Beyond Paradise is making the same big mistake as D.e.a.t.h in Paradise
We want more.
Beyond Paradise has made an effort to bring more of its side characters into the spotlight this season.
With the exception of Martha’s (Sally Bretton) mum Anne (Barbara Flynn), the D.e.a.t.h in Paradise spin-off has so-far only really touched on their personal lives through conversations between its central characters of Martha and Humphrey (Kris Marshall), or through the cases thrust at the Shipton Abbott police team.
But this time around, Anne isn’t the only one getting a solo story arc as DS Esther’s (Zahra Ahmadi) romance with sommelier Archie (Jamie Bamber) has given viewers the opportunity to see more of the character’s vulnerable side, making her more layered.
Even Esther’s daughter Zoe (Melina Sinadinou) has been given a chance to expand a bit more. As well as exploring her grief over her late dad in season two, Zoe goes through some maturation this time around, counselling Anne during her health scare and making big decisions regarding her future at college.
However, if there’s one character that is being woefully underused it’s PC Kelby (Dylan Llewellyn).
Much like D.e.a.t.h in Paradise is missing out on DS Naomi Thomas’ potential by not giving her a solo storyline, Beyond Paradise is wasting Kelby’s in the same way.
Unlike the others, Kelby lacks meatier storylines that would give his character the opportunity for substantial growth and the latest episode of the current season is a prime example of that.
In the penultimate episode of this season Martha and Humphrey reach huge parenting milestones in supporting Rosie (Bella Rei Blue Stevenson) on her first day at a new school. Meanwhile Esther agonises over her decision to take things to the next level with Archie, and Anne marks getting the all clear over her cancer scare by tacking skydiving off her bucket list.
That is, until Beyond Paradise snatches away her moment in favour of a gag that sees Humphrey go alone instead and get stuck up a suspension bridge. But we digress.
While his peers tackle some integral things pertaining to their characters’ storylines this season, Kelby gets to overcome his fear of cows. That’s right, cows. And we can’t help but feel the character could handle so much more.
During an exclusive interview with Digital Spy, ahead of the show’s season three debut, Llewellyn teased that Kelby would be “living his best version of himself.”
“[Kelby’s] actually growing as a person,” he told Digital Spy. “He’s becoming more mature, he’s taking more responsibilities on the team and he’s been an even bigger help with the cases on another level because of his growth.”
Admittedly this is true. Kelby has stepped more into his own, while maintaining the goofy charm that makes him so endearing, but that’s also what is so frustrating about the character. We only get to see him as this fumbling try-hard, when there is the sense that there is more to be seen.
Felicity Montagu’s Margo also doesn’t get nearly enough character-driven storylines, but in some ways it’s worse with Kelby. Margo is a strong, self-assured character who is seen as this off-beat font of knowledge. While it would be nice to see more of her life, her surety makes her feel grounded.
However, Kelby is always searching for more, whether that’s for confidence, opportunity, or love, which makes you crave it alongside him as a viewer.
This season has felt like he’s constantly been on the cusp of deeper development, which would have driven his character forward. But it has yet to come to fruition. Instead his goofiness earns him the place of providing some comic relief, and while it’s part of what makes the character so loveable there’s room for more on top of that.
Beyond Paradise had hinted at a possible romance for Kelby ahead of the season – after that unrequited Charlie-crush (Jade Harrison) debacle – with a venture into online dating. It then teased the matter further in the earlier episodes, suggesting that romance might form part of his storyline, especially with the reappearance of an old crush, but that too was sidelined.
Being coupled-up isn’t the only avenue for a Kelby-centric arc, however it would have given viewers an opportunity to see him outside of his comedic role.
As the season draws to a close, it’s very doubtful that Kelby will get the meaty storyline that he deserves. But as we quietly hope for a season four, there is an equally large hope that we get to see more facets to Kelby in the future too.
Beyond Paradise and D.e.a.t.h in Paradise both air on BBC One and stream on BBC iPlayer.
