Why Death in Paradise was right to turn the focus away from Ralf Little's Neville (for a while)

This week, Shantol Jackson's Naomi is the star of the show.

By Jo Berry

27 Jan 2023

ralf little as di neville parker, shantol jackson as naomi thomas, death in paradise, season 11 episode 8

BBC

Death in Paradise series 12 spoilers follow.

One of the reasons Death in Paradise has lasted 12 series is that, despite appearing to be about a British detective inspector solving crimes on a Caribbean island, it's actually an ensemble show in which all the cast regulars are just as interesting as the show's supposed lead.

That's why the BBC One detective series has survived three changes of actors in the fish-out-of-water role of a tropical island-based DI, from Ben Miller to Kris Marshall (returning to his role of Humphrey in the spin-off Beyond Paradise, coming soon) to Ardal O'Hanlon, and on to current investigator Ralf Little, as allergy-stricken Neville.

And it is why some of the best episodes – including this week's (January 27) fourth episode of the current series – are the ones in which the lead actor takes a back seat and lets one of his co-stars shine instead.

There have, of course, been episodes that have centred on individual members of the Saint Marie police team before, but what makes this episode stand out is that it focuses on Naomi (Shantol Jackson), who joined Neville's team at the start of series 11 in 2022.

death in paradise's shantol jackson as naomi thomas

Denis GuyenonBBC

Originally hired after JP left at the end of series 10, Naomi was promoted from sergeant to detective sergeant halfway through series 11 and we got to see her as a hard-working, dedicated young detective who fit nicely in with the team.

The new episode is set on the small island of St Barnabas where Naomi hails from, which we haven't visited before. It's there that we finally get to learn more about her backstory, as Ralf Little explained during an interview to launch the current series.

"It's lovely for Shantol Jackson playing Naomi because we go back to her roots, trying to solve a case with her mentor, but she's already had much more experience than him now, so there's all that conflict," he said.

"She's able to step up and Neville sees that it's important for Naomi to have autonomy in her own space. He follows her lead and I think that only strengthens their working relationship and their friendship."

Naomi's story is front and centre as Neville steps back to let her take charge on a case involving a friend's father, who is murdered at his daughter's wedding. It also means she has to work with her former mentor, Sergeant Sammy Debraun (Patrice Naiambana), who now has less experience dealing with a murder case than his former trainee.

ralf little and shantol jackson as neville parker and naomi thomas in death in paradise

BBC

Shantol Jackson's strong performance, and the insights we get into Naomi's character – such as the fact that she used to take notes about crimes (the case of the stolen trike) when she was just 10 years old – make for one of the best episodes of this series, so it's no surprise that it was Jackson's favourite to film.

"It is a coming-of-age moment for Naomi," she said during the launch of the new series. "It was an emotional, special episode for me. I came home very exhausted from set, not just for the long days but because of the emotional rollercoaster, which I appreciated, because sometimes we don't get much human interaction in the show as we are always solving crimes and getting down to business.

"A lot happens emotionally, and I enjoyed that process of growth for my character, and loved working with the guest cast, especially my old Sergeant Sammy. This episode really challenged Naomi and me, that's why it was my favourite."

Filling in Naomi's history gives more depth to her character, and gives Shantol Jackson a chance to show what a strong addition to the Death in Paradise cast she is.

BBC

Throughout the episode, as Naomi takes charge of the case and, in doing so, comes to terms with the fact her mentor isn't quite as perfect as she viewed him to be, Jackson is compelling to watch – to the point where you almost forget that Neville and the team are working on the case, too.

Of course, we love Neville, with his lavender pillow spray, numerous allergies and brain brimming over with trivia, but making Shantol Jackson the lead in the episode gives the series a welcome refresh (with no lavender spray needed), as she brings just the right mix of emotion and skilled detective work to the case.

While we are all for the show exploring St Barnabas for longer (and for keeping Naomi in charge), the team are back on Saint Marie in the next episode, and Ralf Little has hinted that the best of this season is yet to come.

"I'm lucky this year that I have two stories that test the character and were really challenging to play," he said at the launch of this series. "Episodes six and seven are going to be brilliant. When people see them, they're going to freak out. I think they're going to love it, but they're going to be like, 'No way!'"

Death In Paradise series 12 airs on Friday nights on BBC One and streams on BBC iPlayer. A spin-off, Beyond Paradise, is in production.