Two Summers

I am getting really good at enjoying foreign series using subtitles. Honestly, I watched the first 2 episodes, then had to go back and watch the first one again just to understand who grew up to be who. Once I got that, I enjoyed it all. It didn't seem to move too slowly for me. Are there so few actors in Belgium that they couldn't get someone to play the previously preppie Didier as the mature Didier? My apology to the elder actor. He was totally mis-cast. Breathtaking scenery.

Thought show was good and six episodes was appropriate. The story was confusing in parts and one criticism it was hard to match the younger version of the actor to the older version. All in all an entertaining drama that kept you guessing.

Two Summers is a well-produced, well-acted series that maintains its tension well and keeps the viewer guessing. Plus, it has a few twists and turns along the way. Two things kept it from getting higher marks: First, there was the challenge of trying keep track of which character was which 30 years later. I managed to solve that problem. The bigger issue was the absence of likability of any of the characters. The characters were so flawed and cynical, it was hard to feel good about anybody in the drama. That said, it did hold one's interest.

This is the kind of series that stands or falls on the strength of the acting, rather than the plot twists, suspense and action. The drama - the "secret" events of 30 years previously - is what haunts the characters now and the series handles all this pretty well, with the lies, deceit and self-delusions thick on the ground.

I found two or three of the characters a little weakly-drawn but the interactions were well acted and believable.

Belgium cinema/tv is building an excellent reputation for high quality drama, and this series is proof of that.

Don't watch this if you need action sequences, smart plot-twists and intrigue. But if you want a series that deals with serious issues in a serious, interesting and adult way, Two Summers is for you.

This is a rather thoughtful film about friends then and now. It's told using flashbacks to give the viewer a complete picture of what happened years back to understand what's happening now in the island while they're on vacation. In the early episodes, the viewer is reminded of a Hercule Poirot movie as the friends try to uncover the culprit.

The actors are good, the scenery is great. The piano and violin score is haunting and evokes the rather tragic mood of the story. The viewer is immersed in what's happening to the friends many years later.

It might be difficult for the viewer to understand the ending for the first time. S/he might have to repeat the last episode to get it right.

Overall, it's watchable and worthy of your time. Sidebar: 2 of the actors, namely, Ruth Becquert and Sanne Sanina Hanssen were together in the popular Belgian-Dutch co-production Undercover.