Death In Paradise fans were left perplexed by a plot hole at the start of the newest episode – as the BBC show aired outside its usual Friday timeslot.
In their latest case, the Saint Marie police force investigated the baffling murder of a reclusive pensioner.
The team earlier posed in a photoshoot for an initiative intended to bolster public confidence in the police department.
Commissioner Selwyn Patterson (Don Warrington) was unimpressed with DI Mervin Wilson’s (Don Gilet) absence – and demanded to know his whereabouts.
Addressing this, DS Naomi Thomas explained: ‘We did try, sir.
‘He said he’s only here short term so didn’t think it was his place. Also, apparently, football is on.’
Death In Paradise viewers were left confused by a plot hole towards the beginning of the latest episode
Commissioner Selwyn Patterson (Don Warrington) queried DI Mervin Wilson’s absence from the police team’s photoshoot
Dialogue in the episode left fans confused how long Mervin (Don Gilet) had been on Saint Marie for
To which the Commissioner fired back: ‘And presumably, the crime rate drops every time his team plays?’
Viewers were also left confused, as one wrote on X: ‘Mervin says he’s here short term when he’s been here a year already.’
Another commented: ‘Mervin is still only there short term? Huh?’
While a third echoed: ‘That’s news to me!’
Mervin debuted in the 2024 Christmas special as the replacement for Ralf Little’s character, DI Neville Parker.
Subsequently, he carried on as the show’s lead character into series 14, which aired in 2025.
Having remained for series 15 – and given the show has made reference to 2026, it would appear the detective has been on Saint Marie for some time now.
Mervin ultimately made it up to his colleagues by the end of the episode, as he joined them for the photo.
In a schedule shake-up, the latest installment was broadcast on BBC One on Monday (February 16), rather than its usual Friday primetime slot.
The FA Cup match between Chelsea and Hull was broadcast last Friday (February 13) in its place.
It came as the police force posed together for a photo as part of an initiative to improve the public’s confidence in the police
Viewers still got to see the episode that Friday, as it was uploaded to BBC iPlayer ahead of the terrestrial airing.
Elsewhere, viewers have been introduced to a new character, Sergeant Mattie Fletcher, who joined the team at the beginning of series 15.
Daily Mail’s Katie Hind exclusively revealed that BBC bosses had cast up-and-coming actress Catherine Garton, 27, in the role.
Speaking ahead of the new series, Catherine opened up about her new role and shared how much she loved Guadeloupe, the filming location for the fictional Saint Marie.
‘I didn’t quite know what to anticipate, then it exceeded any expectations I could have had. I love the island. Guadeloupe is like a postcard. It’s quite unreal’.
‘Every time I walked out I was like “this exists, wow!” It’s absolutely stunning. Everyone’s nice. I love the culture. The food’s great’.
Gushing over her character, Catherine branded her ‘tenacious’: She’s really fun to play.
‘She’s sassy, but she’s like your big sister who will tell you what’s what, but you can also come to her if you need to’.
Mattie replaced Officer Darlene Curtis (Ginny Holder), who made her final appearance in the 2025 Christmas special.
Death in Paradise airs on BBC One and is available to stream on iPlayer.
