The Wall

Yet another menopausal female detective but this time from French Canada rather than Skandi Noir . Possibly would benefit from blitz watching but frankly too slow paced ( nothing much happens in each episode ) and I'm pretty sure I have most of it worked out after the first 3 or 4 episodes but frankly not that interested in who did what to whom or why . Some reviewers mentioning extreme violence must have watched more than me and I may be tempted to watch the final 2 episodes when Channel 4 UK airs them just to see if I am correct in my theories as to the perpetrator or perpetrators but won't waste anymore time watching what goes on in the mean time .

This was without doubt one of the most debased and depraved series I have had the misfortune to watch. It did not start out so bad. There are 8 episodes. By Episode 5, I had had enough. It is merely an excuse to watch men abuse women, portray women in degrading and dehumanizing conditions, blame the women for their situation, and in most other ways offend viewers sensibilities. A creepy town and a creepy plot. And I thought Canada was a pretty nice country!

I had a feeling before even starting this one that I was going to like it a lot. Well I did, enough to watch all 8 episodes straight though with only small break.

Some will say it is predictable, and in some ways it could easily be seen that way, but it has enough red herrings to make it hard to work out. Plenty of suspects like any good whodunnit.

A good watch and the subtitles should not be a problem if you are not a French speaker.

If you are not hooked by the end of the first episode this is not a show for you.

8/10.

The first episode starts off by providing little or no context as to exactly what's happening. To make matters worse, there are many characters who are introduced in rapid succession in the first few scenes, and no context is provided as to who any of them are, or what their roles might be. As the first episode moves along in a disjointed and disconnected manner, viewers are taken from one location to the other, with little in the way of continuity of dialog to even start to pick up the threads of the story. By the middle of the first episode, the confusion and chaos is proving so tiresome that there is loss of viewer engagement, and the correct course of action is to cease watching the bit of rubbish.

I enjoyed "The Wall" in part because Céline Trudeau is at the forefront of the action, a gutsy, mature, experienced woman often outpacing her younger male counterparts. The storylines are interesting, and the settings are beautiful. (Plus, the language is so melodic for us non-French speakers.)

Each season's major crime is different, allowing Céline to shine, whether it's dealing with a small northern mining community's murders and mishaps, an urban environmental conference marred by murder or a trip down memory lane among her homefolks that unearths family secrets - literally.

If I have one complaint, it's that the story arcs are about 25% too long and tend to drag a bit. Solid editing could pick up the pace, keep the storyline intact and still allow the plots to develop and the characters to shine.