Twee zomers

As Episode 1 of "Two Summers" (2022 release from Belgium; 6 episodes of about 45 min each) opens, we are in "Silicon Valley, USA", where Peter and his wife Romee live in a palatial estate. Just as they head out the door, Peter receives a message on his phone, containing a highly explosive video of an incident that happened 30 years ago. We then go to "Antwerp, Belgium", where a group of 6 friends get ready to fly out to a private island in the south of France, to celebrate Romee's 50th birthday. At this point we are 10 min into Episode 1.

Couple of comments: let me state upfront that I hail from Antwerp, Belgium (but have now lived in the US for many years) and when this was suggested to me by Netflix based on my viewing habits, I almost fell onto the floor when I realized that this is an authentic Flemish/Belgian TV mini-series. The "two summers" referred to in the title are the current summer and the summer of 1992, when the protagonists all are about 20 years old. Now reaching 50, it turns out that there are some very dark secrets hanging over their heads. So what starts as a happy-go-lucky reunion among this group of longtime friends, quickly unravels, and I'll leave it at that. The only performer I recognized is Ruth Becquart, one of Belgium's top actors (she was recently in the new season of that other great Flemish series "Undercover", also available on Netflix).

"Two Summers" premiered on Belgian (Flemish) TV in February (with stellar TV ratings), and it recently premiered on Netflix, where all 6 episodes are streaming now. If you are in the mood for a psychological thriller with a twist (or two) and a European setting, I'd readily suggest you check this out and draw your own conclusion. Note to Netflix: THANK YOU for bringing this to US audiences. Please stream more such foreign mini-series!

Two Summers is a well-produced, well-acted series that maintains its tension well and keeps the viewer guessing. Plus, it has a few twists and turns along the way. Two things kept it from getting higher marks: First, there was the challenge of trying keep track of which character was which 30 years later. I managed to solve that problem. The bigger issue was the absence of likability of any of the characters. The characters were so flawed and cynical, it was hard to feel good about anybody in the drama. That said, it did hold one's interest.

This is a good series !

However, like most viewers will agree, it's difficult to tell who's who when looking at the characters 30 years apart.

Location is magnificent, idyllic and so inviting ! Watching them swimming made me envious !

The storyline will definitely polarise male and female viewers !

I've watched three episodes and it's holding my attention.

The two things I'm struggling with is the age difference of the cast, and being able to tell who is who from 1992-2022. There's got to be twenty years age difference between the actors, yet they are playing friends of the same age. One of the actors looks old enough to be his 'mates' dad!

I'd suggest new viewers have IMDB open on the cast when they watch. It easily allows you to connect the two different actors to the same role thirty years apart. It will certainly help you know who is who.

Hopefully it has a satisfying ending.

Seems everyone was confused trying to keep track of which characters were which in the present and past (flashbacks).

Here's a little help for those who couldn't keep track: Each character can be identified by the color, or style, of the clothing they wear.

Here is a guide to a few of the characters, I'll leave it up to you to decipher the rest.

Saskia was always in a bikini.

Peter wore a green shirt.

Romee was always in blue.

Didier wore pink and blue.

Lia was draped in colorful garments.

Luk was bald in youth and had a full head of hair and a beard in the present.

So, now you have the Playlist - try and enjoy the plot.