Capitaine Marleau

We await each years new season of La Capitaine , huddled round our tv in snowy Canada ,wearing our trapper hats just like her .

Whatever the superlative to iconoclastic is ...that's Captain Marleau. Her shambolic appearance and obvious lack of concern about it lulls her suspects into underestimating her , a la Peter Faulk in Colombo .. alas his trench coat did not convert to a sleeping bag!

As all tv detectives have a right to a distinctive vehicle , hers is a sometimes reluctant Land ranger. Marleau is a Land ranger herself , a roving one woman show picking up new sidekicks in each episode, with a few " experts/buddies" that she calls on. The shows must have a tourism board sponsorship , stunning scenery and locations across France.

I buy each years DVD and we watch them over Christmas ..sadly covid seems to have slowed production and we may be watching re runs .

I cannot wait to see season 3 and 4 (hopefully coming soon). I was hooked on it from the moment we meet her. She's absolutely endearing and quick as lightening. We need more shows starring women like Marleau!!

This is the most unlikely and most eccentric police procedural. The mysteries of the murders though, are not the point of the series. For an audience needing the subtitles to follow the dialogue, pensman's review gives a good account. Marleau is a quirky, eccentric police captain, with an irreverent, yet empathetic demeanor. Under the deadpan jokes, she demonstrates an astute understanding of human nature, and that makes her going through suspects and clues enjoyable to watch. A French version of the UK classic series 'Midsomer Murders', if you like: going through the foibles of rural French upper-middle class, one murder at a time, with a few twists and turns on the way.It's good enough to watch on this account only. Et si vous parlez français, il y a un bonus! (And if you speak French, there's a free gift!) Well, you need to speak French and you need to be old enough to catch cultural references that broadly range from the 60's to the 90's. Corinne Masiero as the lead delivers deadpan observations and puns in a style that reminds me strongly of the succulent dialogues of Michel Audiard's body of work as a screen writer, extending from the 1950s to the 1980s. It's been a long time I laughed that much and that often watching a police procedural, not because the sleuthing is ridiculous but because it's delivered brilliantly. As pensman's review notes, Marleau will acknowledge she's no Columbo: if you understand her deadpan delivery, she's arguably funnier.

It's clever & funny, with in-depth storylines, good characters, great acting (some famous actors), each episode is different and always has a psychological twist. The main character is brilliant, if you like Columbo, you'll love this show. I watch a lot of international series and this one I go back to all the time, I keep the MHZ channel because of it! It's not so dark & gory that you're questioning what you're letting in your life, yet edgey enough to be interesting and leaves you with good thoughts as there's always some compassionate quality. I can't wait for season 4!! And many more!

Such a wonderful mystery series with great comedy interwoven. Capitaine Marleau is portrayed as a combo between Columbo and a French truck driver. A natural talent. The series moves among many charming villages in France from Alsace to the Perigord region -- never Paris or big cities. Subtitles are generally accurate.