I am a 60 yr old native Quebecker and due to an early retirement and convalescence, I came across this show on TV Radio Canada (French CBC TV) and decided to watch a few shows from the first season. Unsure as to commit to over 700 20-minute episodes over 6 seasons (played 4 nights a week upon original airing), I took the plunge and was INSTANTLY hooked.
Context; I grew up as a bilingual Quebecker but mostly skewed to an English life due to schooling, parents' influences and a preference for English Canadian and American Pop culture. I had always stayed away from watching French language shows in general & I chose to not assimilate into Quebecois Francophone culture.
So, believe me when I say that this police drama will grab you by the collar and drag you in.
Excellent writing, acting and plot lines. You will find most characters endearing and even enjoy some of the villains. You will be engrossed and, at times, laugh out loud.
If you speak/understand Montréal-French, give this a shot.
I watch it WITH the French subtitles because they speak so fast & I had not heard of certain slang and French terms spoken in the show's dialogue in my conversational French business and personal life interactions. Google translate and online dictionaries are getting a workout!
Complaints of the 4 seasons so far that I have watched, of which some are probably budget related:
-there are no court scenes even though the police testify a lot in the storylines and the prosecutors are often with the members of the District 31 police station team.
-the unmarked vehicles used by the investigators are not believable and reflect a cheap budget (Volt/other small Chevys, Hyundai, small cars etc.)
-the police station set is bare bones, especially the Intelligence team's very dark-lit room.
-they are all addicted to regular brewed coffee and love the term 'Majeur et Vaccinée"....and I haven't made it to the covid-area episodes yet!
Overall, a big thumbs up for me!
