Mothers across the world are jumping up and down (well, at least mine is) as Beyond Paradise season 4 finally returns to BBC iPlayer on March 27. Episodes are set to drop week by week at 8pm GMT, and frankly, I can't wait.
There are more grisly cases to solve, more incredible guest stars, and more drinking down a Devonshire pub that anyone's liver should be able to handle. At the center of it all are DI Humphrey Goodman (Kris Marshall) and wife Martha (Sally Bretton), who have had a tumultuous time, to say the least.
Before finally getting wed in season 3, we saw the pair struggle with being able to foster a child, eventually moving in with Martha's mother Anne (Barbara Flynn) as new episodes kick off. Three's most definitely a crowd, by the looks.
I was hoping that the official start of their marriage would calm their lives down a bit, and according to Marshall and Bretton, that's definitely the case in Beyond Paradise season 4. However, that doesn't mean their drama has completely vanished.
'It's nice to plant themselves on solid ground after the time they've had'
"The whole boat episode has has brought some things into sharp focus," Bretton begins. "Having been staying in their mum's cottage is not ideal and too small for Humphrey. On a boat that's very romantic, but less romantic for Martha's day-to-day living.
"Now they're married, I think it's made her feel like it would be nice to plant themselves on some solid ground after the time they had and the things that they've weathered. Once they have created that, where are they and what will they bring into it? I think the main goal has been finding something solid for both to have for a while and focus on each other and less out at sea."
Even just at a cursory glance, that's a good idea. Beyond Paradise season 4 episode 1 opens with a boat skit that could rival Fawlty Towers — and if I was already desperate to get back onto dry land, it would be my last straw.
"I agree with that," Marshall continues. "They've obviously been on this fostering journey, they've had a lot of variables that they can't necessarily control, and that's fine, they've enjoyed that. It's all brought them great joy, but also a little bit of sadness.
"After the wedding and everything that happens to them in the first episode, things are thrust into sharp focus. They just want to reset themselves. It's all been a bit of a whirlwind, beautiful, chaotic, and typical of Humphrey and Martha. But now they want a bit of grounding."
One thing is for sure: Humphrey and Martha are an unbreakable force. If their love can weather all of these storms, then they're basically a modern-day fairytale romance... though something tells me things won't stay calm forever.
