The Madame Blanc Mysteries Season 3 – Review
Director: Dermot Boyd
Writer: Sally Lindsay, Sue Vincent (Screenplay)
Writer: Sally Lindsay, Sue Vincent (Creators)
Cast
- Sally Lindsay (Pond Life)
- Sue Vincent (Waterloo Road)
- Steve Edge (Bank of Dave)
- Alex Gaumond (Hampstead)
Plot: Antiques expert moves to France suspicious of how her husband died and uses her skills to become a PI aiding the local police and simultaneously bonding with the town’s popular taxi driver.
Runtime: 45 Minutes Episodes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Verdict on The Madame Blanc Mysteries Season 3
Christmas Special (D. Dermot Boyd)
This starts when Judith and Jeremy take Jean, Dom, Gloria, and Caron away for Christmas. They have a deal with a potential partnership in business. However, their host has planned a murder mystery weekend. But the night takes a dramatic turn when the party turns into a murder. It leads to Jean and Caron needing to solve the murder.
This is a fun episode taking the characters to a new location. It uses a more traditional murder mystery gone wrong to bring us a new crime to see unsolved. This is a welcome return to the show and prepares the core cast for more adventures to come. (3/5)
Ocean (D. Dermot Boyd)
This starts when a marine exploration group loses one of their divers on a routine dive. It looks like cardiac arrest and happens to be on Jeremy and Judith’s boat again. Jean is asked to investigate why the diver had a coin worth thousands and sees Dom struggling with his daughter not returning. Elsewhere, Gloria is struggling to deal with her visiting father.
This is a welcome return for Jean, Dom and Gloria. However, it has fallen into the same pitfalls the last season struggled with. A crime is connected to Jeremy and Judith, without them ever being considered a suspect, just somewhere they are doing their next wild plan. The crime is interesting to see unfold and plays into the bigger love for treasure. (3/5)
Duel (D. Dermot Boyd)
This starts when Gloria discovers a dead body, and the victim has a connection to Simone. Jean goes undercover with one of Simone’s biggest clients. Elsewhere, Judith and Jeremy must work with Gloria to revamp the bar, now Niall and Selina have left the area.
This feels like the most dangerous case Jean has been involved in. It introduces a potential recurring threat with a criminal side in the village. Elsewhere, it is disappointing that the show confirmed writing Niall and Seline out of the show now. The side story brings a lot of comedy to the episode, and it is nice for the episode not to require Jermey and Judith to be around the crime happening. (3/5)
Jackal (D. Dermot Boyd)
This starts when a nanny is shot in clear daylight where Caron (Gaumond) is close to the incident. It happened right outside the pub, but no gunperson can be found. Elsewhere, Jean continues to build her shop inventory with Charlie. However, the victim happened to shop at Jean’s shop before the incident. It all leads to a much bigger series of events happening in the village.
This brings us an interesting mystery surrounding a first edition copy of a Charles Dickens book. The mystery takes us into the business of special edition books. Meanwhile, the pub finds a new landlord to cover the chaos, bringing a calming presence into the pub. (4/5)
Fashion (D. Dermot Boyd)
This starts when a fashion show sees one of the hosts having a near-fatal fall, with the suspects lining up. Jean is asked to investigate who pushed her and question who would want to see her dead. However, Jean finds herself getting too involved in the case, while the other visitors discover a secret about Gloria’s new boyfriend.
This gives us a more unusual case, as it does not start with murder. It mixes up the formula and offers the most twists in the series. Outside, the bigger case the story between the friends in the village takes a dramatic turn leaving one of the characters lost and confused about their life. (4/5)
Kidnap (D. Dermot Boyd)
This starts when Jeremy and Judith host a party with friends. Jean and Dom are guests too, but when one of the guests and close friend gets kidnapped. Caron joins the investigation, however, Jean and Dom learn more secrets about Jeremy and Judith that could have been a motivation for the kidnapping. Elsewhere, Charlie and Simone try to cheer Gloria up after sending Cooper away.
This episode does have one of the best mysteries to witness unfold. It lets Jean get involved with a series of different criminal groups while trying to solve the case. The side story with Gloria gets additional laughs which can lighten the mood of the more series crime. (4/5)
Windows (D. Dermot Boyd)
This starts when Uncle Patrick (Tony Robinson) receives a call from his past. He needs Jean to help uncover the mystery behind the treasure from a card game decades before. However, the person he got sent to prison wants the treasure and Patrick fears for his life. Elsewhere, Dom needs to focus on his health, which could bring him devastating news.
This is a nice season conclusion. It has a toned-down mystery but focuses more on Jean and Dom’s lives away from crime. If this is the ending of the show for good, it is one of the most satisfying endings of a show in years. (4/5)
Overall
This season continues to the typical comfy mysteries, even taking a step back from only being murder. It continues to use antiques being the main reason the crimes get solved. However, it does struggle with a shrinking cast. If you have been enjoying the series before, you will still enjoy this. However, if you were to step into this series, it might be harder to grab your attention. The cast is still strong throughout the series as Sally Lindsay has put herself into a role which sees her among the best detectives in the entertainment industry.
Where to Watch
Coming to DVD on 26 February.
Final Thoughts – The Madame Blanc Mysteries Season 3 is a sweet, comfy third season.
