Death in Paradise's Selwyn stunned as old foe returns in first-look clip

Death in Paradise took a particularly sinister turn in last week's episode when Mervin travelled to Antigua to smooth things over with his brother Solomon – only to find himself taken hostage.

Naomi had encouraged him to make the trip after the DI confided in her that he blamed himself for the pair going their separate ways. After getting off on the wrong foot – which included Solomon asking Mervin to lend him some money, despite only just meeting, and then stealing the detective's belongings when he refused – Mervin gave him what for when he finally got a hold of his wheeler dealer sibling.

"My life has been turned upside down since you came into it. I'm a detective inspector, do you understand that? I need to not be chasing around after you," he said, shedding a few tears in an uncharacteristic display. And after that, Solomon decided to keep his distance.

But Mervin was clearly still holding on to some hope that there was a relationship to be salvaged, and off he went to patch things up – except his plan has since hit a brick wall, while a panicked Naomi was later seen racing to inform her colleagues that something very bad had happened to Mervin, who was shown tied to a chair in an unknown location.

In episode 6, the team immediately spring into action and "begin a search party to find their disappeared detective".

"But compelled to join forces with the Antiguan authorities, it looks like their mission could be thwarted by an old colleague with an axe to grind," reads the official synopsis.

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Much to Selwyn's dismay, the person they are forced to turn to in their hour of need is none other than Sterling Fox.

You can watch his unbearable reintroduction below.

Sterling was first introduced as Selwyn's replacement in season 14 when the powers that be decided to cruelly move him on after 50 years of service.

But the chief commissioner soon realised he'd made a horrible mistake when Sterling's incompetence came to light and offered Selwyn his job back – only for him to reject that offer, having fallen out of love with the institution he'd dedicated his life to.

After helping the team solve a case during last year's Christmas special, however, he was rejuvenated and decided that the time was right to don his commissioner uniform once more.

But while there's certainly no risk of Selwyn being given the boot, having to come face to face with his old foe is punishment in and of itself.

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The latest episode of Death in Paradise will air on Friday 6 March at 8:45pm on BBC iPlayer, and on Monday 9 March at 9pm on BBC One.

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