Les rivières pourpres

I've rated as an eight not for the stories or the acting but because of the enjoyment it gave me. There was something definitely different about this set of two seasons of series.

{{ EDIT: I got my wish (expressed below) of seeing a third season. I wish I hadn't. I'm wondering if the scriptwriters were different or if the same ones just ran out of ideas. I've reduced the mark to a six. I worked out within 30 minutes whodunnit in episodes one to four. I couldn't work out the assassin in episodes five and six (the stories take up two episodes each as in the previous seasons) because the person's existence was only revealed twenty five minutes before the end. The plots are creaky and full of holes. It seems like a different programme to what was in the first two seasons. I'm not even sure if I am going to bother with the final two episodes. I've got better stuff to watch. }}

The two main cops, Pierre Niémans and his deputy Camille Delaunay, are part of a special unit based in Paris whose full function is never properly explained. It appears to have extraterritorial powers too. These two particular cops investigate killings all over the country that have a ritualistic aspect, often religiously inspired.

There are other consistent themes. The local cops are incompetent yokels, although some of them occasionally have a flash of intuition or are good at the PC Plod work. Niémans and Delaunay break rules to get results up to and including using violence and illegal methods. They are rude and don't tell the local gendarmes what's going on; they sometimes don't tell each other what's happening.

The murders are generally grotesque and need a detailed knowledge of history to be solved - our two cops spend a lot of time on research.

We learn a little of our heroes' backgrounds and demons, much more about those of Delaunay whose past plays a major part in one of the stories of the second season.

I've got to say that it's over the top, but the good direction and acting, as well as the stunning scenery and buildings make the overall stories more than watchable.

I'd like to see a third season.