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.

Seems everyone was confused trying to keep track of which characters were which in the present and past (flashbacks).

Here's a little help for those who couldn't keep track: Each character can be identified by the color, or style, of the clothing they wear.

Here is a guide to a few of the characters, I'll leave it up to you to decipher the rest.

Saskia was always in a bikini.

Peter wore a green shirt.

Romee was always in blue.

Didier wore pink and blue.

Lia was draped in colorful garments.

Luk was bald in youth and had a full head of hair and a beard in the present.

So, now you have the Playlist - try and enjoy the plot.

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.

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.

As Episode 1 of "Two Summers" (2022 release from Belgium; 6 episodes of about 45 min each) opens, we are in "Silicon Valley, USA", where Peter and his wife Romee live in a palatial estate. Just as they head out the door, Peter receives a message on his phone, containing a highly explosive video of an incident that happened 30 years ago. We then go to "Antwerp, Belgium", where a group of 6 friends get ready to fly out to a private island in the south of France, to celebrate Romee's 50th birthday. At this point we are 10 min into Episode 1.

Couple of comments: let me state upfront that I hail from Antwerp, Belgium (but have now lived in the US for many years) and when this was suggested to me by Netflix based on my viewing habits, I almost fell onto the floor when I realized that this is an authentic Flemish/Belgian TV mini-series. The "two summers" referred to in the title are the current summer and the summer of 1992, when the protagonists all are about 20 years old. Now reaching 50, it turns out that there are some very dark secrets hanging over their heads. So what starts as a happy-go-lucky reunion among this group of longtime friends, quickly unravels, and I'll leave it at that. The only performer I recognized is Ruth Becquart, one of Belgium's top actors (she was recently in the new season of that other great Flemish series "Undercover", also available on Netflix).

"Two Summers" premiered on Belgian (Flemish) TV in February (with stellar TV ratings), and it recently premiered on Netflix, where all 6 episodes are streaming now. If you are in the mood for a psychological thriller with a twist (or two) and a European setting, I'd readily suggest you check this out and draw your own conclusion. Note to Netflix: THANK YOU for bringing this to US audiences. Please stream more such foreign mini-series!