La fièvre

Does the title sound elitist? It's meant to. The series was densely packed with argument and dialogue that would sail over the heads of most people. I think most of society could not understand the concepts here let alone the crisis management and its vocabulary. After I left social work, I managed international projects for a large market research company. I understand the difference therefore between qualitative and quantitative surveys. I bet most of any audience wouldn't have a clue, for example.

The series was a fast-paced study of how an intelligent élite manipulates public opinion in different areas and various ways. Crisis management is another word for directing opinions. Most people are completely unaware that it's happening to them. Conscious and unconscious bias mixed with bots and shady influencers makes for a dangerous and volatile mix.

At times the expositions and speeches that sought to change opinions were mawkish but unfortunately that's the level we're at with five-minute attention spans.

It's exaggerated in many ways and the line drawn between the goodies (playing it fair) and the baddies (using underhand methods) was a bit laboured at times but I enjoyed it all.

There's a semi cliffhanger at the end so I hope for another season.

There are at least three pieces of action here, with the arguments for and against tolerance. The start is clever with deliberate anticlimax leading into the narrative. Football is a microcosm representing the world, with its extremes of tolerance and intolerance. Behind, is the immensely clever manipulative populist. The visually interesting use of ingeniously false messaging on social media sets apart the two poles of society. A secondary figure is at odds with the tolerant group while opposing extremism. The interesting concept of quantitative and qualitative reporting is discussed and comes to a head with a climactic debate in a mock parliament. The serial ends without resolution, but a big question. The French love philosophy and you get that in spades.

Are you really sure that you're white first ? Are you really sure that you're black first ? Are you really sure that you're arabic first ? And so on.

Are you even really sure that you're a women first ? Are your even really sure that you're a man first ?

NO. First you're just another Human Being on this planet, with feelings.

And skin color, religious affiliation, nationality, even gender at some point, are most of the time false and deadly identities based upon deep fears.

If you're not afraid and courageaous enough, please read all Jiddu Krishnamurti books (a very well-known indian philosopher) or the acclaimed book "In the Name of Identity: violence and the need to belong' written by Amin Maalouf (a very famous libanese and french writer)

That's what this very clever, very well written, very well played TV series is about, in the end.

A must-see to grasp (and counter with openess and love) the unfortunate extremisms, splits and divides of our troubled times and societies.