Death in Paradise’s Selwyn makes a huge decision about his future in Christmas special

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The conclusion of Death in Paradise’s fourteenth season left viewers wondering about Selwyn’s fate, and whether Don Warrington would continue with the show.

When Selwyn was first replaced by the irritating Sterling Fox, those in charge quickly realized it was a mistake and asked Selwyn to come back as commissioner. However, he declined their offer.

“Saying yes didn’t feel right, not after everything that’s happened,” he explained to Catherine. “I just don’t see how we can go back to the way things used to be.”

After fifty years, he finally set off to enjoy some personal time. But as the latest Death in Paradise Christmas special began, Selwyn was unexpectedly called back to work.

Detective Mervin and his team were investigating a murder in Saint Marie. The victim was found dead in the pool of a villa rented by a group of British coworkers from a company called Dugdale’s, who were on what they described as an unforgettable company Christmas trip.

The investigation became particularly difficult when the murder weapon turned up in an unexpected location: Swindon, England.

Selwyn unexpectedly found himself in charge when he arrived in the country for Humphrey and Martha’s wedding and was asked to take over.

Although the former commissioner wasn’t happy about the situation, it was clear from a conversation with Marjorie that he still cared deeply about the job, even after leaving his position.

His Christmas Day plans with his daughter, Andrina, fell apart when train travel failed him. Luckily, Marjorie, the receptionist at Dugdale’s (and the only employee not invited on the Caribbean vacation), generously offered him a place to stay.

I remember Selwyn finally opening up to me over dinner. My host noticed he seemed really down, so gently encouraged him to talk. He told me what was bothering him – it was clearly still on his mind, even though he’d already decided he wasn’t going to do anything about it.

Finally, the excitement of discovering who committed the crime – a feeling he’d missed for a long time – was exactly what he needed to start feeling better after his heartbreak.

Selwyn, working in the UK while the rest of the team was on Saint Marie, figured out the truth: Marjorie, the kind receptionist who had let Selwyn stay with her when he was in a bind, was actually the killer.

Let’s break it down…

She hadn’t just murdered the man in the pool; she’d also killed Ashley, a coworker from Dugdale’s who had seemingly vanished with a large amount of the company’s money.

When Selwyn opened a drawer he shouldn’t have in Marjorie’s house, he found a piece of jewelry with a stone that only comes from Saint Marie. This immediately made him suspicious, because Marjorie had told him she’d never visited the Caribbean.

He also found a fake passport, with her photo alongside Ashley’s details.

“You were lying,” he told her, and Marjorie desperately tried to explain. But once she realized he knew the truth, she lost all her fight and seemed to give up.

Ashley was stealing money from the company, but she was in the process of returning it when Marjorie discovered her. A struggle began, and while the receptionist called the police, Marjorie pushed Ashley, causing her to fall, hit her head, and die immediately.

Rather than turning it in, Marjorie hid the body and kept the money, viewing it as compensation for years of being overlooked by Dugdale’s.

She created a false passport under Ashley’s name, traveled to Saint Marie using it, and rented a place there, also using Ashley’s name, to give the impression that she had run away with the money and started a new life.

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While she was out, Marjorie also encountered the man she would later shoot, and who subsequently ended up in the pool.

I remember when she first approached him, offering to pay him to cover for Ashley if anyone came looking for her on the island. She played the part of a concerned friend so well, making him believe he was doing the right thing – honestly, she was incredibly persuasive. After that, she just left, heading straight back to England.

When Marjorie’s boss noticed money was missing from the trip and began to ask about it, he became suspicious. After investigating, he discovered she hadn’t been truthful, and he called to inform her he would be reporting it to the police.

Marjorie immediately returned to Saint Marie – she was certainly not one to sit around – and tried to bribe him with more money, but he wouldn’t take it. In a shocking turn, she took his gun and shot him, then quickly flew back to the UK, arriving just as Selwyn reached Dugdale’s headquarters.

Unbeknownst to her, the man she’d attacked was still alive. He managed to reach the villa and warn the others, but unfortunately, he collapsed before he could explain everything.

Marjorie, resourceful as ever, messaged Gavin – a Dugdale employee on the trip – using Ashley’s phone. Gavin had a history with Marjorie and still had strong feelings for her, so he readily agreed to help, thinking he was assisting Ashley.

And for a hot minute, Majorie had gotten away with it

She didn’t stand a chance against the team, and Selwyn was still clearly a key player, even though he wasn’t officially part of the Saint Marie Police Department at the time. However, that’s likely to change soon.

Mervin thanked his old boss on the phone, and could tell the man was greatly relieved. “We couldn’t have done it without you,” Mervin said.

Mervin checked to see if Selwyn was alright, especially considering he’d been sharing a house with a murderer who’d even seemed capable of harming him. Selwyn simply replied that he was “just fine,” and surprisingly, he truly was.

Right at the end of the episode, feeling upbeat, he called the chief commissioner. After a brief exchange of greetings, Selwyn asked him a crucial question.

Sorry to bother you during the holidays, but I was checking in to see if you’ve hired someone to fill my position yet. I’ve been considering things, and I was hoping to know if the job is still open, in case I could come back.

Hear that? It’s the sound of champagne corks popping across the land.

We don’t need to hear the response from the other person on the phone – there’s really only one possible answer anyway.

The commissioner is officially coming home.

Death in Paradise will return in the New Year on BBC One and iPlayer.

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Authors

Abby RobinsonDrama Editor

Abby Robinson is the Drama Editor at TopMob, where she writes about TV dramas and comedies. Before that, she was a TV writer for Digital Spy and a content writer for Mumsnet. She has a degree and a postgraduate diploma in English Studies.

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2025-12-29 01:36