05-09-2015, 01:35 PM
LCF and I have watched a few Death in Paradise episodes, some with the original lead, some with the replacement.
Our problem with the show has always been the British lead as protagonist. There's something demeaning and imperialistic about a British dude showing these lowly islanders how to solve criminal cases. It reminds me a bit of The Principle and The Substitute, where James Belushi and Tom Berenger respectively enter a problematic black neighborhood and win the hearts and the minds of would-be dropouts and drug addicts.
True, there is an attempt to show the naivete of the Britisher as he tries to fit in on the island; still, when it matters most, the Britisher takes control, holds forth, and the islanders hang on his every word as he solves the latest murder. And a lot of times what the islanders overlook are things they should know (lack of footsteps in the sand, the fact that it rained last night, the boat schedules to and from the island).
Still, when LCF and I stumble upon the show when I'm channel-surfing, we usually end up watching the rest of the episode. It's such a beautiful setting, with beautiful islanders, that we can usually ignore what we consider its shortcomings.
Our problem with the show has always been the British lead as protagonist. There's something demeaning and imperialistic about a British dude showing these lowly islanders how to solve criminal cases. It reminds me a bit of The Principle and The Substitute, where James Belushi and Tom Berenger respectively enter a problematic black neighborhood and win the hearts and the minds of would-be dropouts and drug addicts.
True, there is an attempt to show the naivete of the Britisher as he tries to fit in on the island; still, when it matters most, the Britisher takes control, holds forth, and the islanders hang on his every word as he solves the latest murder. And a lot of times what the islanders overlook are things they should know (lack of footsteps in the sand, the fact that it rained last night, the boat schedules to and from the island).
Still, when LCF and I stumble upon the show when I'm channel-surfing, we usually end up watching the rest of the episode. It's such a beautiful setting, with beautiful islanders, that we can usually ignore what we consider its shortcomings.