THE TRAVELLER – Review

We’ve seen plenty of movies and TV series featuring heroic cops who nail the worst of the perps by “going rogue” to one extent or another. This French series THE TRAVELLER serves up a protagonist in grizzled detective Thomas Bareski (Eric Cantona), who not only goes rogue, but native. Though he’s long been one of France’s most successful cops, he’s frustrated by the number of elusive killers they couldn’t identify or convict; especially the ones he nailed who either walked on a technicality or worked a deal for a lighter sentence than they deserved. He thinks the honchos give up too soon on too many violent acts, leaving the door open for more crimes, and precluding closure for victims and their survivors. So he resigns, buys a van and travels mainly off the grid as he dives into cold cases, usually finding patterns that reveal serial killers, or at least repeat offenders, remaining at large. Luckily, he’s unofficially backed by a high-ranking prosecutor who can legitimize his off-the-book pursuits and provide limited access to case files, forensics and other intel.

Cantona, gray-bearded and grungy, lives off the land and the kindness of those who appreciate his efforts coming so long after the rest of the authorities had moved on. Some feel quite the opposite, complicating his quests. The first five of eight 90-minute episodes (with English subtitles) have begun streaming in the U.S. Each is self-contained in a new locale with a new crime and set of characters, though some elements carry over. No cliffhangers spurring the need to binge. The stories are well-written, serving up a satisfactory array of suspects and twists to keep viewers guessing throughout.

Oddly for a series featuring only one regular cast member, Cantona’s Bareski is replaced for the last four episodes by a somewhat younger version of his character, Yann Kandinsky (Bruno Debrandt), who shares the same motivation, and takes over Bareski’s lifestyle and pursuits, including his van. I can’t disclose more about the succession without spoilers. Neither of them smile much; both are more intuitive than forensic. Anyone who likes seeing the bared butts of middle-aged guys can groove on the rear views of their ablutions in lakes and ponds by which they’ve parked for a night. For the less enthralled, those shots are mercifully brief. No other nudity.

Several installments include somewhat more action than the average European procedural, though well short of the fights, chases and gunplay levels of our accustomed prime-time network fare. Supporting performances are solid and diverse, enhancing the realistic look and feel of the various communities their pursuits cover. There’s little humor in the scripts, so watch this one when you’re in the mood for a serious crime drama that satisfies the cerebrum, visually enhanced by the villages and environs drawing our heroes’ endeavors.

3 out of 4 stars

THE TRAVELLER, in French with subtitles, streams on MHzChoice as of March 21, 2023.