Something else from the Guardian's Top TV of 2021 was Netflix's French Drama "Lupin" - specifically Part two, but I hadn't started it at all yet. So, I did. It's never quite as fun again as its first episode for me, but it's a cool, smart series that even if it hadn't ended on a cliffhanger, I would be back for.
Assane Diop (Omar Sy) is a Parisian thief, who uses his wits and charm to evade capture in the style of his hero, Arsene Lupin, the Gentlemen thief of early 1900's literature. His father seemingly took his own life, when Assane was a child, having been convicted of stealing a necklace from Hubert Pellegrini (Herve Pierre) a wealthy industrialist. Decades later, Assane is given a chance at the very same prize but he soon discovers that the Pellegrini's are more dangerous than he believed.
Lots to admire, from the first episode especially. The "Sherlock" comparisons are obvious. A contemporised version of a classic character - the first episode sees him commit the crime and utilises flashbacks to reveal truths and information that we weren't previously made aware of. It never quite matches that level of wit again. Assane remains adept at sleight of hand and with a gift of the gab, but his disguises involving hair and makeup are generally unconvincing and, perhaps most importantly, the plot of the series kicks in pretty firmly, stopping us from getting to know the character a little better via another clever heist.
Which is not to say that I didn't enjoy it, much of which can be laid at the feet of the charismatic Omar Sy, who has flirted with stardom before with roles in "Jurassic World" and in "X-Men: Day's of Futures Past". I breezed through this first five episodes in a few days and will probably crack on with the next five before too much longer. I just perhaps we'd languished in some adventures a little more, before powering on with the main story.