Death in Paradise team stunned as Selwyn announces imminent departure

"It seems they can and they have," he responded. "It seems it comes back to one thing: to save money."

Since then, Selwyn has appealed the decision after the mayor spurred him on to fight for his place, but to no avail.

"I'm sorry, this is out of my hands," said his boss in a voicemail. "It all comes down to budget, and the board's proceeding with the restructuring."

Usually one to keep a lid on his emotions, Selwyn was unable to quell his heartbreak and frustration in that moment, which Darlene felt the full force of in a particularly cruel exchange.

While she was discussing her concerns about new officer Sebastian Rose with Catherine, a seemingly drunk Selwyn suddenly appeared and laid the blame for any issues squarely at her feet.

"Have you considered that perhaps you might be the problem?" he snarled.

"Encouraging you to study for your sergeants exam, perhaps that was a little hasty."

Ouch.

Darlene was driven to tears, while Catherine, by contrast, was furious – so much so that she marched into his office and gave him what for.

"In all the years I’ve known you, you’ve never spoken to officers like that," she said, her voice raised.

"Not now, I don't have the time," he replied, desperate to avoid the subject.

"Oh yeah, right – too busy siting here, feeling sorry for yourself," she added.

Catherine then encouraged him to tell the team, who had started to sense that something was amiss. And a short time later, that's exactly what he did.

While they were all grabbing a drink together after solving the latest case, he turned up unexpectedly, first apologising to Darlene for his cruel outburst.

"I have been keeping something from you, which on the advice of a trusted friend, I have decided to share," he then said.

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On hearing about his position being phased out, the team were stunned.

"But they can't," said Naomi, only to be told that they can – and they are.

Selwyn then went home, leaving his soon-to-be-ex-team sat there in silence as they tried to process what the force would be like without him at the helm.

But while it appears to be the end of the road for the commissioner, the official synopsis for the season confirms that it might not quite be over yet.

"As an unexpected foe attempts to enforce the unfathomable, Catherine, in her role as Mayor, acts as the last line of defence in a battle to save the team as we know it."

Death in Paradise season 14 airs on BBC One and iPlayer on Fridays.

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