Public Enemy

Well, I guess this show has the answer to the question... As a french native speaker, I obviously watched it in its original version, and I have been nothing of flabbergasted by the lack of professionalism displayed by most, if not all the actresses and actors involved.

I liked the first 2 seasons though, because their plots were quite good, with a lot of twists and turns. But on season 3, the horrendous acting ruined it for me.

The main character Chloe, gosh.... Not only does she look obnoxiously unattractive and unpleasant, but I felt she was reading lines from a prompter. The rest of the cast doesn't do much better, though.

The previously child molester now become "brother Guy" is absolutely ridiculous. If hamming it up were an Olympic discipline, he'd probably strike gold. Who acts like that? Where did they find that shipwreck of a cast???

Very much enjoyed the series. Two seasons is not enough. Thoughtful and well crafted narrative...sub plots integrated well with main thread...with few errors...yes the Belgian police need training but they're shown as human beings with all their weaknesses. Some townsfolk seem stereotypical as if out of some primeval neanderthal era...but reality matters and they can be redeemed at least some can... the social workers and other bureaucrats are shown in a sinister way as they should be...the performances rise to perfection. Yes. We need a 3rd and 4th season. Bravo. Another excellent Belgian series.

I bought the dvd of series 1 not knowing if I would like it. But just watched 10 hours in one go,I loved it. I found it unpredictable and gripping. Some critics feel the story is unrealistic but it did not bother me. People say this is based on real events and it may be but it requires no prior knowledge to enjoy it. If you like a detective mystery and don't mind subtitles or can speak French seek this one out.

No pun intended - can a person really change who he or she is deep inside? The show explores quite the depths of psychological drama - and demons or whatever you would call them. That's even crazier considering where one of the main characters ends up in at the beginning of the show - not that all of the church establishments have a good reputation (even less so, if you are cynical).

It looked like there was a big cliffhanger after two seasons - and Netflix seems to consider the final season as a standalone thing. But it is important to the overall story of all the important characters ... and how they deal with stuff. With new issues and crimes coming up. How much can you trust a criminal? How far is a cop supposed to go ... before going over the edge with all ... the psychological ups and downs this showcases ... the relationships of all involved ... even more showcased since we are talking of a small community ... you have to be into that stuff ... but if you are ... well there is a lot to like here ... if you can use that term of course.

I've watched the first 2 series, assume there will be a third since it was left up in the air. Like some other reviewers I found the police behaviour a bit on the crazy side, always going off doing dangerous things with no backup, ignoring obvious clues, no strategy just always responding to the next weird thing. Also, so many killed but still only a few locals doing all the leg work? Other than a random riot squad who showed up out of nowhere and then disappeared again, I would have expected a national response. All a bit annoying.

But other than that I really enjoyed this show, the 1st series more than the 2nd which was much slower. I did fast forward through a bit of the gratuitious anxiety provoking scenes in the 2nd series, predictable outcomes.

The serial killer, not sure of the name of the actor, played such a tremendous part. He was so creepy, yet somehow increasingly likeable. Some of the actions of some of the characters just seemed a bit unbelievable. Emile's mum being the main one. But generally I enjoyed the slow reveal of characters back stories and the character development as both series progressed.

The scenery and music were wonderful. The story generally was good. The acting perfectly fine. Well worth a look, just don't get hung up on the quality, or otherwise, of the policing.