‘The Madame Blanc Mysteries’ Recap: ‘Episode 1’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Normally when someone we love passes into the great beyond, we go through some supremely specific motions. In that, we grieve and grieve hard, because they were our world and we also step away from the world for a time, to process a life without them and what that is going to look like before honoring them by living our life to the fullest while keeping their memory close to our heart. Because that is simply the way of things and that is the expectation when death encroaches on our family. But the fact of the matter is, death and what comes after… is never so perfectly encapsulated. Because sometimes… we discover things about our loved one we aren’t sure we ever wanted to know after they're gone and sometimes, their end requires us to up end our life and go elsewhere to heal properly. 
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Because death is actually a messy process, one that rarely goes our way and it just so happens that a brand-new series on Acorn TV, chronicles that side of things in the most unique way imaginable in The Madame Blanc Mysteries. Now in this particular story, we are introduced to a woman named Jean White who gets some terrible news one day. In that, her husband Rory has passed away in a tragic accident, and obviously… affairs must be settled. Which motivates Jean to fly to France to gather her husband’s effects and prepare to move on without him, and at first glance, that appears to be an unremarkable plot. One that will focus instead on that more traditional and fluffier road to recovery, wherein we will witness every single step of the healing process for Jean. But all that is designed to do is to make the viewer comfortable and relaxed… so that the chaos that awaits Jean takes her and the audience by complete and utter surprise and well… that most certainly is the case, thanks to some wild discoveries.

For upon arriving in Sainte Victoire, her worst fears are confirmed. In that, her husband was unfaithful to her since another woman was constantly seen in Rory’s company on a regular basis and a supremely beautiful gemstone that Rory should have had in his possession, went missing between the time his car crashed and his body was retrieved and well, since that gem could in fact solve the financial distress that Rory left behind as well… Jean takes it upon herself to figure out where it could possibly be and who stole it and surprisingly, she manages to recover it. For after asking around and coming to discover that someone was trying desperately to pawn it, she is able to discover that the son of the town’s mechanic, swiped the ring because he had debts to pay off and also saw the gem as an easy way to make that happen. A discovery that allows for the ring to be placed into custody and for Jean to seemingly have the happy ending she’s looking for.

But even then, the fact that Rory had someone else around, and that someone is watching her and taunting her and likely killed her husband, is going to put Jean on a vastly different path of healing. One where she is determined to bring his killer to justice so she can finally find closure in every way imaginable and well, that’s about as unique a plot as it gets. For it really does put a special spin on the whole recovery from grief trope since you simply don’t see people take it upon themselves to solve the mystery of their loved one’s death. Which might seem silly or outlandish to some, but here is the thing… it works. And it does so because of the powerful grounding this story makes use of. For Jean’s grief, and the echoes of the past that surround her, genuinely add realism to this story, and of course… keeping the killer out of sight and mostly out of mind, while confirming to the audience that this mystery lady did indeed kill Rory… motivates the viewer to thirst for justice and continue the journey.

Plus, you cannot go wrong with the fact that the performances are simply top notch here. Since Sally Lindsay (Jean White) approaches the role with an honest and innocent wonder that instantly motivates you to root for her. Since it is clear she is caught in the middle of a mess she didn’t create and deserves justice and peace, and she is counterbalanced nicely by Steve Edge (Dom Hayes) whose comedic chops allow for the perfect amount of levity to take place… so the core subject matter and gravity of loss never overwhelms the story and well… that makes this series a must see. Since it really is a unique kind of cozy mystery, one that blends together the majesty of private investigator stories with the powerful and poignant nature of grief and loss, perfectly, and it will be quite interesting to see what Jean learns about her husband and who killed him… as this inaugural season rolls along. Until next time.

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