Death in Paradise's Mervin has his critics – but they're missing the point

"He is different. I like him, nice change," added another.

But there are still plenty who sit in one of two camps: either they have yet to make up their minds about Mervin, or they have and they don't like what he brings to the table.

"Still on the fence with the new DI," commented one viewer, while another wrote: "Not sure yet."

Others were more specific with their criticisms.

"The new guy is arrogant and idiotic and I don't think I can keep watching anymore," reads one particularly fiery remark.

"This new chap isn't quite what I thought he would be like," said another. "No laughs, no humour."

"I'm hoping new guy will settle, but I’m finding his rudeness and constant contempt for the island tiring," was the assessment from one audience member. "Wish he didn't have to keep on moaning about how much better it is back home!"

But while some of those judgements are technically fair, with enough evidence to back them up, I wonder if those making them have stopped to really consider Mervin's uniquely difficult personal circumstances.

As we now know, the London native travelled to Saint Marie to meet his mother Dorna. The DI has never had any kind of relationship with the woman who carried him for nine months, hence why he was so anxious about knocking on her door in the first place, and why he eventually decided to fly home without speaking to her.

And that's all we really know about Mervin's backstory at this point. Details about the situation surrounding his birth and what followed afterwards have yet to be revealed.

Read more:

• Death in Paradise's Selwyn confirms bad news about future as Commissioner
• Death in Paradise's Commissioner Selwyn shocked in episode 3 teaser pics

But his trip has since turned into a three-month stay – so far, anyway. We all know that he's not going anywhere anytime soon, even if he doesn't, as does Selwyn, who had a twinkle in his eye when questioning if Mervin might extend his time there.

Initially, he delayed his flight to help the team solve the murder of newly inducted officer Benjamin Brice, which proved to be particularly emotionally challenging. But he then made a horrifying and destabilising discovery: his mother might have been murdered, which changes everything, naturally.

Selwyn had previously informed the DI that Dorna had been scattering her father's ashes in the ocean when a storm rolled in hard and fast. But after reading her case file, Mervin is now convinced that there's something much more sinister at play and as a result, he simply cannot leave.

If his mother was killed, he needs to ensure that the guilty party is brought to justice. And as a detective himself, he obviously wants to be the one to do it.

So, hardly sunshine and rainbows, is it?

Mervin didn't emigrate to the Caribbean for a new adventure. He's not in Saint Marie because the place itself appealed to him, nor did he move there for a new job or a love interest, which is what typically motivates people to uproot their entire lives.

No, Mervin's circumstances do not chime with the norm.

He arrived on the picturesque, sun-kissed island with the weight of the world on his shoulders, watching his mother's house from afar as he debated whether or not to knock on her front door, unsure if she would welcome him in with open arms or turn him away.

Quite the dilemma indeed.

And if she did invite him inside, would the reality match his hopes? Would their grand reunion be one of love and warmth? Would she want him to occupy a permanent space in her life? Or would she be distant and chilly?

And what would he learn about his mother? And himself? Would it lift him up or tear him down? Would it all be a big mistake?

Questions, so many questions, which have yet to be answered – some of which can never now be answered because his mother is dead, the weight on Mervin's shoulders growing.

And then he learned that her premature passing could have been inflicted by another, someone with malice in their heart and again, that weight increases further as more questions form.

Context is key and under the circumstances, we are not seeing the best of Mervin. His mind is abuzz with all of these thoughts, a discordant hum that rarely, if ever, lets up, all while navigating unfamiliar territory that is also directly linked to his mother, a source of great pain.

Is it any wonder, then, that he's abrasive and edgy? That he's not a barrel of laughs? That he's often distracted or disinterested?

But while his trying circumstances should not insulate him from criticism entirely, and there absolutely have been moments when he should have apologised and corrected his behaviour, his mind is being pulled in a myriad of directions, all of which are rooted in complex trauma.

And for that, he should be afforded some grace.

We know that he carries a deep loneliness and longing with him as a result of that separation. We got a glimpse into it in the Christmas special, when he told Naomi that he always works the Christmas Day shift because not doing so would mean spending the holidays alone.

As she spoke about enjoying the festive season with "the people who love you", Mervin had little to add. But in the silence, his pain was palpable.

But now, Mervin's pilgrimage has commenced, and as Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu said: 'The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.'

Those who are writing him off before he's had a chance to evolve, a Death in Paradise staple, aren't seeing the bigger picture – or considering just how satisfying it will be when he gets there.

Mervin's transformation will be all the more beautiful and poignant because of what it will require for him to reach a place of self-acceptance and understanding. It will be all the more powerful because of where we currently find him.

Here we have a man who is so utterly resistant to connection and openness and embracing the parts of himself that he has taken great care to suppress, but he's lived that way to protect himself.

Yet, as he immerses himself in his mother's world and everything that comes with it, slowly but surely he'll shake off that deep discomfort – and potentially crack a smile, a lack of which has been a bone of contention for some viewers.

We've yet to meet the real Mervin. And to be honest, I'm not really sure if he's ever met the real Mervin either. So hang on in there, critics. To turn away now would be vastly unfair – and certainly not in the spirit of the show.

While there's so much we still don't know about Death in Paradise's new DI, we do know that he deserves a chance to flourish.

Death in Paradise airs on BBC One and iPlayer on Fridays at 9pm.

Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.