Return to Paradise star explains how Death in Paradise favourite factors into season 2: “There’s something almost a bit magic”

When Death in Paradise spin-off Return to Paradise was first announced, it was initially unclear how the series would be linked to the original show – unlike, for instance, other spin-off Beyond Paradise, which had established character Humphrey Goodman front and centre.

However, that all changed after the first episode aired, as it revealed that central detective Mackenzie Clarke (Anna Samson) used to work for Ardal O'Hanlon's Death in Paradise character Jack Mooney now that he's back in London after his time in Saint Marie.

O'Hanlon has only ever been seen in London speaking on the phone with Mackenzie, but he's back for more scenes in season 2, helping to once again link Return to Paradise to its predecessor.

Speaking with RadioTimes.com exclusively about O'Hanlon's role in the new season, Mackenzie star Samson said that he is "our very beloved link" to Death in Paradise.

"What's interesting is, his scenes are quite brief," she continued. "There's these brief moments of coming back to London, but I'm noticing that even his character is developing and is on this journey as well, how he feels about Mackenzie."

Samson explained: "And there's something almost a bit magic about his character in our show, that he's weirdly looking after her at a distance, and there's a kind of magic fairy godfather thing to what he's doing with that character. And basically, he's nudging her in the direction of her own happiness without her knowing.

"It's not quite written in the script obviously, it's just this, like, shimmery otherness to him and how he obviously really cares about Mackenzie. That's really clear, even in those small scenes."

Joining Samson and O'Hanlon in the cast for the new season of the Australia-based series are Tai Hara, Lloyd Griffith, Catherine McClements, Celia Ireland, Aaron L McGrath and Andrea Demetriades.

Season 2 will see the team contending with what has been described as "even more perplexing cases this series, including the chemical poisoning of a man alone at sea, alongside having to deal with larger-than-life characters like a troublesome rock band who fall under suspicion when one of their members turns up dead".

Return to Paradise season 2 will start airing at 8pm on Friday 31st October on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

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