Hors Saison

This was a drama that didn't have one pleasant character in it. All of them were flawed so it was hard to root for any of them.

How did the casting director choose the actor who played the son Jeremy? He's around 30 years old with the build and face to match, yet we were supposed to believe he was what ? A late teenager or 20, who spent most time throwing childish temper tantrums (he could have knocked out his screen father with one thump!) or sobbing in his mother's arms. Most decent parents would have marched him to the police double quick.

Then there was the obsessed French detective with THE most stupid haircut that was plastered down. Hard to warm to a character who was an idiot.

Then the main protagonist - the female Swiss detective. She did smile ... once in the final scene. Probably glad it was all over.

The storyline was clever - though complicated. I stayed the course despite wanting to give Jeremy a good slap, but not something I'd sit through again.

I watched all the episodes within a twenty four hour period. The series was gripping and had twists and turns that I couldn't work out the final destination of. Having said that, there were some holes in the plot - even though the garage's video tape had been wiped (suspicious in itself) the shop assistant only had to be asked what the new suspect had bought on the day in question for all to be revealed. Similarly, the mechanic at the repair yard, who was on probation, could have had more pressure put on him to confess that he had helped in the commission of a crime. All excuses would have been off.

There was one more problem. After the Swiss captain had worked out the connection between the deaths, she left one of the potential victims to his fate. I don't think any competent cop would have done that.

Interspersed with the investigation were human interest stories relating to the two lead investigators that were not a graft-on. They seemed to grow naturally into the plot and explained some of the behaviour and motivations of the French and Swiss captains.

We knew the ultimate truth as did Captain Bouanni but a truth of sorts was accepted as a finality. The tension remained until the end of what was a very intriguing series. I recommend it.

Perhaps one of the stupidest series about cops and crime. A supposed-to-be smart cop does some of the stupidest wrongs to protect her stupid son. The acting is flat, the back story is generic, there's not much to care about at all. We all know that property developers are the worst of all evils, OK. And they are appropriate targets, as we know. So what's new here? The only redeeming feature here is the great photos of the mountains. The silly French cop sucks on lollipops all the time, isn't that interesting?

There are many fine crime & cops streamers out there, but this is not one of them. Waste of space, waste of time.

Off Season: A serial killer strikes on on both sides of the Franco-Swiss border. The victims have been dosed with ketamine, bound and thrown into ravines to die of their injuries and exposure. Police Captains Peiry from Switzerland and Bouanni from France are charged with tracking down the killer. Both cops have their own problems, which rise above the soap which too often infuses there dramas. Peiry's threaten to derail the investigation and she is forced to make choices which bring her future career into question. There is also some sort of conspiracy going on regarding the expansion of a local Ski Resort. Very much character driven the narrative does provide a few red herrings but the protagonists actions make sense when seen in context. Six episodes. Directed by Pierre Monnard, Co-Written by Sarah Farkas. 8/10.

Wow! Some of the reviews are harsh. Must be 'muricans. The end was exactly what I wanted to see happen. I found the series suspenseful and didn't predict who was truly at fault. One point was removed for the typical woman (wife) complaining about her husband's job, a cop. Seems to be a pattern in a lot of series. Woman marries a cop then doesn't like the hours, whines about being alone too much, and stops supporting her husband. Doesn't work that way!

Did she rightfully protect her son? The captain was protecting her heart and still grieving the loss of her daughter. Does that make it okay? In my opinion, yes! The little French weasel cop was annoying ... he may have good instincts, but he crossed the line to many times.

Excellent series!!!