‘Cannes Confidential’ Recap: ‘Death of a Jester’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Jamie Bamber and Lucie Lucas as Harry King and Detective Camille Delmasse in Episode 101 of ‘Cannes Confidential’ – ‘Death of a Jester’. (Photo Courtesy of Acorn TV/AMC Networks.)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the Series Premiere of ‘Cannes Confidential’. 

Fans of crime stories and mysteries on television, can all agree upon the fact that shows in this vein, follow pretty standard formulas these days. In that, they’re dark, they’re gritty and filmed through a distorted lens to remind us that we’re trapped in an ugly world with intrepid and grizzled, and brilliant detectives. Who see the world for what it is and use their rough experiences to simply keep evil at bay, making them gatekeepers for good of sorts, and they of course… face off against equally as brilliant monsters. Who kill with impunity and joy and are eager to teach the world valuable lessons regarding what’s right and what’s fair and those formulas… do lead to some incredible stories.
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The kind that are indeed powerhouse and epic and keep us tuning in because they raise the stakes and take us on an emotional rollercoaster. But what’s fascinating about formula, is that it tends to engender creativity. For there comes a saturation point where creatives and studios are eager to try something new in order to stand out and/or change the game and it just so happens, that Acorn TV is now home to a show that serves as the anthesis to such formulas. For Cannes Confidential is that rare crime story, that is eager to inject fun into the genre. Which some will of course balk at, but crime shows don’t always have to be so bleak, they can indeed have a little fun, and do more and be more with a little care and a little love, and that’s precisely what this show does.

Courtesy of several key elements, such as the show’s setting. For this is a series that takes us far away from the gritty nature of the big city and is set in Cannes. Which allows for us to enter a bright and vibrant world where crime is dealt with via a tough-as-nails (but very relatable) detective named Camille Delmasse who doesn’t ponder upon the deeper meaning of what she’s dealing with, she just wants the bad guys behind bars and will waste little time in making that happen. Making her quite the force for good, and making her quite the uplifting character, one who is wonderfully counterbalanced by the enigmatic Harry King. A man with all kinds of mystery surrounding him, and he serves as Camille’s foil personality wise. Since he has no qualms operating in the grey to get what he wants and well… their union in this story, allows for some unconventional storytelling to take place in ‘Death of a Jester’.

For it is up to Camille to bring the killer of a well-known artist to justice in this story, and in order to do that… she will indeed need Harry’s help. Since his grey area mentality gets him where he wants to go, and his chipper demeanor and quick mind allows for him to get what he wants and obtain the critical information everyone needs regarding this case, and their powers combined really do lead to quite the unique solution to the case. One that informs us of how well they work together and how much fun this show is going to be. Because Lucie Lucas (Camille) and Jamie Bamber (Harry) play off of each other well, and they lean into the comedy and lean into the vibe of the show and that also allows for this series, to offer up some delightful action and adventure as well. The kind that explores the French countryside and gets our hearts pumping since it is all handled in a quality manner.

If anything, all of these elements, make this a must-watch show. Simply because… it really is refreshing and fun and injects new life into the crime and mystery story. All by offering something for everyone. Because if you like a more traditional/classic crime story… you have that here with the show’s 80s and 90s feel, and if you want a different kind of detective, you’ve got it. Plus, there’s comic relief to be found via Harry and there’s even a love triangle brewing in this story between Harry, Lucie and Lucie’s partner, Lea and best of all… there are some modern elements to be found here too. Such as an overreaching arc involving Lucie’s father and some secrets surrounding Harry as well and that… compels us to continue the journey. To enjoy all the refreshing wonder this series has to offer, and to see where those bigger mysteries are going to take us in the weeks to come. Until next time.

To learn more about Harry King, check out our interview with Actor Jamie Bamber.

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