The Break

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.

I like crime/ drama/ thrillers very much. And I do love Europpean take on that area of tv, however, I didn't expect what I have experienced while watching that one. It was deeply disturbing, with some graphic scenes and pretty much depicting human filth in all possible forms. It was very depressing in that extent. And although I watched it awaiting the solution for the whole time - right until the very end, I wouldn't return to re-watch it because I felt exhausted, as if I was in that small town, at the time of those events. For those wo will think "So it's not worth watching" I say - that only proves how good the story is written and executed. Yoann Blanc's acting is a-ma-zing, he presented the rapid mental deterioration in a very beliavable way. His growing suspiciousness is shared by the viewers, although you do realize that he overdoses time and time again and that pills push him over the edge. But you still keep on watching to see whether he was right, what will happen with him... I highly recommend, however - bear in mind that it's not a relaxing tv show for Sunday binge-watching.

Will "The Break" remind you of "Twin Peaks"? Yep. How about "Broadchurch" and "True Detective," or the French show "Les Revenants"? Check, and check (and the show's creators have even admitted as much). Okay, now that we've gotten what a bunch of other reviews and interviews have already noted (mostly on French websites), let's get to the execution of the show, and why it's so darn good. And yes, it is really good - in spite of reminding you of Lots of Things That Have Come Before It.

The plot: as stated above, there is a soccer player who turns up dead. A brooding detective who is new to town (for reasons that become increasingly clear as the story unfolds) is the chief investigator on the case. That's all I can really say without spoiling anything - and you really have to know as little as possible about this show to enjoy it to the fullest extent.

The execution: This is an excellent sort of whodunit, complete with Log Lady-type characters, dark and creepy woods, and lots of other goings-on that are of a highly suspicious nature (David Lynch is chuckling somewhere, that's for sure). I was hooked after one episode - and I mean, hooked. As in, I binged all of these in two days. This surprised me, as I went in having read a couple of lukewarm reviews that implied it might be too similar to the above-referenced shows; it's not. Rest assured that the Belgians have taken some of the greatest elements of these shows and really mixed them into something altogether new and incredibly fun to watch.

The story will keep you guessing; the characters are definitely not entirely what they seem, and each episode does one of those super- fun cliffhangers that has you immediately pressing "play the next episode." It's definitely less "produced-looking" and the small townsfolk really look like - well, small townsfolk. Heiderfeld does seem like the kind of place where things are bubbling just underneath the surface. It's a heck of a fun ride and I can't wait for Season Two!

FYI for those who are parents, or those who might be squeamish - it's a bit gory (dead bodies up close; lots of blood; scary visions), and as it's a European show, there are a lot of nudity and sex. Fair warning.

Love how interesting those full of forest and small town crimes episodes could be and characters and so on. I love how after seeing hundreds of good crime series there is still another one that could take your breath away. Gripping to say the least .. also..a good crime series do let you keep guessing who' s done it to the last second ...it has got it all! Very good Belgium series!

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.