SEASON 1 (5/5)
What a game-changing show for Quebec. It's pretty impressive to see a show that takes a lot of risks, as Grande Ourse did. It gets obvious early on that Grande Ourse takes inspiration from Twin Peaks, which is a little town with a murder. The people there are eccentric, the mystery is weird, and we flirt with the supernatural. I think Grande Ourse succeeds in being the Québécois equivalent to Twin Peaks, and in the best way possible, if the inspiration is here, Grande Ourse is its own thing.
It's a TV show that just continuously twists the story while maintaining its bizarre logic. The twists are more than gimmicks, they develop the story in a meaningful and addictive way. The mystery is dense, bizarre, and every revelation is worth it. There is a strong visual identity here, each character has their own quirky style, and there is a constant chiaroscuro.
The humor is pretty Québécois, which can be campy and unpolished, but it is part of the charm of Grande Ourse.
SEASON 2 - L'HÉRITIÈRE DE LA GRANDE OURS (3.5/5)
Season 2 feels very different from the first for the better and for the worse. The good points are that the main characters return to a completely new mystery and location, and these new secrets and conspiracies have a different atmosphere from the first season. We left the rural town for the suburbs, and the mystery goes from a coven to a rich family. What doesn't change is the quirk of the series, a new cast of absurd secondary characters, and how weird things get before the reveal.
There are still some issues with this season. The story doesn't feel as original or tight as the first season, and they try way too many mysteries at the same time. Also, some new characters look like a rehash of characters from the first season.
We need to talk about how badly the character of Sarah was played. The actress did a terrible job with her, unable to play the tormented character attacked by visions without looking amateurish. To be fair, her dialogues were also pretty bad.
