As we re-join John Moray (Emun Elliot)’s lavish
department store around a year later in real time, the man himself is
distinctly absent, having been banished from the country by his now deceased
landlord, Lord Glendenning (Patrick Malahide). Old flame Katherine Glendenning
has inherited the shop, co-owning it with her new husband Tom Weston (Ben
Daniels), leaving Miss Audrey (Sarah Lancashire) and Mr Dudley (Matthew
McNulty) to run the show in their boss’ absence. Denise (Joanna Vanderham) is
missing Moray rather a lot, but isn’t too sure where their relationship could
be headed. In the meantime, she and old rival Clara (Sonya Cassidy) have become
firm friends, and have been joined by new characters Susy (Katie Moore) and
Myrtle (Lisa Millett), the foul mouthed new cook. Peter Wight’s Edmund Lovett,
Denise’ uncle, still runs the little clothes shop across the road, and is still
very much in love with Miss Audrey. Also in love are new kids on the block Susy
and Fenton (Adrian Scarborough), but is he all he seems?
With so many new characters, not to mention the
rose tinted setting of The Past, the nostalgia levels are as high as ever in The Paradise Series Two. There are
elements of mild peril as already shady seeming character Tom Weston has
plans to sell the shop to the highest bidder, and Katherine is being
suspiciously, well, “nice”, as Denise aptly puts it. What are the two up to?
How much does Katherine really know about her new husband’s plans? Only the
rest of the series will tell. Again, as ever though, the levels of peril are
only ever mild, as in swoops Moray in the nick of time, full of enough ideas
and good old fashioned showmanship to save the day. His return means
some rather sweet and 100% PG, if not U rated reunion scenes with his adorable
bright spark, Denise, with Elliot and Vanderham playing the innocence and
cutsey-ness for all it’s worth.
Clara, meanwhile, is just as canny as in Series One,
although it’s surprisingly pleasing to watch her blossoming new friendship with
Denise, as the two roll their eyes behind Miss Audrey’s back, and share
suspicions about Katherine. Ben Daniels is a fabulously sneaky addition as Mr Weston a man with what seems to be rather
a dark past, and Susy is a charming, if not altogether satisfactory replacement
for good old Pauline (Ruby Bentall), whose friendship with Sam (Stephen Wight)
will be sorely missed. Myrtle, the impertinent new kitchen worker, however, is
a less welcome new character, as, despite being a new enemy for Miss Audrey to
spar against, doesn’t really add anything too the show besides something of an
irritation factor.
Despite a few gripes, though, it really is lovely
to be back in The Paradise. Like
Heartbeat before it, it goes perfectly with a Sunday night, a hot chocolate and
an early night.
Next on, tonight, BBC One, 8pm.
Jen
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