A Death in Paradise fan has shared a pretty imaginative theory about Mervin’s dad’s real identity, but not everyone is on board.
Season 14 of the popular cosy crime series saw Don Gilet take over from Ralf Little as new Saint Marie Detective Inspector Mervin Wilson.
In the recent chapter, Mervin moved to Saint Marie to find his biological mother, who had given him up for adoption but had sadly died.
Researching his mum’s story, the DI discovers he has a brother on the Caribbean island, but one viewer is convinced there’s more to Mervin’s family tree.
Sharing their idea on Reddit, a Death in Paradise fan theorised that Mervin’s boss, Commissioner Selwyn Patterson (Don Warrington), could be his dad.
LOU DENIM//BBC
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“Selwyn is Mervin’s Dad,” the fan wrote, though they admitted their theory was a tad far-fetched.
“He had to step down when Mervin’s became a DI on the island,” they continued.
“No idea on anything else, it doesn’t really fit in with the story, and I know there’s more holes than a colander, but that’s what I’m going with.”
BBC
Other fans of the series joined the conversation, picking apart holes in the theory.
“The theory isn’t awful but it doesn’t make sense,” one fan noted, adding: “Also, it wouldn’t really improve the storyline, as well as Selwyn already has a daughter and she is probably at least 10 years younger than Mervin.”
BBC
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“Selwyn already has had one unknown child plot,” another fan offered. “It would be boring to have another one.”
Finally, another viewer reminded his fellow fans that Mervin was aware of his dad’s identity.
“Mervin was very clear he knew who he father was/is,” they said. “Doesn’t mean he’s wrong, but it doesn’t feel right.”
Season 14 aired its finale on March 28, leaving a few loose ends for the next instalment to tie up. Another series is officially on the way, with Gilet confirmed to return in the role of Mervin.
Death in Paradise and its spin-off, Beyond Paradise, both air on BBC One and stream on BBC iPlayer.
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Stefania is a freelance writer specialising in TV and movies. After graduating from City University, London, she covered LGBTQ+ news and pursued a career in entertainment journalism, with her work appearing in outlets including Little White Lies, The Skinny, Radio Times and Digital Spy.
Her beats are horror films and period dramas, especially if fronted by queer women. She can argue why Scream is the best slasher in four languages (and a half).