again for the series. It would have worked well without it. The stylistic device "will they or won't they" rather annoyed me. I don't think it's still appropriate for people of that age, who have learned to communicate better and are better able to self-assess their actions than previous generations.

I will check out the next episode, not least because I tend to like seeing things shot in Australia.

But I have to wonder why some creators seem to feel the need for "weird" in every series. The lead character, Mack, has a nasty back story and a problematic current situation, an absent mother -- whom I fear will not be absent long, and who will add to the "weird" already contributed by the "volunteer police person."

The single best thing about this for me was the reference to Inspector Mooney, to whom Mack referred as "Jack." That's OUR Inspector Mooney, from the original Death in Paradise, and it holds out a little hope that Ardal O'Hanlon may make a cameo or even guest appearance at some point. The postcard on his desk that said "Visit Saint Marie" was another nice touch.

But this was a rather clunky debut, with too much time spent on telling us Mackenzie Clark, including that she is "brilliant." As a result the other cop regulars-to-be got very short shrift, especially Catherine McClements, whom I suspect is going to be criminally underused.

Let's hope it sharpens up -- a cop show in Australia always has potential, as does a Thorogood spin-off, but there have been too many first-rate Australian cop shows for one to coast on his reputation. This one will have to raise its game.

The formula is the same as Death in Paradise (which I have enjoyed over the years). The first episode was a little slow but after just watching the second episode I think the show is starting to come into its own and it too is enjoyable. The characters are starting to be fleshed out and their individuality and quirkiness is nice to see. I do think Anna Samson is probably the weak link in the cast however I've only seen a couple of episodes and she may soon shine. The rest of the cast seems great. The scenery is also great and typical of NSW. I'm looking forward to future episodes. I recommend watching!