A rotating cast of white British men act as the “helicoptered-in” detective inspector working with a tiny team of local sergeants and constables. Each DI starts their run of episodes literally flying in, most often from London, and often struggle with culture shock, to comedic effect.
Despite the fairly frequent cast changes, the stories emphasise camaraderie and community. Instead of turning to focus on how close-knit communities close around their own, community in Death in Paradise is much more inclusive. Even if this is a stereotype about friendly tropical islands, the themes of taking care of each other and accepting each other's foibles are pretty comforting to watch.
Each episode is incredibly formulaic. Plenty of locked room mysteries here, only slightly bumbling detective work and a round-up at the end. Comfort watching set on a beautiful Caribbean island.
