Luc Dionne presents Dumas, his new detective series, set in the very opaque world of private investigation firms. As if to lower expectations, the author carefully avoids comparing his new project to District 31. The fact remains that this new fiction starring Gildor Roy uses the same formula: plots that echo current events, a plethora of favorite actors and twists and turns galore, which keep us on the edge of our seats. This is undoubtedly the recipe for guaranteed success.
In Dumaswhich will air on Radio-Canada starting September 9, Gildor Roy seems much more unpleasant to us than when he played the kind Commander Chiasson. His character, Jean Dumas, who gives his name to the series, is a cold, cynical and wisecracking man, as much with his employees as with his own children and his ex-wife. With an iron fist, this former soldier runs Intelco, a private investigation firm that he founded and which allowed him to make his fortune.
“He’s someone who has succeeded in life, but he’s someone who perhaps hasn’t succeeded in life,” sums up Luc Dionne, who expects the public to end up becoming attached to this unkempt bear belonging to the bygone era of men who refuse to show their emotions.
Watching the first two episodes, which the media were able to view on Thursday, one would not be tempted, in fact, to envy Jean Dumas’ personal life. His son, Anthony (Jason Roy-Léveillé), a lawyer by training, works at Intelco, but he is thinking of leaving the company because his father is so awful to him. The relationship between Jean Dumas and his ex-wife, Stéphanie (Isabel Richer), a minority shareholder at Intelco, is also acrimonious. The very day they finally sign their divorce papers, Jean is the victim of an assassination attempt. Inevitably, all suspicion falls on this woman, probably even colder than her ex-husband. But would she really be capable of going that far?
Added to this plot are the various cases handled by the team of private investigators, formed among others by the characters of Éric (Vincent Leclerc) and Sophie, played by the comedian Marie-Lyne Joncas, who we have already seen as an actress in a dramatic role in STAT. In the first episode, a professional hockey club calls on Intelco to shed light on a rumor that a young woman was raped by one of its star players. In the second, a man asks investigators to look into his wife’s disappearance while the police suspect him.
Dumas has the merit of introducing us to the relatively unknown world of private security companies, such as Garda and Sirco. These are sometimes mandated to ensure the safety of their clients. They can also be called upon to investigate a case, even if it means carrying out surveillance, or even infiltrating private companies. All this while being regulated by law, specifies Luc Dionne. They collaborate even more than one might think with the police, according to the author, who does not see them as competitors to the police. Many of these firms also employ former police officers.
“These boxes can’t do just anything. […] “When they obtain information that could be useful to the police, they can, however, invoke confidentiality clauses signed with their clients. We often see this in the courts,” explains Luc Dionne, who writes with full knowledge of the facts.
Fabienne vs Fabienne
There is real research work behind it Dumaswhich gives depth to the various overlapping stories. On the other hand, this 24-episode series suffers from a few flaws, which can certainly be attributed to the fast pace of filming. The acting often turns out to be monotonous. Some dialogues are so lacking in subtlety that they sometimes lend themselves to laughter. That said, the same criticisms could be made of District 31which did not prevent Luc Dionne’s daily show from breaking ratings records.
In front of journalists on Thursday, Radio-Canada management made it clear that it did not expect a success of the same magnitude for Dumaswhich is not a daily show, but a heavier series cut into one-hour episodes.
Coincidence: Dumas was scheduled on Mondays, at 8 p.m., against The weaponsthe new annual TVA series, starring Vincent-Guillaume Otis and Ève Landry and set in the military world. In short, a series produced by Aetios, Fabienne Larouche’s company, will face off against another. “We have no control over that. [Les armes] was supposed to be on Tuesday at 8 p.m.,” the producer simply indicated on Thursday, hoping that the public will watch both productions thanks to the recordings. “That’s what’s happening now with STAT And Indefensible “, added Fabienne Larouche.