Match the Actor to the Script: Death in Paradise, Season 8

I lost interest in Death in Paradise in Season 8. For a long time, I thought the problem was Ardal O'Hanlon's character. He simply wasn't as eccentric or moody or off-kilter--as strong a personality--as the previous stars, Miller and Marshall. (And I missed Dwayne.)

I was somewhat disappointed since I liked the actor. I liked his soft-accent, his gentlemanly attitude, his gentle summations. 

After going through Season 8 again (I admit, I skipped some episodes), I determined, the problem is the scripts. 

Ardal O'Hanlon's character was presented from Day 1 as a male Miss Marple: confident, wistful, given to ruminations. In another world, he would be a Catholic priest. Except he has a daughter, which made him the first family man to head the Saint Marie Police Department. 

Ruby is a great addition. Warrington is fantastic, as always. 

The best scripts for such a character are Miss Marple scripts: village problems that seem inconsequential but are actually quite far-reaching; clues that remind Detective Mooney of his aunt or cousin or neighbor back home. The domestic murder. 

That's not exactly what Season 8 delivers. Oh, sure, there are a few. But the season also delivers one of the most intense and harrowing two-parters, a mystery that would be better handled by Poole. It isn't that O'Hanlon doesn't do a good job, but the script doesn't fit his character.

I found Season 9 quite satisfying, so I'll maintain: the problem with 8 was the scripts, not the character/actor. 

In any case, it is an interesting problem of having a good actor, okay scripts, great supporting actors, and a fantastic setting, but a slight mismatch between all three.