Death in Paradise viewers seriously divided over cliffhanger ending

Death in Paradise fans have more questions than ever. Following series 13's penultimate episode, the fate of DI Neville Parker is – quite literally – up in the air. So, has he left St Honoré for good? Here's a quick recap…

© Red Planet Pictures/Denis Guyenon

With the team divided between the islands of Saint Marie and Saint Auguste, returning Detective Sergeant Florence Cassell investigated the murder of a British tourist, with assistance from DI Neville Parker and DS Naomi Thomas. A bittersweet episode, fans got to watch Florence and Neville solve one final case together – albeit from two different locations – but they were also faced with Neville's impending exit from the island. 

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Continuing their will-they-won't-they dynamic, Florence and Neville enjoyed a sweet phone call after their latest victory before he boarded a plane, ready to go travelling and find his forever person. But, is Neville gone for good? Fans aren't convinced. 

Discussing Neville's 'Rachel Green' moment on X, one viewer tweeted: "Don't buy it. We didn't actually see Neville get on the plane… #DeathInParadise."

"Neville must have got off the plane they are not going to leave the Florence and Neville story like this #DeathInParadise," added another. 

Sparking concerns, some fans have taken up the opposite view, worried that not only did Neville get on the plane, but that he might also be the victim teased in the final episode. 

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The synopsis for episode eight reveals: "It's the team's most confounding puzzle yet when a passenger disappears from a flight to Dominica, only to be found back in Saint Marie –murdered." 

"Neville is leaving #DeathInParadise. I will miss him. I wonder who they'll have in his place?" penned a fan. "Where's the preview for next week's episode?" asked another. "The summary says 'A passenger disappears from a flight to Dominica, only to be found back in Saint Marie –murdered' Is the passenger Neville? Is Neville dead? #DeathInParadise."

MORE: Death in Paradise star Danny John-Jules's life away from the cameras

READ: Beyond Paradise season two: release date, trailer and guest stars finally revealed

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Of course, it wouldn't be the first time that Death in Paradise has killed off a detective, so we wouldn't put it past the writers. As die-hard fans will remember, Ben Miller's DI Richard Poole was murdered at the start of season three, with DI Humphrey Goodman (played by Beyond Paradise's Kris Marshall) succeeding him. Will the same happen to Neville?

Back in January, HELLO! caught up with Ralf Little to talk about the new series, and when. asked about his future on the show, the actor admitted that he didn't know anything yet. 

© Red Planet Pictures/Denis Guyenon

"It's the same answer as it has been every year since I started doing this. These things don't get sorted out until the in-between times, as with every year, it sounds like a cagey answer but that's the way it is."

The TV star then joked with HELLO! that if there's news of a series 15 contract then to "send it his way", insisting that there's no news currently on whether the show will return beyond series 14, but noting that he's seemingly open to discussion. For now, it looks like we'll have to wait until next week to find out what's in store for Ralf, and his on-screen counterpart, Neville.