Agathe Koltès

I like foreign content and fortunately with Amazon and Netflix there's access to many programs from all over the world.

I thought that Agathe Koltes was a very good series and I really enjoyed it. The main character was well written, attractive both as a woman and as a very exceptional but flawed police investigator. She obviously has a past career and life, but we're not told much about it, they make us wait as information comes out little by little.

The other police staff also are allowed to grow, change, succeed and fail both professionally and as human beings.

I would have liked to see another season to see how things went, but the show was cancelled for some reason. Meanwhile, back to the selections in hopes of more little gems.

The two part pilot was good so I was eager to watch.

But as the series progresses the tensions between the characters is silly and over dramatic.

The lead is very likable but her glamour hair closeups are getting old.

The mother a daughter fight and then make up with great regularity and often there is no real reason for either things to have happened.

As others have said the location is very pretty but well... big deal.

Walter needs to start watching these programs before recommending them. This is the third stinker in a row he has suggested. Two of them were French so that might have something to do with it.

You know how these homicide detective shows go. They typically focus on one detective from a squad, with a partner or junior officers from the squad as supporting characters. And there's always a boss, usually called something like captain, superintendent, or commissioner, and played by an older actor, which makes sense for an experienced officer and authority.

In what I watched of "Agathe Koltes", it's odd-the boss looks about 30 years old but somehow she's a senior officer in charge of everyone else. As if Commissioner Pippi Longstocking wasn't enough of a stretch, the main character, played by a 54-year-old, is a lower-ranked detective and none other than the commissioner's mother. The series actually presents her as subordinate to her daughter, taking orders from her and even getting chewed out.

Sorry, I can't take that seriously.

I have watched several French criminal series on PBS Masterpiece like "The Paris Murders" or "Mountain Detective" which I found all to be very, very good, yet "Agathe Koltes" is the best, I think. Those in "The Paris Murders" are a bit farfetched as they mostly deal with murders by psychopaths, if you like that kind of drama.

Yet, in "Agathe Koltes", the characters are very natural and the plots are down-to-earth like those that happen in a small town like Vannes on the beautiful Atlantic coast of Southern Brittany: multiple islands, coves, tides, multitude of boats, sailors, tides, oyster farms, even a plot related to the Atlantic race along Route du Rhum!

In season 1 of "Agathe Koltes" released in 2021 there are 10 episodes. All main characters are played excellently and are very natural and likeable.

The main character of Agathe Koltes, an experienced tour-de-force but subtle police investigator, is played by Phillippine Leroy-Beaulieu known for her roles in Call My Agent, Two Brothers, Neuf mois, Three Men and a Cradle. Hortense G'elinet plays her daughter, Mathilde Sirach, who is her boss, while Arnaud Binard plays captain Fontaine, a partner of Agathe, who hides his first name Juste.

I also like Serge Riaboukine (and his French!) in his supporting role of Guy Wichniak and In'es Melab in her role as a novice investigator Leslie.

I watch these series to better acquaint myself with spoken French. So, from that point of view, French in all these series is very understandable, although that in "Agathe Koltes" seems to be most clear (to my ear, at least). I am a little disappointed as I don't hear many expressions or words in Breton language although there are many local last names and names of villages that are typically Breton.

In comparison, in a series "The Wall" which happens in Northern Quebec, you listen to French from Quebec which is harder to understand until you get used to it a little.

All these series are from Walter Presents. English subtitles are mandatory (unfortunately).

So, I highly recommend watching "Agather Koltes". The backdrop in Brittany is gorgeous!! J'aime la Bretagne et "Agathe Koltes"! Hope to see season 2 soon.

I really enjoy this series. It's entertaining and the individual episode plots keep you engaged in whatever crime is happening while also keeping you engaged in their personal lives. I always love shows that can hold your attention without having to resort to including a lot of gore or explicit violence.