Detective Inspector Inspector, also police inspector or inspector of police, is a police rank. The rank or position varies in seniority depending on the organization that uses it. Australia In Australian police forces, the rank of inspector is generally the ne ...

Humphrey Goodman is a character in the crime drama television series '' Death in Paradise'', portrayed by

Kris Marshall Kristopher Marshall (born 11 April 1973) is an English actor, starring in films, television and on stage for more than 20 years. He has played Nick Harper in ''My Family'', Colin Frissell in the 2003 film ''Love Actually'', Gratiano in ''The Me ...

. Goodman is assigned to Saint Marie after the murder of D.I. Richard Poole at the start of Series 3. Clues from Poole's investigation helped Goodman reveal the motive and the killer's identity; Goodman commented that Poole had 'solved his own murder.' Goodman stayed in Saint Marie after his wife Sally announced she would not be joining him on the Caribbean island. He became the

chief inspector Chief inspector (Ch Insp) is a rank used in police forces which follow the British model. In countries outside Britain, it is sometimes referred to as chief inspector of police (CIP). Usage by country Australia The rank of chief inspector is us ...

on the island, and took to Poole's old routine of announcing the murderer in front of all the suspects and his police team. He is very unorganized, often forgetting things or finding himself with nothing to take notes on; he enjoys Caribbean life much more than his predecessor. He has a talent for being able to solve murders instantly, looking at the meaning of small details, much like his predecessor. He fell in love with his

detective sergeant Sergeant ( abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other ...

Camille Bordey Detective Sergeant Camille Bordey is a character in the crime drama television series '' Death in Paradise'', portrayed by Sara Martins. Description A former undercover investigator, Bordey was assigned to Honoré Police because her cover was ...

, coming close to revealing his feelings for her. He attempted to prevent her leaving when she requested a job in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

, but stopped himself. He shared a passionate kiss with her just before she left the island. He had a soft spot for her successor, Florence Cassell, often sharing jokes together. Goodman and Cassell dedicate a drink to Camille after their first solved case. During the fifth season, a running sub-plot involved Goodman attempting to get a girlfriend, but his results were various degrees of failure until he ran into Martha, a woman who once ran a sandwich shop he frequented when he worked in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, in the season finale. In the sixth season, Martha returns to the island for a few weeks, but while she and Goodman enjoy their time together, she eventually returns to London to start her dream job at a new restaurant. When a subsequent case sends Goodman and his team to London to track their suspects, he is prompted to stay with Martha, nominating the recently widowed DI Jack Mooney – the team's London liaison for their latest case – as his successor in Saint Marie. Goodman has been described as "awkward" and "accident-prone". Michael Hogan argues that "his bumbling and stammering resemble a

Hugh Grant Hugh John Mungo Grant (born 9 September 1960) is an English actor. He established himself early in his career as both a charming, and vulnerable romantic lead and has since transitioned into a dramatic character actor. Among his numerous a ...

impersonation."

Spinoff

Goodman remains one of the series' most popular DI characters. On June 29, 2022, it was announced by the BBC that a spinoff had been greenlit, commissioned by the BBC and BritBox International. The series, titled ''Beyond Paradise'', will "pick up Humphrey and Martha’s (

Sally Bretton Sally Davis (born 1975/1976), known professionally as Sally Bretton, is a British actress. She is best known for appearing as Lucy Adams in the long-running BBC television sitcom '' Not Going Out'' since 2007, and as Martha Lloyd in the BBC1 cri ...

) story as they navigate a new life together in the idyll of rural Britain."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Goodman, Humphrey Fictional British police detectives Fictional English people Television characters introduced in 2014 Death in Paradise characters Police forces of British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies