maria-ricci-1983

Industry (2020)

Damaged people in a terribly damaging industry. Even so, it's one of the best shows on the air!

Maybe the private investment banking industry cherry-picks the most brilliant and broken youth to make a career into its ranks because a healthy, balanced, ethical person would never survive, once hired inside.

(In fact, some of the characters along the four seasons actually don't.)

The dialogs run fast-paced and frantical, as in a stock-market high-level trading room, so for a viewer with zero knowlege of the industry and without a glossary at hand, most of the technical exchanges about stock market and derivatives and futures are simply lost.

But it really didn't matter to me, I just inferred the meaning and implications and paced along with the episodes, because this is not a crash course on banking. It is a show about characters, relationships, ambition and the twisting effects that an industry can exercise on young people to the extent of shaping their personalities and exploit their vulnerabilities for the benefit of the sector.

Excellently performed, written and directed (some episodes, particularly in season 4, are pure jaw-dropping, top-notch filmmaking), remarkably alluring from the first episode, it has some elements which can put off some people. For instance, the naturalized presence of drugs, casual sex and compulsive-abusive behaviours. It is all within the context and justified in terms of the scriptwriting, but even so, it may be depressing for some. Also it is not morally edifying to see psychopathic, broken youths represented as successful, brilliant and thriving people, even when they doom themselves. But I think this is the point, or one of the points of the show.

I cannot understand why this show is rated 7,3 when it is clearly one of the most outstanding productions in the last years. Particularly Leung, Abela and My'hala win the day, every single day, but the whole cast is truly fantastic.

Cannot recommend it enough if you enjoy quality TV.

Ludwig (2024)

Though based on a weak premise, it is still highly entertaining, funny and sustained on solid performances! Very good!.

Ludwig (a pseudonym) is a brilliant puzzle creator and solver, with sharp, hard and pure logic skills.

He has anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive behaviour, agoraphobia and is socially inadequate. He finds relief for his anxiety in method, music and problem-solving.

He has an identical twin brother who is a detective inspector. A good one, with solid, experienced procedural skills. He is engrossed in a kind of secret, internal investigation about his own peers, and we don't know much about him.

Undistinguishable from the outside, they could not be more different from each other in character and personality.

The detective twin leaves one day sending an enigmatic note to his wife. She, who has been a close friend to both brothers since childhood, doesn't buy it, and calls Ludwig, for help. She asks him to impersonate her husband at the police station for a few minutes, to retrieve a little coded handbook in his office, which he used to keep notes. A notebook which could offer clues about his disappearance.

Ludwig, overanxious about the whole thing and extremely reluctant to accept the request, finally agrees to help. And what should have been the briefest visit to the police station, just to fetch the thing and leave, becomes an inescapable, involuntary homicide investigation thrown at him, which Ludwig solves, despite himself, using purely deductive methods.

On seeing that puzzle-solving and criminal investigation are quite similar in nature, he feels confident enough to go on with his impersonation a bit more, until he can crack the code in the notebook and solve his brother's disappearance.

In the middle, expected double-entendres, and tangled-up and funny situations occur, but also a mystery overarching the whole season, as the detective has left a warning: "No one in the police station is to be trusted".

A comedy with an enigma attached, it is well produced and entertaining, even though the basic premise is obviously forced. And David Mitchell plays an adorable part.

You need to lower your expectations in terms of a perfectly realistic plot, but who cares as long as you spend a wonderful time watching? It is a procedural British comedy, as good as they can get, and I am loving it!

Dolpung (2024)

A protracted disaster defying all credibility along12 cloned episodes

This show pretends to be a political thriller but it is conceived and filmed as a soap opera, leaning heavily on childish, unbelievable plot twists which are cloned all along the show, and terrible close-ups of clenching fists, trembling lips, snarling mouths, wet eyes and gasping shocked sighs. (It is a pity because the actors are not bad, but they are directed in such a poor way).

It starts with an interesting premise and an intriguing first chapter, but from that on in plummets down, from bad to worse, in an irritating protracted descent.

To summarize the story (with more holes than Swiss cheese), there are two main characters: a well-meant, honest politician (the president of South Korea) who agrees to use twisted and dirty means in order to clean the country of corrupt leaders, and a manipulative bit*c*hy antagonist (the Korean Prime Minister), who is an unapologetical and serial liar, corrupt to the point of (literally) killing her mentor to seize power.

This pair turn the Korean government and the Blue House into a ridiculous, unbelievable self-serving game of cat-and-mouse mutual entrapment, defying all credibility and accountability, where the Korean people, the Korean journalism and the international community are completely absent as political forces. (The landscape and decor are depicted in a much intelligent and significant way than the Korean people, which is really insulting.)

Be warned: this is not House of Cards, it is not The West Wing, it is not The Thick of It, nor The Wolf of any well-crafted serious political drama. Even Veep, as a White House comedy, is more plausible than the events in The Whirlwind.

In terms of narrative action, this is what you will get:

Character A devises a clever plan, a wicked trap, to overrule his opponent B.

In a plot twist, B anticipates the move and creates another cleverer plan, a wicked trap, to thwart A's plan and stay in power.

If you use this device once or twice through a show, it is surprising and thrilling. But copy-paste this trick about 4 or 5 times in EVERY single chapter, and the plot is turned into a parody. And by chapter 7 (of 12) you find yourself yawning and thinking: 'Come on, guys! Again? Really?' And you just want the show to be put to sleep.

(Some details: there is not one single love or intimacy scene in the whole show. I don't mean sex, but a chaste kiss in the lips or a caring loving inclination. The characters are completely loveless and ascetic creatures in their obsessive quest for power. Also, there is such a significant presence of Christian religion and Biblical references in the show, that you feel like the story could take place in the Vatican and not in an Eastern country.)

In short, some people may find this show entertaining if they turn a blind eye to the implausible and childish premises. But if you appreciate intelligent and subtle story-writing, let it pass.

Plot twists, no matter how many, are not enough to turn a predictable drone into a gripping, fine political thriller.

Elsbeth (2024)

The Good Elsbeth

Elsbeth has come back. We are delighted.

For those who are not acquainted with her, it is a come-back indeed, as she is (to my knowledge) the only secondary character who has outlived not just one show (as Saul, of Better Call Saul), but two different long and successful series (The Good Wife and The Good Wife) and who has won people's heart to the extent of deservingly having her own show now.

Reencountering her in The Good Fight was a lovely surprise years ago, I remember. Meeting her again in this show promises to be truly exciting. The first episode was a pleasure, although the action seems to have a more comedic vein here than in those other productions. (Carrie Preston can do comedic passes while doing crime investigation indeed, and the hybrid works.)

The winks to fans of The Good Wife/Fight were there too. Will we meet Cary Agos here again? Oh, that could be great!

Elsbeth's kooky and loony attitude to lawyering now seems to be transferred to police internal surveillance. Don't be fooled by Elsbeth. Her brain is razor sharp, behind her apologetic, oddball and candid habit of annoyingly intruding into the work of the smart-asses who know it all. You can imagine the rest.

It may be the case that Michelle and Robert King will make it again with this new show, much to our enjoyment. I hope so.

Edit: After watching almost the whole first season, my initial impression has lost some enthusiasm. The comedic tone works in a contradictory way. I liked the "former" Elsbeth more, in a more serious environment, as the seriousness of the legal battles highlighted and added value to her oddity much more than this half-comedy, half-procedural spirit. It is watchable, though.

Nae Nampyeongwa Gyeolhonhaejweo (2024)

Unclassifiable, but very refreshing

This show cannot be classified conventionally, unless you use a lot of contradictory tags.

Is this a soap opera?

Yes, definitely, but with an unusual premise and with gender twists.

Is this a comedy?

Yes, and with very funny scenes and characters, but with a lot of tragic drama and a bit of thrill.

Is this about women's empowerment?

Yes, definitely, but with a very romantic male hero, which seems to be against the general idea, but the actor is so cute that his character really works.

Is this cheesy?

Yes, in a Korean-cheese way, which I usually dislike, but this time made the trick.

Is this cartoonish?

Yes, of course, it is based on a webtoon and it shows, but the actors are accomplished, and they bring to life what could have been just anime characters in black and white.

Is this based on values?

Yes, and it also shows. That is refreshing.

Is this frivolous?

Yes, but it also poses philosophical questions related to destiny and the possibility of changing one's life.

I am not a particular fan of K-dorama shows, but I must say that I enjoyed this very much, despite all the «buts» and «c'mons» that I usually object when I give a try to this type of series. So, much to my own surprise, I honestly recommend it!

Criminal Record (2024)

Don't let the opinionated complaints about the racism angle deter you from watching!

I may be wrong, but this is IMDB, people, and TV shows are TV shows.

It gets complicated when we use the reviews tab for debating politics, racism or political correctness instead of assessing a production as a whole, or try to 'punish' the show with a poor review just because the angle or the ideas portrayed in the plot do not match our view of the world. Yes, it happens, sometimes we get incensed about some messages (this is not the case, Criminal Record is certainly not about the message), but, as a reader seeking for reviews before watching a show, I prefer less opinionated perspectives and find them more helpful.

In purely cinematographic terms, this is a quite enjoyable show, even though the theme is not new to the genre and has already been visited before by quite a few crime and procedural series.

However, the premise still holds, and so far the story is intriguing enough and ambiguous enough to feed the mystery about how things will resolve in the end. You wonder, is the 'bad guy' really that terribly bad or is he not, and a surprise awaits at the end of the season?

It is a pleasure to watch the extraordinary performances of Peter Capaldi (kudos) and a very accomplished Cush Jumbo, who add complexity and nuances to their characters.

Capaldi, in particular, is magnificent. His facial expressions are austere and exuberant at the same time (how does he do it?).

All the supporting roles are well performed and the script hooks the spectators enough to have them waiting for the next chapter. It is not The Wire, it is not Line of Duty, and it stretches some plot lines a bit. But it is still a fine show. I have watched a few hundreds of procedural and detective shows, and this, so far, I am enjoying.

Total Control (2019)

Pause whatever you are watching and move into this! The full package indeed!

On seeing seasons 1 and 2 I have to bow in acclaim. This was my first contact with Deborah Millman and I just will say she is a tremendous actress! All the spectrum of human emotions she can deliver and shine. Rachel Griffith composes a perfect performance. (The actor playing Charlie seems to have just one single facial expression and throw it to the camera in every scene, a pity).

The show is centered on the strength and vulnerability of two main female characters--a veteran cunning PM and a newcomer to the political game. The themes bring to the table important issues, while the development focuses on individual action as a seed of change. It is perfectly well performed and directed, and is as thrilling and nail-biting as it can get until the last minute.

Together with The Newsreader, it set a high standard for Aussie TV and it is a refreshing, highly engaging and powerful show.

Poker Face (2023)

Don't be fooled by the inexplicable high rates. It is really mediocre and disappointing.

I saw the rate, over 8/10, and decided to give this a try.

How terribly disappointing!

To begin with, the simile to Columbo, so much mentioned here, seems to me very far-fetched and forced. Columbo is a detective. Charlie here is not an investigator; she is just a person with a knack for intuitively tell when someone is lying intentionally. And that is all.

If you think this ability (providing it existed as an unfailing skill) is enough to turn someone into an expert detective, without any other qualification or training, perhaps you will enjoy this series. I did not.

The script-writing is lazy and cheap, the resolution of the cases is unacceptably simple and roughly sketched, but most of all, I could not feel at home with Natasha Lyonne's performance.

She is all over the place with her forced nasal voice and her facial expressions and slanted smile, which are supposed to be characterization, but, to me, sounded just like lame acting. Despite my best good will, I could not recognize any true talent in her performance.

Chapter One is the relative best (though even such a seasoned actor as Adrian Brody offers a forgettable rendition), but from Chapter 2 onward, the show plummets down helplessly.

Annika (2021)

Very refreshing! First time ever I'm OK with characters breaking the 4th wall, so well done!

No wonder Nicola Walker has left her own special footprint in the pantheon of superb performers. She is as good as it gets, whatever she does. The show deserves being watched if only just for her.0

I cried my heart out in Unforgotten S04E06, and I was even angry at the producers' decision (the episode was very good, but truly shocking and unexpected). But if she had to leave in order to take in Annika, then I can make my peace with them.

I remember having left cinema while watching a Woody Allen movie in which he broke the 4th wall and I just couldn't stand it. It seemed to me artificial and empathetic, just an intellectual posing.

But Walker has turned the device into a warm, natural thing, without pretense or cunning. You actually feel her subtle gestures and looks are an intimate sharing of her state of mind. Her wit, personality and low-key charisma are a delight to watch. The team is conventionally good (political correct diversity and all) and the relationships between them all evolve around Annika in an organic way.

In purely procedural terms it is not extraordinary nor original (I like Shetland better), but this is all glued by the power of the main character, and Walker fills majestically her shoes creating a microcosm of a crime show around her magnetic performative talent.

Just watch it and enjoy something different, natural, uncanny and refreshing.

El amor menos pensado (2018)

Superb actors take to decent heights this much-treaded storyline about marital crisis.

Ana and Marcelo are both high-middle class professionals enjoying a comfortable social standing. They have a nice flat, an only son who goes abroad to further his studies, and what could be described as a smooth, well adjusted marriage life, without violence or abuse, though with some hints of passive-aggresive daily fencing.

The «empty-nest syndrome» gives room for them to explore how they feel about each other and admit some boredom due to the predictability of common life, spiced with the little daily irritations and annoyances of a 25-year old marriage. Finally, they admit that they are «not infatuated any longer» with each other, and they don't feel confident about spending the rest of their future with that feeling on their hearts.

Thinking that divorce could relieve them from this weary feeling, they experience new romances (some scenes are funny), and they even form stable new relationships with new partners.

Some years pass by, and then a new crisis related to their son gives again room for them to find how deeply they miss the familiarity and shared history they had built together. They are still «no longer infatuated with each other», but they choose to rekindle their life together cherishing what they have crafted as a couple, rather than picking on what is missing.

If this unoriginal, much treaded story had been performed by other actors, the movie would have probably been boring and flat. Dialogues are long (Argentinean urban educated couples dialogue about themselves much in this vain, probably due to their popular culture of psychoanalysis), and the whole thing could have ended up in a pretentious theatrical babble, but Darín and Morán are such an extraordinary pair, so tremendously talented, that they make you empathize deeply with their predicament and feelings, adding reality and vividness to the film.

Kudos to the casting director: all secondary actors have been simply perfect in their roles. No part has been wasted, indeed.

In short, it is neither Bergman nor Nora Ephron, but it is enjoyable; it pulses a chord in those who have had long marriages, and the performances are really memorable.

Tokyo Vice (2022)

Fantastic, solid show in a very well portrayed Tokyo! Tremendous cast!

Kudos to the casting producer!

Ansel Elgort is the perfect choice to play «Aderustainu-san» in one of the most exciting shows of the season! He has the full package: witty, cheeky, earnest, skilled, tenacious, terribly handsome, barely fragile, fresh and sincere.

I also found Sho Kasamatsu a fantastic finding! He is a magnificent Sato indeed, a performance to be remembered! We are familiar with Ken Watanabe's acting as he is a very well-known actor in the West, and he delivers a fine and credible character as usual. The rest of the cast is also fabulous.

Having lived in Tokyo myself, everything felt very portrayed to me. Only a few secondary actors seemed to be more nissei than issei, or even ethnically mixed.

Elgort's effort at Japanese is remarkable (can he really speak it or was it just coaching and memorizing words for the sake of the show? His aikido shomenuchi moves were also enjoyable); I even found it very funny when he fakes on purpose an awful American accent to pretend he speaks a poor Japanese.

The script was precise, interesting, thrilling. And though I ignore how much of the story is authentic and how much is fiction, it really doesn't matter because you are not expecting to watch a documentary. Just a superb story finely directed, set and performed.

The pilot, by the way, has the signature of Michael Mann, who quite probably is the best Action Pilot Director of the last quarter of century, and it sets the tone for the rest of the episodes.

I am looking forward to second season, and I truly hope they will not let this flunk.

8 Zeugen (2021)

Disasterous from minute 1 to the end. Don't waste your time on this.

Everything is wrong in this production: the psychological premises and "expert" scientific behaviour, the investigative and procedural work by the police, the justification for the character's actions, the culprits' characterization which is absolute inconsistent with the skills involved in the criminal plan design and execution, the presumptuous complexity of the whole thing, which is laughable and unbelievable even if you want to be a complacent viewer and give it a fair chance.

So I regret having lost a few hours of my leisure time with this cheap, nonsensical production.

If you really are a fan of crime and police genre, you will in all likelihood find no value or merit in this show, and my advice is to let it go and search for a better title.

The Good Fight: The Gang Deals with Alternate Reality (2020)

A premiere which bet high, raised the bar and showed high esteem for the viewer's intelligence!

I agree with the remarks of several favorable reviewers here.

For much that I've always loved this show, this premiere astonished me with a fantastic twist in the narrative and lifted the memory left by the third season's finale.

The complexities of the "Possible Conjectural in Politics" are shown through the lenses of an alternate reality (a very clever narrative choice) but with a nuanced and smart turn.

Diane slides from the immediate, emotional, almost childish elation of the political "fanactivist", to a more reflected assessment of the contradictions and costs involved in the protection of the greater good. The dramatic transition from her embrace of the alternate reality to the suspicion of being into a dream, to her waking up marks a high point in the episode!

Old political dilemmas shown through a masterclass of screenwriting and direction with a permanent wink to the viewers' intelligence. I love this show and I celebrate that they have raised the bar with this new season!

De twaalf (2019)

Fantastic performances, storytelling and pace! A second season would be great!

I found this series fascinating. The story is delivered in different time frames, so we follow the case in court while some flashbacks drop hints or revelations about what really happened.

There is thrill and suspense until the very end, and the last episode is really nerve wrecking and emotionally painful. I will not include spoilers here, but the ending leaves much room for reflection about guilt, justice, truth and retribution.

Every single performance here is outstanding, and the storytelling proceeds at a superb pace, with a remarkable balance between what is revealed and what is withheld.

The story goes beyond the case and extends to the transformative effects of the procedure in the lives of the jurors and their families, as well as the impact their private experiences have in the way they finally will vote for or against absolution.

If a second season of the story comes out with a follow up of the eventsl, I will be the first to watch it! Strongly recommended show for genre lovers!

Succession (2018)

EXTRA-ORDIN-ARY!! Masterclass of performative talent, direction, scriptwriting and... MUSIC!

Everything in this show is fantastic. Second season is even better than the first, if this could be possible.

From the mesmerizing title score by Nicholas Brittell (Chopin of the 21st century) to the tremendous, really tremendous performance by Brian Cox (he deserves every award for his composition of Roy Logan). But then every character... I had never watched Jeremy Strong before, and I have to say his Kendall is, as another reviewer said here, tragically fascinating both with empathy and pity. Kudos! And Nicholas Braun as grandnephew Craig-Greg is a most welcome box of surprises (is he a naive fast-learner making his way through the game, or a machiavellic master chess player?) The casting people have made an impeccable, perfect choice for every character in the show.

Very complex characters, intriguing plot even with the cards on the table, outstanding pace. Don't miss this show redolent of quality, skill, intelligence and theatrical tension. Some of the episodes have been remarkable jaw-droppers!

La casa de papel (2017)

Disappointed about 3rd season, which is basically people shouting and top-volume music

All things which were alluring in seasons 1 and 2 (8 or 9/10) have disappeared in this new season coming out of the Netflix Meat-Mincer Machine (they do this with every successful show, once they take over, as in Lilyhammer, for instance). The seductive presence of the Professor, always composed, with his razor-mind always one step ahead of things, now has turned into a conventional man heading a theft as many others. The very well paced and interesting relationship with the hostages now has become sparse, thinner and less relevant. The cliches and flagship gestures which were innovative in the previous seasons now seem an overcooked repetition of resources in a less effective context. The fascinating cat-mouse liaison between the Professor and the Inspector now has been replaced by the typical bedroom rows and marital power quarrels. And then the disgusting, terribly acted pregnant detective, what was that character mean to add? In any case, she hasn't done it.

Instead of the good things, they have injected the show with a contemporary American idea of what "action" means: frantic, blasting music overscoring every dialogue and every scene at top volume (you have to turn it down and up every minute because it's really bothersome) and frantic people shouting their lungs out at every sentence. No nuances, no finesse this time.

Also, the "ideology" element and the politically correct agenda seem so force-fed and poorly justified that they make you sigh. Didn't they know that powerful countries tortured people before Rio's detention? Didn't they care until then?

Rodrigo de la Serna saves the day with his excellent performance as usual. But the rest is a disappointment.

Metod (2015)

A noir love story as intense and fascinating as it gets... in a setting of Russian police, nuthouses and serial killers

This is a love story. Don't let the crimes fool you.

And what a Shakespearean love story! Amazing! Really surprising in the best way!

You'll watch a mini-series with all the tragic excesses, character development and intensity of Russian drama, if you accept that in a timeline of 16 episodes all the pervert, diabolical, schizophrenic and depraved serial killers of Russia happen to act in a row, in a non-stop spree of murder with all its ingredients. In this sense, it's cartoon-like and it reminded me of the old Batman TV show in the 60s, with the carousel of villains and the fascinating dynamics among the two detectives. But it is also a fantastic and enthralling drama about psyche, identity, good and evil.

Deep but with lots of action. Noir but with sexual tension. Philosophical but gripping. And very well acted!

There are flashbacks from the start, and the action goes back from the present to the past with an intriguing puzzle which you will only clarify at the end, and with a twist.

The performances are brilliant, and the narrative builds up very well from the first chapter, which is 7/10, until you get hooked with Rodion Meglin and Esenya, her origins and their stories full of holes and dotted lines to follow. It's a pity that the story ends at the last episode, as I could have watched Meglin forever. These guys know when to end things at their height...

EDIT: I have just finished the second season, which is thrilling and really complex to watch because of the surprising twists and turns of the story, The killings are as brutal as in the first season but everything (from the very start of season 1, which is revisited, to the last final episode) comes to an explanation at the end. (Season 2 can be watched as a psychiatric essay as well.) The flashback format remains the same, so a future situation is shown in the first chapter and the rest of the chapters slowly allow you to reconstruct how things went from B to A backwards. The show contains explicit references to deliria, hallucinations and mental illness, so sometimes the plot is not «neat and linear» as in conventional narrative. You have to grant this to enjoy season 2. But do that, because it is really a unique show and worth watching every chapter.

MotherFatherSon (2019)

Modern Shakespearean story. It gets better as the episodes go by

I don't understand the harsh reviews. It is a solid show, with a heavy, intense, highly dramatic and climactic story where intrafamilial, transgenerational drama intertwins with high politics, high media and high-tech espionage. Although the first episodes seem a bit too excessive and complex, as the chapters go by the dust sets a little and you start to get where this comes from, although not where it goes (I am on chapter 5 so far). The performances are really intense and brilliant (McCrory is a shining actress), and yes, sometimes it gets a bit over the top, but the story is a modern Shakespearean drama, with a monstrous father who has also been a victim and is keen on creating an improved version of a young monster in his own adult child. I have found it to be intriguing, passionate and well paced.

Shetland (2013)

Brilliant, intriguing suspense! Prepare to love Jimmy Perez, the opposite of the corrupt, dark, tormented detective! This is noir with humanity!

There are few detective stories where the main character is not only a deductive, sharp-minded person, but also an honest, justice-loving, decent guy without a tormented past, or weaknesses, or complex moral contradictions. (I think of Foyle, who is also such a good guy and father, or Lewis, also in this vein.)

Here we have Jimmy Perez, which is so well performed and written that you simply fall for him and his humanity, though the cases often portray damaged people or bitter crimes.

I always say farewell to each season eagerly waiting for next year, so we can resume our tremendously pleasant and thrilling engagement with Shetland, their people and the characters in this show.

Plus the landscapes and the atmosphere, which are enthralling and make you yearn for the place even if you've never been there.

It is not a fast-action show, but very thrilling with a brilliant management of suspense, the whole who-dunnit thing and the gradual unveiling of the truth shared by the team. If you like detective series, really give it a try. It deserves a huge audience!

Vera (2011)

I can't get enough of Vera! Superb in every regard! Add Morse to Miss Marple and you get this jewel

I am now into Season 9.

My faithfulness to Vera is unending, and I truly hope we'll have Vera for many years to come.

Why? Because it is a flawless crime drama, with perfectly written and directed episodes (one case per chapter) which keep suspense and tension in the exact degree without descending to using cheap tricks. It portrays realistic, believable and lovable characters (despite their failures), which are exceptionally well performed by the whole cast (Brenda Blethyn, come on, what a tremendous actress!). It avods many cliches which sometimes turn detective shows rancid and exhaust the genre lovers. The atmosphere, cinematography and photography are fascinating.

But the strongest of it all is... Vera! There is not a single detail which does not ooze «character building» in itself.The way she plays with the suspects brandishing her old-lady-neighbour «luvs» and «pets» to feign simplicity and proximity; her Perramus, dresses, stockings and hat... (a manifesto in themselves); the relationship with her sargeant; her relentless wit and alert mind as a crouching cat entrapping the mouse... The balance between a cold scalpel-mind and a sensitive, sensible heart. It is a festival for detective and crime shows fans!

One of the most remarkable suspense shows in Brit TV since 2011! A must see! Long life to Vera Stanhope and to dame Blethyn!

No Offence (2015)

Fantaaaaaastic! What a surprise! Twisted humour, gritty stories, unusual smart-ass boss!

This took me by surprise. I didn't expect any of this. I thought it was a conventional detective, procedural series. And I was very delightfully impressed. The storyline is original, gritty, very well developed in terms of thriller and crime situations. The humor is really great, twisted but really refreshing. But the best of it, the characters! A very welcome show!

Le bureau des légendes (2015)

As brilliant as it gets. The best spy series ever, and it keeps getting better every season!

I cannot praise this show enough. I agree with other reviewers on the high bar this show sets for the genre. It is the French Homeland, but more credible, low-keyed and deeper.

Everything distills quality here: a really, really superb script which is intelligent, sensible and gripping to the end; extraordinary characterisation and performances from the main to the last character; tremendous production and attention to detail; credible information about the metier; an impeccable direction which keeps extreme suspense and intrigue, only without the flamboyant, explosive special effects so inevitable in American series, but it is still very action- and field-oriented.

Season 4 is really fantastic, it has not decayed in the least. The addition of Mathieu Amalric makes an extra bonus, with the talent he brings to fore in every performance. Marie-Jeanne acquires more weight in the show in the most positive sense. Florence Loiret Caille is such a superb, nuanced actress! And the priceless Kassowits recreates his complex Malotru, the antihero always full of surprises which you respect, admire and love as the seasons go by. He is the perfect spinal cord for the show.

In short, this is the most exciting show in the year. I really hope it will maintain the high quality and the cast in years to come, to the delight of all the genre lovers. Kudos to everyone involved in the production!

Innocente (2016)

Poor performances. Far-fetched and implausible storyline. Nothing remarkable in this series

Compared to the array of brilliant French TV shows which you can watch these days, this series doesn't stand out as anything remarkable. It is not terrible, but the weaknesses really show while you watch.

Firstly, there are too many far-fetched situations which defy the spectator's credibility. The storyline is frankly implausible, and nothing really happens that way in real life, not once but twice! Every single character has an implausible behaviour and there is no rationality or sense behind their actions. I will not go into detail here for spoiler reasons, but it happens every ten minutes.

The performances are very lame, without real talent; all of the actors seem to consider that performing art consists of making obvious faces. I didn't find Julie de Bona outstanding at all; on the contrary, I couldn't believe her acting in any of the six episodes. The same goes for the implausible inspector, whose terminal illness comes and goes without any explanation or justification in the story. A transfer would have been a more credible situation.

In short, this show will not leave a lasting mark in French or police procedural TV records. It is quite mediocre and hard to believe, and you could devote six hours of watching time to much better productions in the genre.

Rocco Schiavone (2016)

Lovable guy, well developed plots, alluring, perhaps with too much resemblance to Montalbano

You cannot refer to this show without bringing in Montalbano.The strong and the weak aspects are quite related to Andrea Camillieri's character, in a way.

Schiavone is as lovable, picturesque and local as its predecessor. Rocco and Salvo are both quite effective, earnest, individualistic detectives, remarkably better than their peers, with a strong commitment to put the evil guys in jail, but a penchant for overstepping boundaries and taking justice in their own hands.(This is a cliche in many detective shows, right.)

They both have a neurotic behaviour in terms of love relationships which renders them unable to commit in real terms to an actual partnership.

They both work in a breathtakingly beautiful landscape-- seaside Vigata in the south, in the case of Salvo, and northern snowbound Aosta in Rocco's case. In both series, the landscape and scenery have a major role to play.

They both work in a small town questura (police station) with similar teams, where smart, loyal juniors (Pierron / Fazio) coexist with the funny crew of clueless, dumbass agents. These (D'Intino / Catarella) bring out the worst of their bosses, exasperate them to death, but also infuse some comedy relief into the gritty, sordid cases. And when they turn to do things right, it is always despite themselves. (Both Catarella and D'Intino have something on with their bosses' doors, which is quite funny, by the way.)

Both Rocco and Salvo swear, throw things and lose temper as a hallmark, women find them irresistible in their low-key flirty ways, they tend to be in conflict with procedural propriety, and they look the other way when rules contradict their natural sense of justice. Also, they both have a similar bromance with their boastful and genius pathologists, who are strong characters in themselves...

Lovers of Italian crime shows will soon recognize more similarities in both series.

However, there is a female bright young detective here instead of Mimi Augello as a sidekick, and Rocco goes farther than Salvo in his troublesome behaviour. He is a heavy weed-smoker (an early joint at the office is his "morning prayer"), a Robin Hood to thieves, and has a heavier dark past upon his shoulders. The relationship with his band of crazy friends is a nice parallel story, and the acting is superb, really fantastic. Makes you fall in love from the very first episode.

(Rocco's relationship to his wife has already been developed in Bron/Broen last seasons, and has similarities to River plotline, so it was a bit of a deja-vu for European crime shows fans.)

In short, if the cliches and resemblance to Montalbano doesn't bother you too much, there is a lot to enjoy in this first season of six, 100-minutes episodes. It is a lovely show, well developed and produced, remarkably well performed, and very entertaining.

Craith (2018)

Frankly compelling, suspenseful, brightly interpreted and well produced! Excellent!

Craith is a slow-paced, but highly suspenseful crime puzzle involving:

• an electrifying serial killer storyline (I found some reminiscences of the Silence of the Lambs),
• a damaged, twisted criminal
• a succesive unveiling of more victims spanning from the past to the present,
• a low-key but persistent female sleuth (memorable interpretation!)
• a rich focus on complicated family dynamics (both in the lives of the criminal and the detective).
• a beautiful, dark, forest scenery.
• Ed Talfan's hand everywhere (particularly in the opening credits sequence, the music and the solving process approach).