The Break

After trying several series on Netflix that didn't appeal to me, I decided to give the recently added La Trêve ('The Break') a try.

The first episode seemed like an exploration of the characters by the actors and creators, and it felt good. My curiosity was awakened and I looked forward to the next episode.

La Trêve turned out to get better with every episode. The brooding atmosphere and intriguing characters started to crawl under my skin. The main actor - Yoann Blanc - established an admirable performance. His character gets more and more intense as the series progresses. But just about every actor shines in La Trêve.

The story development is gripping, with several plot twists that leave the series relatively unpredictable until the end. I loved the aerial shots of the beautiful Ardennes scenery, adding a sense of mystery to the story. The atmospheric soundtrack really completes the dark, slightly surreal impression of La Trêve.

What I loved most is the dark, fatalistic tone that effectively surfaces more and more throughout the series, giving you an uncanny feeling of inevitable, impending doom as Yoann gets closer to solving the murder case, unveiling the hidden, twisted secrets of several village inhabitants.

If I'd have to say something negative about La Trêve, I'd reluctantly admit that some of the plot twists were a bit far-fetched. But the plot twists also kept the story thrilling. I'm also sad to confess that in my humble opinion, season two could not live up to the excellence of season one.

La Trêve (season one) is a fine example of what is labeled as New Belgian Noir. An interesting, dark blend of elements from Twin Peaks, True Detective and Broadchurch.

I was fortunate to stumble onto this gem via Canadian Netflix, and it was the intense acting talent of protagonist Yoann Peeters (Yoann Blanc) and the family drama subplots - with Yoann's daughter, Camille (Sophie Breyer)) and her immensely watchable friend Zoe Fischer (Sophie Marechal) - that kept me interested in the first season, but Season 2 was an entirely different ballgame. AMAZING. Episode upon episode, Season 2 was like a snake in the grass: I just couldn't predict which way it would turn, and I freaking loved that, of course. The diverse cast and high degree of potential perps ... the extraordinary acting ... the wild party scene Camille's much older artist girlfriend was involved in ... the forest landscapes ... Joann's disintegrating mental health ... contrasting social classes (great portrayal of Dany's trashy home life, with special kudos to Sophia Leboutte, who played his mother, and Noemie Schmidt, who played sister-in-law Sophie Bastin - I believed in these female characters 100%) ... and a main character with what appeared to be honest-to-goodness psoriasis! Great call, too, on using Balthazar songs for the openings. (You can be sure a lot of people "Shazam" those moody theme songs to find who who's behind them).

A few questions though. I'm not sure why there were so many comic(relief) characters; it's over the top (ie: the IT guy, and goofy Tino, and Yoann's hokey/spooky neighbours), and unnecessary. Yeah, I get it that the overall tone is dark, but audiences, methinks, can handle that. Also I got a little weary of Yoann's excessive cold-water-splashing on the face. Really? That often? And in Season 1, does rookie cop character Sebastian Drummer (Guillaume Kerbusch) really need to scowl that much? (After Season 1, all I could think of was how relieved I was I wouldn't have to see that scowl again ...)

Because this was the opposite of most of what I see out of the US, ie: predictable right down to the final words - oh god, Bird Box - and the cast was SO strong, I have to give it a 10.

My wife and I really liked the series for a while, but it went down hill in the second half of the season. The lead detective's behavior became so unstable and unprofessional that it wouldn't have been tolerated. Plus, the ending was rushed and not very believable. We would have given it an 8.0, but dropped it to a 7.0 as the season drew to an end.

Great police series with credible characters. We are absolutely baffled with who is the culprit until the final chapter. The paranoia, passion and despair of the main character are intensely lived. There are also the small pills that provide the very secondary giving a touch of humor that places us in what is a small town. In the second there is a party that reminds us of something that was portrayed in his last work by a teacher. Recommended for a weekend and see it in one go.

I enjoyed the series thoroughly, completeing it within a few days. I loved all the dark forest shots, some of the creepy dreams, the somewhat satisfying twists where justice is served. Lots of good characters and good plotlines, but Peeters gets to be exhausting and it doesn't feel like the people who are supposed to keep him in check but don't ever get checked for it. I loved Driss' character. I loved how fully fleshed out he was, how present in each episode rather than becoming the dead black guy. The very final twist is my only disappointment - didn't make sense, served too abruptly...