Has Death in Paradise teed up the beginning of the end for Selwyn, despite survival?

Who was the perpetrator? Why did he want to kill the commissioner? And most pressingly, did he succeed?

Thankfully, Selwyn survived his ordeal, and the person responsible for attempting to take his life was caught thanks to first-rate police work by his trusty team, led by DI Neville Parker.

The man who was initially believed to be the guilty party, Alton Garvey, first met Selwyn during an entrance exam for police college when they were both teenagers. There was only one place up for grabs and it was Selwyn who secured it – something Alton couldn't accept.

"Since that day, my life went down a road I didn't want it to go down, and I could never turn back again," he said.

But despite the many clues pointing to Alton, it was Marlon Collins, the caretaker manager at the yacht club where Selwyn's shindig had been held, who was arrested.

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"You think I shot Mr Patterson?" he said. "Do you want to explain how you came to that conclusion?"

As if Neville needed any encouragement....

When Marlon learned that Ramone Prince, the permanent manager at the yacht club, was having an affair with Jacqueline St Clair, the wife of Selwyn's childhood friend Lincoln, he decided to blackmail her.

But before Ramone headed on his 12-month round the world sailing trip, he became wise to Marlon's scheme, which led to a confrontation between the two on his boat.

When he told Marlon that he was going to report him to the police, a scuffle broke out, causing Ramone to slip and hit his head. Marlon, who was on probation at the time, panicked and attempted to cover up the death.

But before long, Selwyn began investigating the blackmail, off the record, as a favour to Jacqueline. When he asked Marlon for Ramone's number, the caretaker manager knew that when his boss didn't respond, the commissioner would become suspicious. And so, he took drastic action to stop that from happening.

While Alton was standing behind Selwyn with the gun, Marlon stepped in, took his hand and pointed the weapon at the commissioner. He then squeezed the trigger.

Following the shooting, Marlon told Alton to get into his truck and drive off while he headed back inside to the party, where they all thought they heard the sound of the gun shot. But it was actually the vehicle backfiring, which Marlon was already aware of, giving him a solid alibi.

However, he didn't realise that his cufflink had fallen into Alton's clothing, which Neville later found and used to link him to the crime.

But despite Selwyn's survival and the perpetrator being apprehended, the impact of the traumatic incident on the commissioner remains substantial.

"We can't force him to step back," says Neville to Catherine in the teaser for next week's episode. And they're right to be concerned given that he collapses at the police station, prompting his friends and colleagues to spring to his rescue.

It's entirely possible Selwyn will return to full health if he gives himself adequate time to recover, but there's every chance this could lead to his exit from the force. After a career spanning 50 years, many would already have been thinking about retirement – and his recent brush with death could accelerate that.

Selwyn has given his life to public service, but could he now begin to think about living his life for himself?

"Selwyn has to check himself and what life means [following the shooting], and his relationships and his relationship with his daughter," Ginny Holder (Darlene Curtis) told RadioTimes.com and other press.

"It pushes quite a few buttons for him, as things like that do. You have to check yourself. What does life mean really? The things that we take on, do we need to? You put things into perspective, and that's what Selwyn has to do."

Élizabeth Bourgine, who plays Catherine, echoed that: "Catherine is in Paris and when she comes back she has to deal with this, with Selwyn. And they have to face, both of them, what they are living for and what they've been through in the past.

"And all through season 13 they will both have to face their pasts and the people they've met and their friends, and what they want to do with their lives."

Death in Paradise without the commissioner? Surely not...

Death in Paradise continues on BBC One at 9pm on Sunday. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.

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