R.I.P. Tide

Return To Paradise is the third series in what is now known as the Paraverse.

This time DI Mackenzie Clarke (Anna Samson) is an Australian detective who left her hometown of Dolphin Cove to work for Scotland Yard in Britain.

Now her reputation under a dark cloud. She reluctantly returns to Australia and back to Dolphin Cove. A little bit of paradise.

Just in the nick of time. The local police station are investigating the murder of local royalty Stuart Granger. He was knifed in his back as his body was washed ashore by the tide.

The home surveillance camera show that Stuart never left his house.

It is Mackenzie Clarke who asks all the right questions. She has the experience and know how to deal with the mystery.

The first episode was a bit bland. So was the character of Mackenzie Clarke. The show must had been shot outside the Australian summer as it looked a bit drab.

There is an appearance from Ardal O'Hanlon as her superior, DI Jack Mooney. This was necessary to maintain the Death in Paradise links. It also has an intriguing story arc as to what happened to Mackenzie Clarke in London.

I really like Death in Paradise, apart from the episodes with Ruby. The detectives in Death in Paradise and Beyond Paradise are annoying, bumbling but brilliant and funny. This show tries to follow that theme in Australia.

The main detective, Mackenzie Clarke, has returned to Dolphin Cove, her hometown, from London. She is very unlikable and her manner of staring blankly while supposedly working out a clue is really disturbing. She needs to let that behavior go and close her eyes a bit.

Anyway, the rest of the cast is fine. The ex-fiancee is gorgeous and we get to see him shirtless running, which is a bonus. It's hard to see why he would ever be attracted to MacKenzie, who is really unlikeable and not attractive.

There is some comic relief and the other investigators are fine. Naturally, MacKenzie solves the case. I had to rewatch it to really understand what was going on. That doesn't really speak well for a show.

It isn't really necessary for the lead detective to solve a crime and not let any of the other officers know what they are thinking. They use this in the other shows of this series, but in Death in Paradise, Camille and Florence seem to be clued in to what lead detective is thinking.

This might have sounded like a good idea but it is very amateurish and lacks any of the wit or charm of Death in Paradise. I cannot really see any merit in this show at all.

Surely the whole basis of Death in Paradise was the 'fish out of water' leading character and the lack of any such character in this rather defeats the object. The DI in question is unpleasant and no one likes her. Well I can see why. I assume that the Reggie Rocco character was there to inject some humour. Instead she is just plain irritating.

Perhaps had they throught this through a little more they might have come up with a decent show, However, I cannot see how they can rescue this as it stands.

I will not waste another hour on this rubbish.

London based Detective Mackenzie Clarke returns home to Dolphin Cove, Australia, to visit her mum, but gets drafted in to help the local Police, who are investigating the murder of local businessman Stuart Granger.

If you're a fan of Robert Thorogood's work, then in pretty sure that you will enjoy this one, it has all the hallmarks, the scenery, the clever plot, the quirky Detective and sunshine.

It feels fresh, but there's something very familiar about it, boosted by a familiar face from the past. Amusing at times, energetic, and I enjoyed the mystery, it's a fine start.

The first character I really warmed to was Colin, I think he's going to be terrific.

Mackenzie is definitely an interesting character, she clearly has a past, which I'm sure we'll discover more about as the series develops. My only hope is that they tone her down a little, when Neville started in Death in Paradise, his was too much, I felt the same here, she was a bit too much.

8/10.

Was the world crying out for another 'Death in Paradise' spin-off? Probably not.

However, with the main show on the decline (not helped since by the fact they've made the new detective played by Don Gilet utterly unlikable) I willing to give this new incarnation of the format more of a fair chance.

I'm glad I did. It's got a freshness that the main show is lacking (and 'Beyond Paradise' with Kris Marshall is thriving on), whilst also having enough familiar nods to the franchise to make it feel linked.

DI Mackenzie Clarke (Anna Samson) may be a bit too much 'all work and no play', but it's episode 1 and there's plenty of time for her to settle down. She's certainly more fun than the grump moaning his way around St Marie right now.