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Marleau is called to sun-drenched Saint-Tropez when Raphaël, the grandson of the very rich Léonard Michelli, is very kidnapped, and the local gendarmes are sent a very severed ear in the mail.
Only thing is– Léonard doesn’t want to pay the 30-million (euros?) ransom. The secretive Pénélope Milo (Marie-Josée Croze), daughter of local moviestar royalty (also Croze, in a brief flashback), might be one source of pressure. And why is Pénélope trying to get Lola (Raphaël’s girlfriend) out of the picture? Is Leonard’s son Dany too meek to be real? Is Lola’s dad Khader more than just Pénélope’s gardener? And how do the kidnappers seem to know what the Gendarmes are planning? Complicating matters is the discovery of the body of a murdered photographer, a paparazzo who was in possession of photos of Raphaël and Lola. What muck was he raking by visiting a gynecology clinic in Nice?
Marleau has only the local brigade on which to rely, featuring almost-identical twin lieutenants Félix and Martin, and their protective civilian aide/house mother Stéph.
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| l-r: Valentin Riot-Sarcey as Félix, Justin Chassel as Martin, Corinne Masiero, and Agathe Natanson as Stéph. |
MISC
Keep an eye on Marleau’s hair. Unbraided, it becomes frizzier and frizzier— and blonder— as time passes, as though reacting to the hot Riviera weather. Which doesn't quite make sense, since there have been episodes in Corsica and Guadeloupe.
NOTES
Cold open: Gallais the photographer is played by Michel Ferracci, husband of the late Émilie Dequenne from Episode 36, “La 7eme danse,” in which he was Daniel the biker. Ferracci also played Mori in Episode 18, “Pace e Salute” (the Corsica episode).
The grand aerial shot (1’09”) starts above Saint-Tropez flying west to east. The Plage de la Ponche beach is in the foreground; Portelet Tower is on the right; the bell tower is Église Paroissiale Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption. The Port of Saint-Tropez is in the background
Coming from the other direction (1’16”), the Port is now in the center of the shot. The Saint Tropez Lighthouse and Annonciade Museum of Modern Art are here.
Léonard’s yacht is flying a British ‘red ensign’ (2’03”). None of the versions of this flag are French, unless you count the pre-maple leaf Canadian flag.
On her way to the Gendarmerie post, Marleau drives through Place des Remparts, but is blocked by a broken-down car at 16 Rue Cavaillon (Cantaloup Street, 4’01”), next to Place Henri Person. The dome of Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption can be seen in the background.
Cut to her walking down into the little square. In the distance, if you walk to the water and turn left, that’s Plage de la Ponche.
She arrives at the post, which in real life is almost two-thirds of a kilometer from Pl. Henri Person. The exterior is the Gendarmerie & Saint-Tropez Cinema Museum, located in a historic former Gendarmerie post at 2 Place Blanqui.
The interior of the post is in the Villa Rayolet, a large mansion near the sea at the Domaine du Rayol Mediterranean Gardens, about 10 miles southwest of Saint-Tropez. The villa is also the exterior of Pénélope’s home.
Ludovic Cruchot (4'26", apparently pronounced crew-shot) was the main character in the 1970s La Gendarme comedy movies (also referenced in Les Trois Brestoises), one of which was La Gendarme de Saint-Tropez. Cruchot (I expect he worked at Place Blanqui) was played by Louis de Funès (who is namedropped at 25’14” c.f.).
Ça me gave (4’44”) means ‘it/that annoys me.’ She adds de saucisse, thus ‘it annoys the sausage out of me.’
5’08”: Félix introduces himself au rapport tout pareil (reporting the same), because Martin already introduced himself as ‘reporting,’ as in ‘reporting for duty.’ Marleau then jokes Vous paierez votre vin plus tard? ‘You’ll pay for your wine later?’ because pareil sounds like paierez, as though she thought Félix said that he would pay. Just a terrible, terrible pun.
Marleau says On aura le bonhomme, ‘we’ll get the guy,’ although I think she means he’s like a gingerbread man with a piece missing.
Felix says the ransom demand is thirty millions (6’20”), but then Marleau marvels at thirty patates (potatoes/spuds), which is usually ‘grand.’ Then (10’49”) she uses brique as equivalent to patates. Later it’s made clear by Leonard that the ransom really is 30 million, so I have to make brique = patates = ‘big ones’ = million. That’s inflation, I guess.
Marleau refers to Leonard’s yacht (and how does she know he has one?) as ‘Medusa’s raft,’ though I expect she means Midas.
Martin observes that the kidnappers qu'ils avaient pas prévu que le vieux elle est pas allongé (didn’t count on the old guy wouldn’t lie down, 7’39”), which I assume means ‘wouldn’t take it lying down.’
The various Barons Empain (8’11”) were megarich industrialists. Baron I built the Paris Metro; his grandson (Baron III) was kidnapped in the 70s.
10’31”: On n'a pas gardé les ronds-points ensemble (we didn't tend the roundabouts together) must be a variation on On n'a pas gardé les cochons ensemble (we didn’t raise pigs together), which means ‘we’re not chummy/familiar.’ In some places, neighbors gather to maintain their roundabout.
Recall that ZAD is Zone à défendre, development sites occupied by protesters to stop the projects. Megabasins are water storage (and therefore monopolization) infrastructure, also the target of protests.
Rémi Fraisse was an environmental activist who was killed by a Gendarme during a 2014 dam protest.
The Zucman Tax is an economist’s proposal of a 2% annual wealth tax on the megarich. Marleau is asking, sarcastically, if Leonard is pleading poverty because he had to pay a tiny tax.
Chronopost (18’40”) is an express parcel division of La Poste, the French post office.
Dany says something to the kidnapper that sounds like vu/vue à dose, ‘view from back/behind.’ I think it means something like ‘In retrospect I take your meaning.’
Paparazzi (21’45”) is plural.
Steph calls Marleau fort de café, ‘strong coffee’ (22’27”), meaning ‘unfair/too much/a bit rich/takes the cake.’
As for Felix describing Marleau as nature-peinture, ‘nature-painting,’ I think this means ‘how nature painted her,’ i.e., that’s just how she is.
Felix isn’t happy about relever/relevé the van, ‘tackling/noting/addressing.’ Organized searching for the chain of evidence is involved, so I’m putting ‘logging.’
Bouyaveurs (24’18”) is slang typically meaning people ‘sexing/banging/smashing,’ which is not what is going on in the photos. ‘Canoodlers’ is the gentlest synonym I can think of, but that’s usually s’enlacer (embracing) or câlin (cuddling).
Sandra di Milo is an Italian actress, who was in 8½. It seems clear Deborah Milo was not the Milo Marleau was thinking of first.
Ça me gave (4’44”) means ‘it/that annoys me.’ She adds de saucisse, thus ‘it annoys the sausage out of me.’
5’08”: Félix introduces himself au rapport tout pareil (reporting the same), because Martin already introduced himself as ‘reporting,’ as in ‘reporting for duty.’ Marleau then jokes Vous paierez votre vin plus tard? ‘You’ll pay for your wine later?’ because pareil sounds like paierez, as though she thought Félix said that he would pay. Just a terrible, terrible pun.
Marleau says On aura le bonhomme, ‘we’ll get the guy,’ although I think she means he’s like a gingerbread man with a piece missing.
Felix says the ransom demand is thirty millions (6’20”), but then Marleau marvels at thirty patates (potatoes/spuds), which is usually ‘grand.’ Then (10’49”) she uses brique as equivalent to patates. Later it’s made clear by Leonard that the ransom really is 30 million, so I have to make brique = patates = ‘big ones’ = million. That’s inflation, I guess.
Marleau refers to Leonard’s yacht (and how does she know he has one?) as ‘Medusa’s raft,’ though I expect she means Midas.
Martin observes that the kidnappers qu'ils avaient pas prévu que le vieux elle est pas allongé (didn’t count on the old guy wouldn’t lie down, 7’39”), which I assume means ‘wouldn’t take it lying down.’
The various Barons Empain (8’11”) were megarich industrialists. Baron I built the Paris Metro; his grandson (Baron III) was kidnapped in the 70s.
10’31”: On n'a pas gardé les ronds-points ensemble (we didn't tend the roundabouts together) must be a variation on On n'a pas gardé les cochons ensemble (we didn’t raise pigs together), which means ‘we’re not chummy/familiar.’ In some places, neighbors gather to maintain their roundabout.
Recall that ZAD is Zone à défendre, development sites occupied by protesters to stop the projects. Megabasins are water storage (and therefore monopolization) infrastructure, also the target of protests.
Rémi Fraisse was an environmental activist who was killed by a Gendarme during a 2014 dam protest.
The Zucman Tax is an economist’s proposal of a 2% annual wealth tax on the megarich. Marleau is asking, sarcastically, if Leonard is pleading poverty because he had to pay a tiny tax.
Chronopost (18’40”) is an express parcel division of La Poste, the French post office.
Dany says something to the kidnapper that sounds like vu/vue à dose, ‘view from back/behind.’ I think it means something like ‘In retrospect I take your meaning.’
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| Marleau plans the ransom drop operation |
Paparazzi (21’45”) is plural.
Steph calls Marleau fort de café, ‘strong coffee’ (22’27”), meaning ‘unfair/too much/a bit rich/takes the cake.’
As for Felix describing Marleau as nature-peinture, ‘nature-painting,’ I think this means ‘how nature painted her,’ i.e., that’s just how she is.
Felix isn’t happy about relever/relevé the van, ‘tackling/noting/addressing.’ Organized searching for the chain of evidence is involved, so I’m putting ‘logging.’
Bouyaveurs (24’18”) is slang typically meaning people ‘sexing/banging/smashing,’ which is not what is going on in the photos. ‘Canoodlers’ is the gentlest synonym I can think of, but that’s usually s’enlacer (embracing) or câlin (cuddling).
Sandra di Milo is an Italian actress, who was in 8½. It seems clear Deborah Milo was not the Milo Marleau was thinking of first.
Louis De Funès never won an Oscar. He received an honorary Cesar in 1980.
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| r: Marie-Josée Croze as Pénélope Milo |
28’55”: Marleau calling Khader ‘Khader Roussel’ is the same sort of joke as an American calling a landscaper ‘Manuél Labór.’ Khader sounds like qu’à terre (on the ground) and Roussel sounds like arrosé (watering).
“Serpentine! Serpentine!” (29’40”)
32’30”: Route 98 is the main road between Saint-Tropez and Toulon. But its designation is D98, not RN98.
Louis de Funès died in 1983.
The D93 (35’01”), also called the Beaches Route, is a scenic highway running south out of Saint-Tropez.
Barrage (36’15” c.f.) means ‘dam,’ in TV policiers it usually means ‘roadblock.’ But this time it really does refer to a dam, probably intended to be the Barrage de la Verne, which is a really high earthen dam near the D98. However, the real dam’s dry side is an angled plane, and not so ravine-like, so the location used is probably just a ravine (Marleau does run past water, which establishes presence of a reservoir). The other big earthen dam in the area, Vanadal, has a water treatment facility at the bottom.
Narvalo (37’30”) is yet another French word for ‘idiot/dummy/loser,’ this one comes from Romani.
HS (38’12”) is Hors-service, ‘out of service.’ Informally it means broken/exhausted/knackered.
Apparently, saying you’re slamming the door (je vais claquer ma porte) before actually slamming the door is a thing the French do.
Les chiens ça fait pas des chats (‘dogs don’t make cats,’ 42’59”) means ‘like father, like son/the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.’
Marleau and the twins dance to Chico & The Gypsies in Place des Lices (44’35”).
Les boules se sont imposées à nous, ‘the balls impose on us,’ is like ‘it so happens that-’. A matter-of-fact statement that something happened whether wanted/expected or not.
There are several Bar Centrales and Central Bars in the southeast, but not in Saint-Tropez.
Laurent clearly says les Brigittes. I don’t know who a famous Brigitte would be besides Bardot. Brigitte Macron is from the north.
Other names dropped:
Other names dropped:
- Alain: Probably Alain Delon
- Romy: Romy Schneider
- Colette: Not sure. The novelist Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette?
- Françoise: Probably actor Françoise Dorléac
- Johnny: Hallyday, of course.
- Charles: Boyer?
- Juliette: Binoche.
- Jeanne from La Garde-Freinet: Moreau. She was from Paris, but had a house in La Garde-Freinet, which is to the northwest of Saint-Tropez.
Not sure what Laurent means by ‘a loup (wolf) at La Secrete,’ often it means ‘devil.’
Bande de nazes (48’08”) means ‘bunch of losers’ (naze=lame); yes, it does sound very like bande donneurs (bunch of idiots). I’ve chosen to translate it here as ‘you lame-o’s.’
Pomponette (48’31”) comes from ‘pompom’ and in this case refers to a woman who pays too much attention to her appearance.
Lola says her dad la suit au doigt et l’œil, ‘follows [Penelope’s] finger and eye’ (49’20”), which means ‘at her beck and call/follows orders to the letter.’
Marleau’s fake magazine names Ici Pourri and Paris Moche (56’09”) are takeoffs on real magazines Ici Paris (Paris Here) and Paris Match.
A tarte tropesienne is brioche filled with cream & whipped cream.
Elle lui a réservé quelques chiens de sa chienne (57’21”) is ‘she reserved some dogs for her from her female dog.’ Normally it’s ‘reserved a dog,’ and means ‘Holds a grudge.’ Because Laurent says ‘some dogs,’ I’m assuming it’s multiple grudges.
No, I don’t get the Basic Instinct reference (59’11”).
Cavaillon melons (cantaloups) are a big deal in summer in Provence and Saint-Tropez.
Marleau says farewell to Dany and it sounds like she says Tu bien a peu, ‘You’re doing well/good, a little’ (61’11”). I think this means ‘you’re doing some good,’ or even ‘you’re doing good, Little Guy.’
Plus c'est gros, plus c'est gros (‘the bigger the lie, the bigger the lie,’ 61’38”) is Marleau’s version of plus c'est gros, plus ca passe, ‘the bigger the lie, the more likely it will be believed.’
Tous les ânes s'appellent Martin, ‘All donkeys are named Martin’ (63’24”), is Marleau’s version of a very old proverb, ‘Not all donkeys at the fair are named Martin,’ meaning don’t draw a conclusion based on one clue.
Dany is probably singing Solenzara by Enrico Macias.
Pomponette (48’31”) comes from ‘pompom’ and in this case refers to a woman who pays too much attention to her appearance.
Lola says her dad la suit au doigt et l’œil, ‘follows [Penelope’s] finger and eye’ (49’20”), which means ‘at her beck and call/follows orders to the letter.’
Marleau’s fake magazine names Ici Pourri and Paris Moche (56’09”) are takeoffs on real magazines Ici Paris (Paris Here) and Paris Match.
A tarte tropesienne is brioche filled with cream & whipped cream.
Elle lui a réservé quelques chiens de sa chienne (57’21”) is ‘she reserved some dogs for her from her female dog.’ Normally it’s ‘reserved a dog,’ and means ‘Holds a grudge.’ Because Laurent says ‘some dogs,’ I’m assuming it’s multiple grudges.
No, I don’t get the Basic Instinct reference (59’11”).
Cavaillon melons (cantaloups) are a big deal in summer in Provence and Saint-Tropez.
Marleau says farewell to Dany and it sounds like she says Tu bien a peu, ‘You’re doing well/good, a little’ (61’11”). I think this means ‘you’re doing some good,’ or even ‘you’re doing good, Little Guy.’
Plus c'est gros, plus c'est gros (‘the bigger the lie, the bigger the lie,’ 61’38”) is Marleau’s version of plus c'est gros, plus ca passe, ‘the bigger the lie, the more likely it will be believed.’
Tous les ânes s'appellent Martin, ‘All donkeys are named Martin’ (63’24”), is Marleau’s version of a very old proverb, ‘Not all donkeys at the fair are named Martin,’ meaning don’t draw a conclusion based on one clue.
Dany is probably singing Solenzara by Enrico Macias.
When French cops say in Italian, et ciao tutti (‘hello all,’ 64’40”), they mean ‘case closed.’
Not clear what Raphael shouts as he’s escaping (68’23”), but the first sounds like Ah ben ouais, which can mean ‘okay’ as in ‘now’ or ‘go,’ and the second like chier, ‘shit/crap,’ here meaning ‘oh shit, I have to go back for that.’
Tu as une poil que tu as dans ta main, ‘You have hair in your hand’ (70’45”), means ‘you’re lazy.’
72’37”: Marleau tells Dany to monte la-dessus, ‘climb in/up,’ to get in the car– and as a joke adds tu verras Montmartre (you’ll see Montmartre). Monte la-dessus, tu verras Montmartre is a 1922 Boyer & Borel-Clerc song, and the official anthem of the Republique de Montmartre, a charitable organization (which sounds a lot like the old Republic of Fremont in Seattle).
72’43”: Does Marleau have a jackhammer ringtone now?
73’56”: She’s about to ask Dany a question, but first she simply says aspect (appearance). This is sort of a placeholder, meaning ‘on that point/about that/speaking of.’
Interviewing Madam Quenant: Banane, ‘banana’ (75’46”), here means ‘turn.’
M'a tiré les vers du nez (pulled the worms out of my nose) means ‘I spilled the beans.’
Ulysse is James Joyce's Ulysses, while Nono the robot is from Ulysse31, a 1980s Franco-Japanese anime series, it’s Homer’s Odyssey in the 31st century. ‘The woman’ in both is… Penelope.
Faut pas me prendre pour un bleu, ‘don’t take me for a blue/idiot’ (81’52”)-- blue as in a military/police term for novice.
We finally get the correct singular form of paparazzi (83’38”).
Masiero slurs her line at 84’10,” something-something cible. I had to guess.
Owls (86’42”) are important in Homeric poetry. Just saying.
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