The candidate
How can you not fall for the charm and chatter of nail technician Alix Mongeau (adorable Catherine Chabot), borderline “douchebaguette”, who wins provincial elections almost by accident? This brilliant political comedy, inspired by the journey of Ruth Ellen Brosseau of the NDP, bursts like a bubble of pure happiness on our screens. It’s intelligent, funny and endearing, really. And it seems that screenwriter Isabelle Langlois has carried out rigorous research to tell the story of this verbomotor candidate who is just starting out, but who has a “beat”.
On the Tou.tv Extra; on ICI Télé from January
Succession
How sad: this fourth season marked the end (definitive, yes) of this captivating media-financial family saga, set among the ultra-rich of New York. Patriarch Logan Roy, a tyrant to his four deprived grown children, has finally named the person who will succeed him at the top of his billion-dollar empire. But who will get this coveted position? Through creative insults, backstabbing, backroom dealings and fancy coats, the war for the golden throne is claiming many victims. Viewers allergic to cynicism, please refrain, thank you.
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Disobey: Chantale Daigle’s choice
This is a historical miniseries (1989, that’s another era!) with a very current theme, almost 35 years after the original events. The six episodes of Disobey tell the true story of Chantale Daigle (Éléonore Loiselle), a 21-year-old waitress at Giorgio’s who is fighting to have an abortion. Pregnant with the mustachioed “loser” Jean-Guy Tremblay (Antoine Pilon), the young woman triggered an immense media storm which ended up on the steps of the Supreme Court in the summer of 1989. The sets, the costumes, the acting actors, the direction, nothing is wrong in this series, which almost smells of brown basement du Maurier cigarettes.
On noovo.ca and on Crave
The Diplomat
Fun and substance at the same time? It’s more than possible with this fun Netflix production, one of the nice surprises of the TV year. For eight episodes, planted at the intersection of Scandal and of The West Wing, we travel to London with Kate Wyler (Keri Russell), newly appointed United States ambassador to the English capital. Then, boom! a third world war is brewing in the Persian Gulf, Iran bombs (or not?) a British aircraft carrier, Kate’s husband is scheming in the halls of power and we realize that we haven’t blinked an eye for several hours!
On Netflix
Before the crash
We thought that our four financial “bros” had reached the bottom of the barrel (of crude oil) last year. But no. Through his fault, the banker François (Émile Proulx-Cloutier) lost everything, his wife Évelyne (Karine Vanasse) and custody of little Denis. Marc-André (Éric Bruneau) flirted with the upper echelons of power, before suddenly coming down. Only the friendly Patrick (Mani Soleymanlou) and the rich Vincent (Benoit Drouin-Germain) have managed to keep their heads above water in this gripping socio-economic thriller, which sticks in a disturbing way to current events.
On the Tou.tv Extra
The Bear
The second season of this superb series set in a noisy Chicago restaurant has surpassed the first, which is a (culinary) feat in itself. It is the most “umami” work on the small screen, which is bathed in constant chaos, in the kitchen and in the family. The sixth episode, centered on the extraordinary Jamie Lee Curtis, is a pure gem. We witness the disorganized preparation of Christmas dinner at the Berzatto’s, which will undoubtedly turn into drama. The soundtrack of The Bear is full of treasures (Wilco, Weezer, REM), and the realism that emerges from the 10 episodes makes us want to chain ourselves to the stove (but that eventually passes).
On Disney+
Mégantic
It may not be the ideal proposition for unwinding between Christmas and New Year’s Day, but the fact remains that this choral miniseries is of exceptional quality. Each of the eight episodes was built around so-called “ordinary” citizens of Lac-Mégantic, whose lives changed on the night of July 6, 2013. A barmaid from the Musi-Café, a volunteer firefighter, brothers working in the excavation . Some details have been modified for the fluidity of the story, but not the beating heart of this moving and poignant work, which whistles loudly in the dark night.
About the Club illico
The Morning Show
Is this the most subtle and refined script on American television? Not much. But is it an entertaining and scintillating product? Absolutely. In this third chapter flavored with Succession, Bradley Jackson (Reese Witherspoon) lands on the evening newscast and Alex (Jennifer Aniston) boosts the UBA+ digital platform when a leak of personal information splashes the network’s senior management. The snarky boss Cory (Billy Crudup) remains my favorite, along with the news director, the formidable Stella (Greta Lee). End of year bonus: Jon Hamm arrives in the series as a sort of Elon Musk who loves rockets.
On AppleTV+
Breathe in breathe out
Both a police thriller and a slapstick comedy, Breathe in breathe out is unlike anything on Quebec TV. I loved this amalgamation between The White Lotus And Knives Out. The synopsis? Two rival friends (Sonia Cordeau and Virginie Fortin) receive a gift certificate for a yoga and purification retreat in the woods, which will turn into a nightmare. The manager of this wellness establishment, Antara Yoni (Édith Cochrane), loses control, a first person dies, the noose tightens, another murder occurs, suspects multiply and gags come from everywhere. Crazy characters, awkward situations and modern themes, it’s a little delight.
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The Last of Us
Yes, it’s about zombies, debilitating viruses and the end of the world, but it’s better than The Walking Dead. In 2023, after a global infection with a rare deadly fungus, life has almost disappeared from the face of the Earth. The rare survivors live in bunker cities controlled by totalitarian governments. The hope of finding a cure for this pandemic rests on the shoulders of rebellious teenager Ellie (Bella Ramsay), the only one to have survived her contamination. The valiant Joel (Pedro Pascal) must now bring Ellie, without dying, to a faction of rebels. And to paraphrase Luc De Larochellière, the road is long, to go back to the sun, the nights are dark, like the heart of man.
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