larmo

November 6, 2022 - I liked the first season of this series because of the acting, plot and production values. I am familiar with the "Dreyfus Affair" which is an important historical political event that is part of the first season's plot. I enjoyed the series overall, but I didn't really get invested in any of the characters. Except for the obvious villains, I had no feelings about any of the other characters. I watched the series on a streaming service that released the episodes on a weekly basis, though the whole season could have been released at once. This made it hard for me to follow some of the plot points. Further, it was difficult to concentrate on the acting because the audio was in French with English subtitles, which I found distracting. The series style seemed very bland and was almost like a fictional documentary of events in Paris over a given period of time. While I didn't find any of the scenes directed at a more mature audience offensive. I do think that some viewers will find that the production company giving the series a TV-14 rating a little misleading.

November 3, 2022 - This has got to be one of the best acted, (Jessica Raine, does a excellent job covering a full range of emotions, and making her character believable and likeable), well directed, and intriguing TV crime series that I have seen in a long time. The writing is very good, and the reliance on tropes and memes is just about non-existent. I think the premise of the series could be used as the basis for an ongoing Series. I found the final "reveal" to be interesting, while some viewers may prefer a slightly different ending. I think that this is a good solid series, and I wish more were produced like it.

Overall I like the acting, writing, and plots of the series. I've even laughed out loud at some of the dialog from time to time. The production values are good, and I'm frankly surprised that this is an Acorn production, because it looks like it has a larger budget than many of their other series. There are basically two things that I don't like about the second season. The first thing is something that many series are guilty of, and that is what one professional reviewer calls "bloat". Production companies "pad" their series so that they have more episodes than they actually need. The streaming services like the practice because it means that people will keep renewing their monthly subscriptions longer. This means that subplots, some of which can be very unimportant, and at times really annoying, are added to the storylines. The second thing that I didn't like with the second season of the series. Is that Backstrom is not only kind of a self-important weasel, but as the episodes continue. He becomes even more unlikeable, and kind of "chicken hearted". In a way it gets pretty melodramatic, and I don't think it serves the character very well. If there is a third season of the series. I hope Backstrom is more professional and less cowardly, while still being something of a conniving weasel.