In Vlaamse Velden

This Belgian series is interesting in that it uses a well-worn theme of WW1, but tells it from a Belgian perspective. Unfortunately, like many Belgian series, the story is told in a confused manner with the scenes appearing like vignettes that have been randomly stitched together. This destroys the chance for the viewer to have any story continuity. As has been pointed out by another reviewer, the story seems to be agenda driven, and each agenda item then assigned to a character. There is little character development and at times, the script and dialog is very childish. Unlike so many other European series that sets the story in a particular non-English speaking country, then has everyone speaking English while surrounded by signs written in the language of the country, this series uses the many languages of the region, and emphasizes the attention paid to authenticity. The language switching abilities of the actors is just amazing to see and hear. While the acting itself and the makeup techniques used are really not that great, the series remains engaging and watchable.

I know it's WWI, but it's so dark and sad and I can't help but think, "why would anyone want to feel this way when watching TV?". It's pretty generic in that every war is sad and young men die but I don't feel like I know more or even had a good time watching it.

I really don't understand all the bad comments here.

A part of local Flemish history in this great series.

This is a great series depicting a Belgian context for WWI that is mostly neglected and underappreciated. I found it believable and compelling.

Good companion piece to for example a collection of eye-witness accounts of the First World War, or a bundle of Trench Poetry. It provides sound and footage. All relevant departments have done their homework, costuming, setting and decor look and feel quite authentic.

However, as a series on its own it is somewhat lacking. The characters remain vessels for all the different aspects of the war in Flanders that the writers felt must be nice included. It's as if they had made a list of the developments they wanted to include in a series like this and then proceeded to logically assign them to characters. It's not bad writing, as it does tick all the boxes. If you are interested in a general story, you'll be fine. However, if you deeply want to invest in your characters, you will be disappointed; they do not have enough substance for that. While there is some development and tension, this element of the series is underdeveloped.

From a linguistic point if view, this is also an interesting series as it is set in a very multi-ethnic part of Belgium. People in this region (Gent) seem to be used to 3 or 4 different languages and that is reflected in the dialogue and storyline. This element makes for a satisfying extra layer for language nerds such as myself.

All-in-all, an ok sort of thing. I caught this on Netflix. Not binge-worthy, but when fine watched over a couple of days, as a distraction from other activities and combined with an interest in the First World War or Belgium in this era.