Glove Story

Capitaine Marleau #35, "Le secret d'Alba" (Alba's Secret), runtime 1:44:19 Subtitles download link

In this episode Marleau is in the Montpellier area investigating a murder connected to the Bernac glove factory, a family business presided over by the matriarch, Countess Alba de Bernac. The factory is struggling and Eloi, a new partner with money, has been lined up. But he is a Solana, a family from a modest background, with whom Alba has long been at odds.

Masiero with Philippe Bas

Soon he turns up dead. Class warfare and grudges left over from the 17th century Protestant-Catholic schism are both in the equation. The suspects: Anselme, Countess Alba's estate manager; Linda the shop steward; Bernard Sire, the Solana son-in-law; Jeanne the pastor ('shepherdess'); the Countess herself.

Catherine Hiegel-not-Heigl plays Alba, and Philippe Bas (Profilage) plays her son Martin.


NOTES

There are no towns in France named Marlot (0'07 ").

Catherine Hiegel is probably best known stateside for her role as Dany in the film French Twist (1995).

Astrid et Raphaëlle S05E04

Astrid et Raphaëlle, "Le dernier des Aztèques" (The Last of the Aztecs), runtime 49:58

Subtitles download link


Raph's mom has taken up residence in her place, and the apple couldn't have fallen farther from the tree. This week's case starts with the discovery of a self-styled Indiana Jones with his heart cut out. The trail leads Astrid and Raphaëlle to an Aztec descendant and the National Assembly building, and the possibility of a fortune in hidden gold. Raph thinks she has a way for Tetsuo to stay in France.

(L-R) Lola Dewaere, Sara Mortensen, and Benoit Michel

NOTES

Un petit pétard, a little firecracker (0'08"), is a joint.

Recall from Les Pennac(s), "Mort d'un chef," that SDF (5'50") is sans domicile fixe, 'No fixed address,' or 'homeless person.'

Necalli (6'01") is an Aztec name meaning 'battle' or 'fight.' It is also a character in several video games, including Street Fighter and Call of Duty.

Musée du Quai Branly (6'46"), full name 'Jacques Chirac Museum of Quai Branly,' is a museum of the indigenous art and cultures of Africa, Asia, Oceania, and the Americas. It was designed by Jean Nouvel, who also designed the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis (2006).

The Nahua (16'06") are the biggest indigenous group in Mexico, probably settling in central Mexico in the 6th century.

17'32": A vaqueros (Spanish) is like a ranch hand.

The real Tihuapa (19'07") is a river and region in El Salvador.

There are several San Rafaels (20'23") in Mexico, but none are near Guanajuato, which is 160 miles northwest of Mexico City.

The "Codex Borbonicus" (20'48") is real and does reside in the National Assembly library. However it does not appear to mention Eldorado.

On se tient au jus?, 'We'll hold the juice?' (24'56") means 'keep us posted.'

Norah says she's found non plouf linking the Cartel to Desmond (25'54"), meaning 'not a splash.' I'm putting 'not a ripple.'

The Rosicrucian Brotherhood (27'31"), AKA Brotherhood of the Rosy Cross, originated in the 1600s, centering on the existence of secret mystical knowledge. It is either a religious order or a hoax posing as one. There is also a group called the Rosicrucian Order, but it was founded much later in the United States.

Astrid refers to the Aztec water goddess Chalchiutlicue (32'58"), but pronounces it chal-chue. The outline she made of an illustration confirms that she does mean Chalchiutlicue.

Astrid's outline of Chalchiutlicue (L) is very close to how she looks in the actual codex

Nico says, Après, si il s'intéressait au codex, 'After, if he was interested in the codex' (33'56"). Raph was asking him to draw a conclusion, so I think here après means 'logically.'

I can't find a Babora Jungle or Forest in Mexico (41'14"). There is a Babora Zone in Ethiopia.

Astrid et Raphaëlle S05E03

Astrid et Raphaëlle S05E03, "Mandala," runtime 49:02
Subtitles download link

A nightmare leads to the reopening of a 28-year-old case involving the murder of a Tibetan monk. We get a chance to learn some of Commissioner Carl's backstory-- he once studied at the monastery which becomes the focus of the investigation. Nico wants to talk about the recent SPOILER, but Raphaelle isn't ready yet. Tetsuo is getting ready to return to Japan, and is desperately (but morosely) trying to get Astrid to have a neurotypical emotional response. 'Sami' makes an ominous imaginary appearance. Raph and Nico get another surprise.

Sara Mortensen with Jean-Benoit Souilh as William

NOTES

Tulko and Lingpa are both names of Tibetan religious figures, but there is no Tulko Lingpa (11'28") who is/was an actual prominent figure.

What? I have no idea where they learned something was hidden in the crime scene room (14'53"). Maybe they inferred it from the 1996 ban on accessing the temple, but it's a reach.

I've never heard anyone likened to a poème before (15'15"), I'm translating it as 'paragon.'

Briançon (20'01") is a picturesque town in the southeast, near the border with Italy. There are many historically important fortifications in the area built to defend against 17th century Austrian invaders.

I don't know of the phrase J'ai récupéré mes dix haricots, 'I've recovered my 10 beans' (23'28"), but I assume it's like 'full of beans.'

La Grave (28'35") is a real village of less than 500, a ski resort, northeast of Briançon.

DDASS (39'12") is the Direction Départementale des Affaires Sanitaires et Sociales, or Department of Social and Health Services.

Astrid et Raphaëlle S05E02

Astrid et Raphaëlle S05E02, "Mais c'est pour si longtemps" (It Feels Like Forever) runtime 53:17 Subtitles download link

The Reptile case continues, only now Astrid and Raphaëlle are rookie secret agents, after being recruited/conscripted by DGSE agent 'Dagobert' (Aurelian Wiik). But spying means lying, which is something Astrid doesn't know how to do.  

Norah (Sophia Yamna) and Nico (Benoit Michel)
detain 'Emily Bradway' (Lauren Versnick)

NOTES

The DGSE (0'52"), founded in 1982, is the French CIA. It took over from the Service de documentation extérieure et de contre-espionnage. It is at 141 Blvd Mortier in Paris.

The original Dagobert (2'47") was King of the Franks in the 7th Century. He was the last of his family, the Merovingians ('from the sea'), to really rule the country. A lot of modern conspiracy theories and alt-history has sprung up around him and his family (see The Da Vinci Code et al). Whereas, the Club of 5 (aka The Famous Five) were the child heroes of a series of mid-20th Century YA adventure novels. The Five were two boys, two girls, and their dog Dagobert.

La pluie aide de protection, 'protection rain aide' (4'05") must be a metaphorical 'protective umbrella.'

Raph must be referring to Quentin (4'45") and Q, James Bond's MI-6 'quartermaster' of gadgets.

I've never heard of ha! (10'36") having a different definition than in the English. Raph seems to be echoing Astrid's 'yes.'

Minitel (11'12") was a French-made communication/information system that networked over phone lines. It existed from 1982 to 2012. Home terminals could be used to send and receive email, buy things, access business information, and look up phone numbers.

Guoanbu (17'50") is the Ministry of State Security for China.

La Défense (21'13") is a district in western Paris named to honor Franco-Prussian War veterans in 1883. Since the 1970s it has transformed gradually into an ultra-modern-looking business district. It has 20 of Paris' 24 skyscrapers.

Norah says to Raph, la CIA vous à mené un bateau, 'the CIA led you by a boat' (25'05"). This expression means to lead astray or down the garden path, bamboozle, and the like.

La Courneuve (34'29") is a town that is part of metropolitan Paris, located 5 miles north of central Paris. It does not have a Rue de Commerce, but there is a Place du Commerce, a residential/retail development in the southwest part of town.

A lanceuse d'alerte (35'06") is a whistleblower.

As Nico explains later, Azathoth (35'46") is a deity in the works of HP Lovecraft, and is indescribable because everyone perceives him differently and he is always changing.

Nous se débrouiller comme une chef (37'02") means 'We're going to handle this like a boss.' In this case, bluff that you have the authority to do something.

DGSE headquarters, Les Tourelles, is at 141 Boulevard Mortier, just inside the Peripherique beltway on the northeast edge of central Paris. A different building plays the DGSE in the episode (39'30").

Palate Cleanser

Mon Crime (The Crime is Mine) runtime 1:42:51
Subtitles download link

I took a brief respite from the frantic pace of the year-end holidays to enjoy this Francois Ozon comedy from 2023.

It's 1930s Paris, a city obsessed with celebrities and scandals. Madeleine Verdier is a struggling actress, her roommate Pauline Mauleon is a struggling lawyer. Together they owe the landlord 3,000 francs-- or maybe 1,000 francs, depending on negotiations. Madeleine has just returned from a particularly bad audition-turned-casting couch offer when a detective knocks on their door: it seems the producer Madeleine has just escaped from is now a dead producer, shot in the head about the time she left him. She is now the chief suspect.

Facing a buffoonish investigating judge and an institutionally misogynistic justice system, Madeleine and Pauline hatch a plan to use the circus-like trial to launch their careers. Isabelle Huppert bursts onto the scene at the halfway mark, as a faded star who knows the truth.

Nadia Tereszkiewicz (L) as Madeleine, and Rebecca Marder (R) as Pauline. With Olivier Broche (far L) and Fabrice Luchini.

I extracted the subtitles from the Region 2 DVD and added subtitles for onscreen French text (mostly newspaper headlines).


NOTE

The press portrays Madeleine's trial as the next Violette Noziere case (35'36"), referring to the 1934 trial of a young woman charged with murdering her father. Violette's defense claimed incest; she received the death sentence, which was reduced, and she was freed in 1945.

Astrid et Raphaëlle S05E01

Astrid et Raphaëlle S05E01, "On ne meurt qu'une seule fois" (You Only Die Once) runtime 47:44
Subtitles download link

The team searches for The Reptile, a deadly assassin with a unique MO who appears to have returned after a six year hiatus. Raphaelle and Nico continue their affair, and are doing a bad job of keeping it on the down low. A further development is that she thinks she might be pregnant. Astrid and Tetsuo's relationship encounters a hurdle. Raph seeks her father's help. A mysterious figure lurks. An old friend of Astrid's shows up at her support group.

I'm going back to .srt for a while.

Raph and Astrid meet the impound guy

NOTES

Commissioner Carl says The Reptile is chasse gardée du Banditisme, 'the purview of Banditry' (7'25"). Banditry is the brigade known as BRB, or Violent Crime Repression. I'm using 'Violent Crime.'

The impound guy says it takes time pour faire sauter, 'to blow up,' a hardened car door (15'30"). I'm putting 'to jimmy.'

Astrid disagrees with Norah and comments Si (16'01"). Most machines translate this as 'If' when the correct translation is 'Yes.' But it appears in this case that si means 'other' or 'that is to say,' or is short for soit, 'whether,' or sinon, 'alternatively'--or a mashup of some or all.  'So-called' comes closest to the probable meaning here.

'He has the gift of ubiquity' for il a la don d'ubiquity (23'59") is correct, but 'he can be in two places at once' is better for American ears.

The Ministry for Europe & Foreign Affairs is located at 37 Quai d'Orsay (25'01").

Sannois (27'20") is a northwest suburb of Paris. It has a historic windmill, and it is supposedly where Cyrano de Bergerac died.

Raph introduces Astrid as 'Lt. Nielsen' (30'30"), one of the few times in the series her rank has been used. A SPOILER also calls her lieutenant at 46'45".

Here's a good one: à travers les gouttes, 'slip between the raindrops' ('33'04"), is a way of saying 'to escape' or 'get away.'

Bois de Vincennes, 'Vincennes Woods' (35'32"), is an almost-2,500-acre park where kings used to hunt, on the east side of Paris just outside the Peripherique beltway. It is the largest green space in Paris and includes lakes, arboretum, botanical garden, a zoo, a horse racing track, and a velodrome.

Raph and Norah (Sophia Yamna) meet the mysterious American 'Emily Bradway.'

Ashley Omaha (39'35") is a stupid 'American' name.

Coudre, thimble (46'32"), is a reference to the episode "Fulcanelli" (S01E06), in which Astrid gives Raphaelle a thimble as a symbol of something that protects, just as Raph protects her.

Frenemies: A love story

I neglected to write an introduction to Capitaine Marleau when I subtitled "Á contre-courant," so I thought I would do so now.

It all began in 2014 with the two-part mystery Entre vents et marées, in which director Josée Dayan assembled a cast of French all-stars —Nicole Garcia, Jacques Spessier, Muriel Robin, and more— for a whodunit about urban renewal skullduggery which leads to murder.

"L'ami Français": Corinne Masiero, with Jonathan Lambert (C) as Stéphane, and Eric Caravaca as Donnadieu.

But it was a supporting character that got noticed: the chapka-wearing Police Nationale detective sent to lead the investigation. From the opening joke likening the lady mayoress to a horse, to her compassion for victims' families, Corinne Masiero as Captain Marleau stole the show.

Cut to 2015 and Marleau has gone to series. The main changes were transforming Marleau into a Gendarmerie detective, adding a plaid flannel shirt and army surplus coat to her wardrobe, changing her 1980s Land Rover from brown to green, and making her personality even more out-there.

Crossover!

Astrid et Raphaëlle et Alexandra Ehle, "Oeil pour oeil" (Eye for an Eye), runtime 1:26:57

Subtitles download link

In this charming collaboration, the Parisian investigators travel to Bordeaux to pick up an eyeball from Alexandra Ehle. It's a stripped-down affair focusing on the three leads (Antoine and Dr Fournier are the only regular supporting cast members who appear—why oh why couldn't they have found something for Pincé to do?). They all hit it off, eventually, and Raph and Alex discover they have childhood experiences in common.

(L-R) Julie Depardieu as Alex, Bernard Yerlès as Antoine, Jean-Pierre Hebrard (as the prosecutor), Lola Dewaere as Raphaëlle, and Sara Mortensen as Astrid

"Oeil pour oeil" took me a little longer than usual because the internet service on my street has been down several times due to winter storms.


NOTES

Formalin (2'28") is a brand of formaldehyde.

What starts off as the Astrid et Raphaelle theme (5'07") gets some added strings, and concludes with a few seconds of Alexandra Ehle-ish harpsichord.

The Brittany investigation (6'21") was in the Astrid et Raphaëlle Season 4 episode "L'Ankou."

A la bourre means 'late' OR 'in a rush,' so I'm going to assume passe a la bourre (11'51") means 'go by quickly.'

Mortensen and Depardieu

Gironde (15'44") is the department (province/county) where Bordeaux is located.

The Dune of Pilat (20'03") is the tallest sand dune in Europe, located on the Atlantic coast 30 miles southwest of Bordeaux. It is 500 meters x 2.7 km, and over 100 meters tall.

Examining a body, Alex notes injuries on les axelles, laines (24'00"). Aisselles is 'armpits,' but laines means 'wool,' I don't know what that means in this context. Maybe underarm hair? It's not clear so I'm omitting it.

Mathis Roussel's missing status is described as not a disparition inquiétant (disturbing disappearance) at 24'28", as well as earlier at 19'10". This is a specific law enforcement term for a suspected involuntary disappearance. There is an anthology series currently on France TV called Disparitions inquiétantes.

Charcot's disease (27'52") is of course Lou Gehrig's disease.

In the Tintin story "The Calculus Affair," a bandaid on Captain Haddock's nose (31'22") gets transferred among several people, but winds up back on Haddock. It's persistent.

The resort town of Arcachon (36'46") is on the bay of the same name, southwest of Bordeaux near the Dune of Pilat.

Telemark (34'00") is a type of Alpine/Nordic skiing that uses toe-only bindings. The rear foot balances, while the front foot turns.

'Stoichiometric' (40'46") means relating to the proportions of elements in a chemical reaction.

The combining word 'ischio-' (41'30") is from anatomy and refers to the hip joint.

Raph and Alex try to set up the quack doctor by posing as medical journalists. Suspicious, he looks up the comité de rédaction (43'52"), 'editorial board,' at the magazine's website. But reporters wouldn't be listed as part of the editorial board. Instead I'm putting 'masthead,' the term for a publication's staff list.

Vie Junior (43'59"), Junior Life, must refer to Science & Vie Junior, a real science magazine for kids.

Alex comments that the quack is a first-class crook, and Raph replies, Platons, ouais, 'Yeah, Platonic' (45'13")-- Platonic in the sense of being a perfect example of something. Thus 'epitome.'

When Raph says that engineers are Cartesian (46'00") she probably means Cartesian Logic, in which knowledge is gained by questioning assumptions.

Bungalow (48'52") would appear to mean something more cabin-like than much-sought-after 3 bed/2 bath/Arts & Crafts era homes in America-- judging by the holiday camp (British term) where Raph and Alex end up down memory lane.

I was disappointed we didn't get to see the "hospitable coypu/nutria" (49'11"), which I was hoping would be a cartoon mascot.

Veilleuse (58'18") means 'nightlight' or 'pilot light,' but it can also mean 'softly.' Here I have Antoine telling Alex to 'turn it down.'

Yerlés and Dewaere

Astrid, Raph, and Antoine find a copy of Oedipus Rex in the victim's safe. It sounds like Raph comments Ton m'a que (59'54") or Tellement que or maybe T'as maque ('You told me' or 'so much that' or 'Your man'). Ton m'a que makes some sense in this context, she might mean 'I've been told/heard of him.'

75'07", 36" & 59": Eye pun!

When Alex's mobile rings (76'18") it's not her usual siren ringtone.

Falco S03E03 "A la folie" and S03E04 "A l'etat brut"

Falco S03E03, "À la folie" (Madness), runtime 52:07. Subtitles download link

If you thought Alex and Philippe's friendly relationship was the new normal, you were wrong.  It's been 13 years since he and Carole met, and Phillipe thinks it's time for them to make it official-- her divorce, that is-- so they can get married. At the office, Alex and Romain are bored stiff.  Pereggi sends them to investigate the case of a brain dead man, and the family of a child waiting for the man's heart for a transplant. The donor's death is suspicious and Falco and Cheron cancel the procedure, leading to a hostage situation.

Stevenin with Franck Monsigny as Philippe

NOTES

It's never been precise as to what it is that Philippe does, forensics or pathology, so sending him to do an autopsy (4'02") clears things up.

Romain finally says how they survived the bomb blast (9'16").

Cecile introduces herself to the RAID guy as 'Commissioner Pereggi, 2nd PJ' (17'27"). I assume this means the Police Judiciaire for the 2nd Arrondisement. The 2nd is north of Tuileries Garden and the Louvre. The most recognizable landmarks are probably the Japanese Quarter and the Brongniart Palace, the original Paris stock exchange (Bourse; the entire 2nd is also called Bourse). At this time Cecile also calls Philippe 'Dr Cheron,' possibly the first time he's been addressed as Doctor.

Meurtres à... S11E07, "Meurtres à Nîmes"

"Meurtres à Nîmes" (Murders in Nimes), runtime 1:30:53 Subtitles download link

Nîmes makes for the second Roman city (after Arles) to be featured in Meurtres à's current season on France.tv. I was happy to find it on YouTube, however briefly. A couple is making out near the historic Magne Tower when they make a grisly discovery:  the body of a man wearing a gladiator costume, impaled on a sword. 

Leading the investigation is Capt Bérenice Pernetti, played by Juliette Plumecocq-Mech— whose craggy, world-weary face has to be one of the most fascinating physiognomies on French TV right now.

Juliette Plumecocq-Mech (L) as Bérenice, and Tiphaine Daviot as Alix, at the Pont du Gard.

It's Pernetti's last case before retirement, and her replacement Alix Madrigal is late on her first day. The duo are led to shows performed at an ancient amphitheatre (shades of “Meurtres à Arles”) and a motley cast of suspects: restoration experts, University alumni, a ranch hand (“Arles” again), an investigative journalist, and a professor, all leading to a very old coverup.

The Nîmes Amphitheatre and Roman gladiators are a big part of the Nîmes identity. Fights are staged regularly for tourists, with a pause for COVID.

The B story is Pernetti's search for the hit-and-run driver who killed her daughter three-and-a-half years ago.  The C story involves Madrigal and her son, who is Deaf, and whether to let the father into their lives.