After deciding not to spend her evening with Richard (Peter Davison) out of respect to her late husband on his birthday, she later changed her mind and surprised her new beau at the art gallery. But he wasn\u2019t the only one who was caught off guard.<\/p>\n
Anne (Barbara Flynn) was stunned to learn that Richard, who is actually called Peter (although we\u2019ll stick to Richard for continuity), has a wife \u2013 a critical piece of information learned only after she came face to face with said wife.<\/p>\n
The pair spoke briefly, unaware of who the other was, before Richard suddenly appeared, with very little to say for himself, as the\u00a0cold hard truth came tumbling out<\/a>.<\/p>\n The reveal was painful on four fronts. Firstly, there\u2019s the deceit, which leaves a bad taste in one\u2019s month.<\/p>\n Anne had also opened up to Richard in ways she hadn\u2019t to anyone else for a very long time.<\/p>\n \u201cHe makes me happy,\u201d she said to Martha before she found out who he really was. \u201cFor the first time time since your dad died, I feel like my life is going forwards and not back.\u201d<\/p>\n Anne and Richard also seemed like an ideal match, as showcased by their prior conversations, which flowed freely and were peppered with easy laughter.<\/p>\n And finally, Martha had warned her mother to proceed with caution on more than one occasion, advice which was continually met with frustration, which will only have added to Anne\u2019s shame.<\/p>\n Read more:<\/strong><\/p>\n But before she hurried home to lick her wounds in private, Richard seemingly wanted a chance to explain himself, rather than just taking the hit and leaving her be.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s complicated,\u201d he said. \u201cI was going to talk to you about it. I\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n But that explanation didn\u2019t arrive, not in that episode, or in tonight\u2019s, with Davison\u2019s character now firmly out of the picture, which is disappointing given the abrupt nature of the reveal and the conversation that came after.<\/p>\n Without a follow-up exchange between the two, however brief it might have been, it not only leaves Anne in limbo, but the audience also, who need some form of closure \u2013 even if his explanation amounted to nothing more than an extremely apologetic: \u201cI wanted to have my cake, and eat it too.\u201d<\/p>\n Regardless of how Richard could dress up his behaviour \u2013 if indeed he was a scoundrel, and nothing more \u2013 that chapter of their story feels unfinished.<\/p>\n But Davison\u2019s swift exit was also a wasted opportunity.<\/p>\n That development provided an opening for the writers to take the show in an unexpected and inspired direction. In an alternate universe, Richard and his wife could have been in an open marriage, a way of life that\u2019s still considered both unseemly by some and out of step which the core tenets of marriage.<\/p>\n The couple could have lived largely separate lives, their marriage a platonic arrangement, with romance pursued elsewhere. Or they could have been about to formally separate while also maintaining a solid friendship, as many former couples do.<\/p>\n There are any number of possible explanations that could have worked and provided food for thought \u2013 the best television entertains and enlightens. But instead, everything was wrapped up as quickly as possible, leaving this particular viewer, and I\u2019m sure many others, feeling shortchanged.<\/p> Had Richard withheld that truth from Anne rather than laying it all out when they first met, she would doubtlessly still have felt both betrayed and embarrassed. Regardless of your intent, whether it stems from protecting someone\u2019s feelings or protecting your own image, lies strips the injured party of their agency.<\/p>\n There\u2019s also a world in which Anne, feeling somewhat adventurous after several decades of a conventional marriage, might have been open to exploring unchartered territory. But who are we to say how she would have responded in the immediate aftermath and in the days to come? Theorising is ultimately fruitless when the answers will never arrive.<\/p>\n \u201cThere must be something behind it,\u201d Davison told RadioTimes.com<\/a> and other press. \u201cMaybe he\u2019s just after nice dinners and that feeling of being romantic again at his age.\u201d<\/p>\n But just like the man who played him, we\u2019ll never know.<\/p>\n![\"Peter](\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2024\/04\/peter-davison-death-in-paradise-6560197.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413\" "\\"Peter")
\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>\n
![\"Anne](\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2024\/04\/beyond-paradise-season-2-74ae7f1.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413\" "\\"Beyond")
\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>