Ennemi public

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Both my wife and myself love mysteries. "Public Enemy" has, thus far, proven it's self to be worthy of our love.

All-in-all a well produced series; and we find ourselves dusting off our atrophied French, to some success. The dialog is a bit on the quick side and we find ourselves, infrequently, having to replay a scene because, with closed captioning turned on, we, unfortunately, can't read it fast enough.

As with almost EVERYTHING European: there is so little hustle-and-bustle. And it's still like ninety percent RURAL; an oh-so-welcome change from the concrete jungle (or should I say concrete prison) of the coastal areas of the United States.

I bought the dvd of series 1 not knowing if I would like it. But just watched 10 hours in one go,I loved it. I found it unpredictable and gripping. Some critics feel the story is unrealistic but it did not bother me. People say this is based on real events and it may be but it requires no prior knowledge to enjoy it. If you like a detective mystery and don't mind subtitles or can speak French seek this one out.

No pun intended - can a person really change who he or she is deep inside? The show explores quite the depths of psychological drama - and demons or whatever you would call them. That's even crazier considering where one of the main characters ends up in at the beginning of the show - not that all of the church establishments have a good reputation (even less so, if you are cynical).

It looked like there was a big cliffhanger after two seasons - and Netflix seems to consider the final season as a standalone thing. But it is important to the overall story of all the important characters ... and how they deal with stuff. With new issues and crimes coming up. How much can you trust a criminal? How far is a cop supposed to go ... before going over the edge with all ... the psychological ups and downs this showcases ... the relationships of all involved ... even more showcased since we are talking of a small community ... you have to be into that stuff ... but if you are ... well there is a lot to like here ... if you can use that term of course.

Very much enjoyed the series. Two seasons is not enough. Thoughtful and well crafted narrative...sub plots integrated well with main thread...with few errors...yes the Belgian police need training but they're shown as human beings with all their weaknesses. Some townsfolk seem stereotypical as if out of some primeval neanderthal era...but reality matters and they can be redeemed at least some can... the social workers and other bureaucrats are shown in a sinister way as they should be...the performances rise to perfection. Yes. We need a 3rd and 4th season. Bravo. Another excellent Belgian series.

Having recently watched La Trêve and it was to me liking, I was referred to Ennemi public. Well, I had some reservations at first, due to its background topic (based on media coverage, Belgium is apparently the most pedophile-sensitive country in the world), but thankfully, the real events did not have the signs of this horrible sort of crime. The inclusion of monastery scenes was distinct, the performers pleasant and up to their task (particularly Stephanie Blanchoud as Chloe Muller and the men depicting the Stassarts), and the wrongdoer´s person was not revealed too soon... Beatutiful Vallonian nature was a nice supporting actor, extra emphasizing the general mood and "demons" of people living in a distant community.

All in all, a good series, but still a bit less catchy to me than La Trêve where tenseness was higher and you could focus more on the present events rather than compare and assess bad things from the past.