“Deadly Tropics: Season 3” – TV review

Regular readers know I’ve reviewed dozens of streaming TV series from a number of European countries over the past few years. The light-hearted cop show, “Deadly Tropics (Tropiques Criminels)”, based in an idyllic (other than the requisite murders and assorted felonies) Caribbean locale has been one of my favorites. That made the 18-month gap between the domestic release of the first two seasons and this next one seem even longer.

To bring everyone up to speed, here are the links to those reviews on We Are Movie Geeks 

Season 1

Season 2

Although each of these eight episodes features a different crime, it’s advisable to watch the series in order, due to evolving relationships among the regulars, and a few recurrent plot-lines and supporting players that are better appreciated if one knows the context.

Season 3 picks up shortly after the last one. Gaelle (Beatrice de la Boulaye) is about to be married, but only via a chaotic course, as one would expect from her. Melissa (Sonia Rolland) has a number of romantic and family sidebars, as well. As before, the early episodes contain more humor in the mix; forensics maven Phil (Valentin Papoudof) gets even ditsier than before as a reliable source of comic relief. The later tales shift the balance more to the dramatic side; one even ventures into the supernatural realm.

Fans of other imports from MHz Choice will also enjoy seeing Francis Perrin, the eponymous star of the charming French mystery series “Mongeville” in a small, yet important, role in the first episode.

The sharply different personalities of the two leads continue to energize the series and complement each other in the tradition of Riggs and Murtaugh, Cagney and Lacey and many other cop-buddy pairings. Melissa’s default setting is serious and laser-focused; Gaelle remains irreverent but extremely effective, with method in her façade of madness. Episodes 6 and 8 are particularly dramatic and emotional in tenor, and to good effect. Some of the season’s crimes involve broad social issues like sexism in the military, the growing dangers of designer drugs, and the far-reaching consequences of spousal abuse.

As before, the season ends (thankfully) without cliffhangers but with several story arcs open for further development in Season 4, which aired abroad earlier this year, and should be destined to also cross the Atlantic. I just hope the wait won’t be as long for that next round of adventures with this delightful set of characters in their picturesque setting.

“Deadly Tropics (Tropiques Criminels): Season 3,” mostly in French with English subtitles, streams on MHz Choice starting Tuesday, Nov. 21.

RATING: 3.5 out of 4 stars