It’s not the first time his exit has been teased…
Heading into the finale of Death in Paradise season 13, Ralf Little’s future is uncertain once more following recent narrative developments.
In the penultimate episode, Neville announced that he was leaving Saint Marie to go travelling in the hope that he will finally meet his forever person.
“If there’s one thing this job teaches you, it’s that life’s too short,” he said to Naomi. “It’s not just the cases, it’s what happened with the commissioner a few weeks ago. So I need to be more like Zoe (his ex-girlfriend), take a risk, before it’s too late.”
His colleague asked him to clarify.
“This is a small island, it’s full of ghosts for me,” he explained. “Florence, Rebecca. What are the chances of me finding love again here? So if I do want to find the one, and I really do, I’m going to put myself out there, literally.”
But his mindset shifted when he learned that Florence was no longer in witness protection and was planning to visit her friends and former colleagues when she’d solved a murder on a neighbouring island.
Suddenly, the detective inspector was unsure about his departure and appeared to be leaning towards staying.
Eventually, he made his way to airport, despite missing a face to face reunion with Florence, but we didn’t actually see Neville’s plane take off, so we can safely assume that he will return to Saint Marie for one more episode, at least.
But what about his future beyond that? Will Little return for season 14, or will the upcoming finale mark Neville’s final outing on the show?
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It’s certainly not the first time his exit had been teased.
“I think maybe it’s time to call it a day,” he said following Sophie/Rebecca’s cruel betrayal last season, which left him heartbroken, his confidence shattered.
But while he managed to overcome that particular hurdle, this outcome could be a disappointing one for fans, who have grown to love Neville, now the longest-serving detective in the series’ history.
Perhaps Little’s potential decision to leave has come from the actor himself, who previously told RadioTimes.com that he’d like to take on a villainous role.
“I’ve mostly made a career out of playing quite likeable characters and I’ve loved it,” he said. “The characters I’m mostly known for are likeable, decent, lovable characters. But people are complex and I’d really love to do something very different.”
There’s also a question mark hanging over a potential Neville-Florence romance.
When he previously made his feelings for her known, she made it clear that she viewed him as a friend, first and foremost. But that has since changed.
“I missed him more than I thought I would, a lot more actually,” she told Darlene. “When you’re on your own for so long, you start to realise who matters to you most, because what you miss is how they make you feel.”
“Do you think you’ll tell him?” Darlene asked.
“I don’t know, maybe,” the detective responded.
Will Neville and Florence finally make a go of it – and potentially head off into the sunset together? Is Death in Paradise gearing up for an emotional finale, in more ways than one?
Death in Paradise airs on Sundays on BBC One at 9pm. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on.
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