1.4 Victor This week’s instalment set up many more questions and cliff-hangers than it resolved, as befits the mid-way point in a mystery series. As such, it was perhaps the most plot-heavy, functional episode so far, as the interwoven stories ticked off disclosure and connections rather than continuing to build the beauty and atmosphere of earlier episodes. That’s certainly no criticism, as the story is as compelling as ever, and you can’t very well fill eight hours of television with sublime lighting and beautiful set pieces like week one’s glass-breaking butterfly and expect people to keep watching. Telly needs intrigue, and The Returned has it in droves. I don’t fancy Pierre’s chances much now that Victor, who has evolved from a walking, not-talking, horror doll into a pitiable wee mite (albeit one you still wouldn’t book a play date with), has realised who he is. Yes, Victor being thrown into Pierre’s path is somewhat convenient, but let’s not forget we’re watching a show about the dead returning to life. Regular notions of realism and contrivance are more or less out of the fenêtre. As is The Returned’s distanced, Gallic style, much of the above information was inferred rather than confessed. We arrived at Simon’s suicide at least thanks to a drawing by Chloe (how did she know?) and a line from Thomas, who moved this week from being Adèle’s obsessive voyeur to her clumsy but sympathetic protector in the eyes of the audience. Pierre’s role in Victor’s death too, was heavily telegraphed, but not made explicit. Blessedly, The Returned avoids talking down to viewers, letting us feel the ‘aha!’ pleasure of making a connection before it’s firmly established. What is happening to Léna, and will it start happening to others? An old wound of hers has reopened, which is about as straightforward a metaphor in this context as admissible by EU law. Other mysteries remain, including that possibly-all-in-Thomas’ mind shot of Simon turning into him whilst having sex with Adèle. The dam is still leaking water into the power station, and the electricity – which seems to react to the emotional states of the Returned – continues to be all wiggy. Two questions dominated episode four though, the first: how long are the dead going to stay? And the second: are they angels, or devils? A curse, or a miracle? The remaining four episodes will tell. Meanwhile, we share the same macabre thrill of poor, doomed Victor and his brother, sitting underneath the TV equivalent of a bed sheet with a torch, listening to ghost stories. Read Louisa’s review of the previous episode, Julie, here
