The Wagner Method (serial)

Season 1-4

French TV police procedural where the key team is protagonist Cesár Wagner (hypochondriac police captain),  Dr. Beaumont (forensic pathologist - unrequited love interest) and Dr. Weiss (personal physician - unrequited love interest). The three develop a fabulous friendship while dealing with Wagner's ailments and solving murders in Strasbourg. I love that the feared ailment of the day always contributes somehow to the case. I love how Wagner's background as Strasbourg elite plays out. I love how the history of France in WWII and the Nazi occupation is still so fresh and prescient in the culture of the show. 

4 stars (out of 5)

Mademoiselle Holmes (serial)

Season 2

I liked this more than Season 1, mostly because I realized that Holmes is Raphael from Astrid and Watson/Sami is Aurélien from Munch. And because the characters are set from the first season, we jump right into the quirk and don't need to slow roll the development. Holmes continues to solve cases, needs the emotional support of Sami and kid gloves from her co-workers. But she is the key member of the team instead of a side element that needs to force her way in. Maybe more traditional police procedural, but more fun because of it. 

5 stars (out of 5)

Carpe Diem (serial)

Season 1

Set in Nice, protagonist Tom is just released from a 17-year prison stint for killing his wife. While in prison, he got his law degree and is now hanging his shingle while investigating to find his wife's actual killer. He is a charming rogue, getting into the good grace of the local detective, and taking on and winning cases for the underrepresented. He has a fun team of quirky and a family he is trying to figure out. Lincoln Lawyer meets Munch. 

4 stars (out of 5)

Ladies First

So it has come to this. What a disappointing, missed opportunity this was. To highlight the pervasive misogyny and patriarchy in business, the CEO of an ad agency hits his head and is transported to a world that is exactly the same, but with male-female roles switched. The women are misogynistic and patriarchal. So he learns his lesson, but barely, and then returns to his world a better person. Why do we not have a chance to see what a non-misogynistic world looks like? Why can't living in a world that is run by women, or co-run with women, be an effective tool to show the dumb CEO the errors of his ways? Instead of beating him with his own stick. My version has the benefit of showing such a world to every viewer, not just changing the life of one sad-sack character. Disappointing.

2 stars (out of 5)

Filthy Fortunes (serial)

Season 1-2

A "clean out" team travels from place to place cleaning out hoards in this reality series. The key premise here is that the owners want the hoard clean more for the space recovery than to optimize dollars. So the team cleans and then sells what they can. This is not about drama, or shaming hoarders, but really about the find of the treasure. This is a background show that I can have on while doing other things. 

3 stars (out of 5)

Phantom Lawyer (serial)

Season 1

Legal K-drama with new lawyer I-rang hanging out his own shingle. Turns out it is because his father was a famously corrupt prosector and no-one would hire him. In his new practice, he sets up his office in a former shaman's space, and it turns out I-rang can see the ghosts that the shaman had called back. So I-rang's clients become the ghosts that need resolution before passing on. It's a 16 episode season, with about 2 episodes per ghost client. And true to K-drama form, there is a slow burn romance. There are several small inconsistencies throughout the season in terms of how ghosts interact with the world, but overall this is a fun and heartfelt family drama and legal drama. 

4 stars (out of 5)

My Life is Murder (serial)

Season 4-5

In this season (season 1-3 here), Alexa and her friends continue to "assist the police" in Auckland with suspicious or cold cases. It's clever and fun and "low thrill" in that there are no serial killer cases or false cliffhanger stress. A pleasant watch. 

4 stars (out of 5)