Heartbroken, sometimes in tears, fans of the series District 31 had to say goodbye Thursday evening to Commander Chiasson’s team, whose adventures they had been following assiduously for six years. But in addition to mourning their favorite series, some must also draw a line under the community of enthusiasts with whom they exchanged theories and significant moments on social networks.
“It’s heartbreaking to see it stop. It hurts my stomach to understand that it won’t come back, it’s really the end, ”drops Daniel Jean on the phone, caught a few minutes after the broadcast of the grand finale. “It was a very beautiful episode, an incredible goodbye to the viewers. […] It was painful, it was so touching, ”he continues, still moved, admitting to having shed a few tears.
Faithful from the start, the 45-year-old man never missed an episode of the popular Canadian radio detective series. For six years, every evening, he sits in front of his television at 7 p.m. sharp to follow the plot woven by Luc Dionne. “Each time, it’s as if the Earth stopped spinning. It’s just me, my girl and District 31. No phone, no computer to distract us,” he says.
When the production announced in March that the sixth season would be the last, Daniel Jean suffered a “hard blow”. “We quickly get attached to the characters, we even identify with some,” he says. Not to mention the plots, which we love, we always want more. »
Since then, he has been trying to quietly grieve, even if the phase of acceptance still seems very far away. “Next Monday, I start the series again from the beginning. I’m going to listen to an episode every evening at 7 p.m., as before. Would that be denial? No, nostalgia, he argues.
It’s normal to feel a void, sadness – or even a form of mourning – vis-à-vis fictional characters, underlines Stéfany Boisvert, professor at the School of Media at UQAM. Even more when they are part of a daily program broadcast for several years. “Viewers develop an attachment, a feeling of closeness with those they see evolving every day on their screen, she notes. They will sometimes spend more time in contact with these characters than with their own family or friends. »
A spirit of community
The feeling of emptiness is all the greater among those who have made the series a central element of their socialization, believes Mme Green wood.
“It’s not new: we like to watch television, but above all we like to talk about it. Before, it was around the coffee machine. Today it’s on social media. We see communities being created online, where real friendships are born. […] This is also what is suddenly taken away from fans of District 31 who have been particularly active and emotionally involved in these networks,” notes the professor.
District 31 benefits from a large community on the Web. The series’ official Facebook page has more than 268,000 subscribers, and more than a dozen private discussion groups have sprung up on the social network in recent years. Thousands of members have joined to comment on the series live, exchange their theories or indicate their favorites and their rants.
If he likes to watch the show in peace with his girlfriend, Daniel Jean then hastens to extend the discussion on social networks. In July 2019, he even created his own Facebook group to bring together enthusiasts from all over Quebec. The “Club District 31” now has nearly 5,000 members.
“It will leave a void not to exchange so much anymore. It was thefun to share my passion with other enthusiasts of the series, to reflect together on the continuation of the episodes”, recognizes the one who has also made several friends thanks to this online community. He thinks of transforming his group into a tribute page where the nostalgic will always be welcome.
Christiane Collerette Brisebois and her husband, Gilles Brisebois, are also apprehensive about the post-District 31. Not just because they love the show, but also because they moderate not one, but two Facebook groups dedicated to the show, one of which has a whopping 93,000 people.
“I wonder what will be the reaction of the fans on our pages. Will they stop writing to us altogether? It worries me, ”admits Gilles. The 72-year-old retiree says he spends hours reading and moderating posts every day. “It’s almost a job full time. It keeps me busy,” he says.
“I’m going to miss the exchanges we could have with the members. Luc Dionne takes us on so many bizarre tracks that it helped to discuss them all together, to give our theories, adds Christiane, 70 years old. […] At the same time, it might give me more time for my knitting,” she laughs.
For the moment, there is no question of deleting the groups. The couple also plans to transform them into places of exchange for those who are not ready to drop out. Gilles Brisebois is even toying with the idea of creating another group on another series.
Who knows, the daily show that will replace District 31 this fall — starring Suzanne Clément — may experience the same success.