Les Pennac(s), Pilot

Les Pennac(s), "Un air de famille" (A Family Resemblance), pilot, runtime 1:35:52
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Last year I was happy to find the one and only season of Les Pennac(s) on a link aggregator, and enjoyed the six episodes. The pilot wasn't available at the time, but last week it was online, so I am finally able to see it and create a translation.

The differences are noticeable right away. Where Episode 1 started off with Annabelle almost joyfully making time during a foot pursuit to talk to Louis on the phone about school, the pilot begins on a downbeat note: Views of Annabelle's OCD closet, glum Hannibal, glum Annabelle getting ready for work.

Christian Rauth (L) as Hannibal, and Julie-Anne Roth as Annabelle

After dropping Louis at collége, dour Annabelle is off to investigate a hit-and-run accident. But rather than amiable Louis on the phone, we get prickly Léa, stressed-out about a missing student ID. And while trying to help Léa with the search, Annabelle (still dour) is walking around the accident scene being positively rude to the gendarmes on hand.

As this is the pilot, this is where we get the basis for the reapprochment on display in the series. Central to the father-daughter conflict is the question of whether Hannibal is the rogue cop local legend regards him to be, or does he have ethical boundaries? And it doesn't start off well, he admits to Annabelle that he planted evidence to arrest a man who was imprisoned for murder.

Hannibal is indeed an asshole in the pilot, but it's balanced by Annabelle's conviction that he's an asshole: she knows it and she's confident in that knowledge, without needing to act like a victim about it. I can get behind that.

But about halfway through we get the expected peeling of the Hannibal onion: he loves his grandkids (though at this point mostly Louis); he notices Annabelle's dyslexia and takes it upon himself to learn about it; and then it turns out he's not all rubber hose with uncooperative witnesses.


NOTES

1'02": OMG, look at Louis, as if several years have passed between pilot and the first series episode, though it was only two years.

Cast change #1: Annabelle's boss (2'17") in the pilot is Cmsr Maud Faivre (the ubiquitous Isabel Otero), whereas in the series the Commissaire is Sonia Ayed (Fejria Deliba).

Maud sends Annabelle to the accident scene at the carrefour des Archives, 'Archives intersection' (or crossroads or junction). The accident scene where Annabelle arrives (3'42") is a mostly residential district though, and not at the actual Montpellier Archives at 287 Rue Poseidon, an area that is primarily hotels and offices. There doesn't appear to be anywhere that locals call carrefour des Archives.
          The location used for the accident is just north of the city center, at the intersection of Rue d'Aubeterre, Av. de Castelnau, and Rue de 81eme d'Infanterie. The church where Annabelle interviews the priest/witness (6'05") is the Couvent des Recollets, a former convent and historic monument now owned by the city. When Annabelle reconstructs the accident in her head (7'38"), Aline the victim is biking southwest on Castelnau.

Yay, it's Nadine (8'02"), although she's less amiable here.

An avis de recherche, 'wanted notice' (9'14"), is an APB/BOLO.

Cast change #2: Cmdr Cobran (9'24") we hardly knew ye. Not even worth replacing.

Aix-en-Provence, where Annabelle says her husband is working (10'37"), is 70 miles east of Montpellier.

The real Nexoo (14'15") is some sort of European alt-transport integration consultant.

The bluegrass-y music is one thing, but the score at 16'38" evokes a western, specifically a Union patrol hunting fugitive rebels post-US Civil War.

What is Louis saying (23'33")? It sounds like Je peux jouer à la play? (or plier or plie or plié)-- 'Can I play the play?', as though 1) I should put "play" in quotes because it's English, and 2) it's a noun. The context provided by the next line of dialog determined my translation. I don't feel good about it, but hey.

I have no idea what Annabelle is holding (23'40"). A device in a clear plastic case. What is it?

A marche blanche, 'white march/walk' (30'09"), is a silent memorial or protest march.

Tu dois être tranquille (31'40") means 'you should chill out/relax.'

I'm translating s'est fait choper (34'19") as 'got spotted' and not 'got busted,' for obvious reasons.

Yes, I'm including several different translations of fonce (34'45"), 'go for it/ get a move on/ move.'

Rue des Trois Ponts, Three Bridges Road (35'48"), is in Lunel, east of Montpellier. It crosses no rivers itself. You could indeed get blocked by a camion poubelle (garbage truck) there, as it's a short distance from a non-hazardous waste incinerator.

The Cévennes (36'15") is the nearby mountain range where Hannibal's cabin is.

Morvan (37'09") is François-Dominique Blin, he was Franck the pathologist on In Tandem.

Nice headshot (38'53").

Ramasse (not ramassé, 38'55") means 'pick up,' 'collect,' or 'gather.' Informally it can also mean 'out of one's depth.' Mash them all together and I'm putting 'busted.'

If you recall from the episode "Mort d'un chef," an AVC (47'20") is a stroke.

We get some of Hannibal's fondness for quirky old songs, which recurred during the series. "La Java des bombes atomiques," Java of Atomic Bombs (51'23") was a 1955 song by Boris Vian and Alain Goraguer. Rauth begins with "My father," while the actual song starts with "My uncle."

At least Dr Mougin didn't use Elon Musk as an example (54'24").

Condés (61'39") is yet another name for cops.

Bouzigues (62'15") is a picturesque town located southwest of Montpellier on the Etang de Thau lagoon. Also located on the lagoon is Sète, the city where Candice Renoir lives.

Michel Fourniret (63'58") was a serial killer who was first convicted in 2008, and died in 2021. His widow Monique Olivier informed on him, she was convicted as his accomplice.

Cast change #3: Louis's co-opted bully Legrand makes his second appearance (64'21"), he doesn't recur in the series.

The BAC (65'18"), Anti-Crime Brigade, focuses on urban violent crime. I'm already calling the BRB 'Violent Crime,' so I'll call BAC 'Urban Crime.'

65'53": Annabelle misspells merci.

Homophones (67'19"): Annabelle asks Hannibal how Durelle found the place where he claimed to dump his wife's body, and it sounds like he replies à bail, 'rent' or 'leave/bail out,' which doesn't make sense. But maybe it was à baies, 'berries.' Berry-picking?

68'26": Wait, ten years ago Hannibal stopped looking for Aline's body because he assumed it was down there? It had to be there somewhere! No search dogs were available? I blame the writers.

69'55": I can't make out all of what Hannibal says here, I did my best.

70'53": Our first exposure to Annabelle's super-hearing.

Le Pennac(s) has been the only show I've encountered which calls file folders chemises, 'jackets,' and here they do it again (81'15").

I can't quite make out what Aline says on the video under what Annabelle is saying (81'50"), but it sounds like Que je me est plus je muet, 'That I am more mute.' I put 'I grew more silent.' Then at 82'12" it sounds like Aline says, est-ce que vous se personne s'en recontre, which I think means 'you don't want to admit.' I interpret that as 'I didn't want to admit it.' I did my best.