No Offence (serial)

Season 1-3

British police procedural that gives definite The Wire vibes. Set in the grit of Manchester, the DCI, DS, and DI are all women who run the show and are brilliant police. The plot for season one follows a series of murders of young women with Downs Syndrome as the through thread. In fact, there are not really many disconnected cases or storylines in each episode. But somehow each does hold together as an individual unit. Season 2 digs into human trafficking and the local criminal families and 3 jumps to a political storyline (with a mayoral race as central). DI Deering is the brilliant boss who is always one step ahead and willing to take a risk when necessary. And when the risk blows up, she and her team pivot quickly to still be one step ahead (of both the criminals and their own bosses). Really well done. 

4 stars (out of 5)

Patience (serial)

This is the British adaptation of the French series Astrid. The storyline follows protagonist Patience Evans, a young, autistic woman who works in criminal records as an archivist/researcher for the police. Her (now deceased) father was a police detective and she is a puzzle hound. Turns out she is exceptional in connecting disparate clues to put together cases. I really loved the French series, and this is also good, but different. Patience is slightly less severely autistic than Astrid, has a different relationship with her boss (who changes between season 1 and 2), and the boyfriend is definitely more realistic (meaning more clunky with relationship). Somehow the differences between the two seem to be the difference between French and British police procedurals in general. French more austere, where the fact that Raphael is a bit rogue is both counter point to Astrid and a bit of the story itself. The British version, rogue seems to be more the norm, and the fact that Patience is less severe means that there is not nearly as much tension in the relationship/autism angle. Even neurodivergent seems typical. 

4 stars (out of 5)

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)