Death in Paradise let Neville down in the season 13 finale – here's why

Yes, we were elated when Neville and Florence finally moved out of the friend zone and into romantic territory after a will-they-won't-they rollercoaster. We even suggested they could mark Neville's exit together when hints about Florence's return surfaced earlier in the series.

But it felt like that came at the expense of his inspiring growth during his time in the Caribbean.

While Florence revealed that she had come to realise just how much Neville meant to her, that declaration arrived with a side order of uncertainty – which is totally understandable, we should add, given everything she's been through.

But, in turn, so was Neville's initial response to "respectfully decline" her proposition to "spend time together".

It was what came next, however, that was a major disappointment.

After Neville solved his final case, with Little on fine form, the detective packed his bags and set off for the airport once more, only to be stopped in his tracks by the gang, with everyone from outspoken Catherine Bordey (Élizabeth Bourgine) and Dwayne Myers (Danny John-Jules) to mild-mannered Naomi Thomas (Shantol Jackson) judging Neville for the choice he'd made.

The last minute twist was indeed necessary – Death in Paradise simply couldn't leave things between Neville and Florence on such an awkward note. But the heavy critique of Neville's decision didn't sit well with us.

The suggestion that Neville had reverted back to his old ways and was therefore pushing Florence away was unfair, given she herself was clearly confused and couldn't offer him any guarantees. In fact, the old Neville would probably have accepted anything that Florence had to offer rather than choosing to protect himself, first and foremost, which would also have given Florence some breathing space to figure out her feelings.

Contrary to how it was laid out by his friends, we don't believe Neville took a step backwards by protecting his heart, and to claim that he did undermines the beautifully crafted arc the show has taken him on over the past four years, played with such warmth and heart by Little.

Neville's powerful transformation from an anxiety-ridden man to a confident, adventurous detective has been a joy to watch, and we note the finale's shortcomings only out of love for the character.

That's not to say we begrudge Neville his final moments on-screen, or indeed fan-favourite Florence's delightful comeback. But had he made a solo trip after all, it would have been just as satisfying.

We had always hoped to see the pair end up together, but using his personal development against him was not the way to engineer that – particularly because just moments earlier, we had witnessed exactly why Neville should always trust his gut, apprehending yet another killer by proving his own suspicions correct. And while some may argue that he was going against his instincts in pushing Florence away, there simply wasn't enough strength in her proclamation.

Neville's departure from Saint Marie should have focused on how much his life has changed for the better during his time there – and it very nearly did. But by overselling Florence's feelings, and having Neville's friends cast doubt over his progress, Death in Paradise let him down at the final hurdle.

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