Maigret Season 1 Episode 4 Review: Maigret’s Failure, Part 2

On Maigret Season 1 Episode 4, “Maigret’s Failure, Part 2,” Jules attempts to assuage his guilt by seeking justice for someone who probably doesn’t deserve it.

Though nobody (except his mistress) liked Fumal, everyone’s willing to blame Maigret for him getting shot to death, most notably our detective himself. It doesn’t stop Fumal’s entire household of staff from acting very suspiciously.

A lead comes via a man who had accidentally killed a boy in a car accident years ago. Fumal finds out and taunts him with the knowledge. In the end, this random figure left him alive—but he still commits suicide when the knowledge is public.

Eventually, Fumal’s bodyguard Victor confesses after briefly holding Maigret at gunpoint. He was another childhood friend the billionaire resented. Victor snaps after years of belittling and abuse from someone he’d stood up for in his youth.

The case of the missing influencer is slowed somewhat by all this, leaving off anticlimactically: Leila and Marcus have run off together to escape a public life orchestrated by her parents. She tells them she is safe but wants to be left alone.

It’s safe to say this isn’t a very happy episode for anyone, least of all Jules and Louise, who learn that their pregnancy has ended in a very early miscarriage. Whether or not they want to try again is unclear, though they tell Leila and Marcus they do.

Solving a fictional crime to satisfaction is difficult. It’s even harder when the victim is so unsympathetic that viewers have little motivation to want to track down the killer. Since Fumal is definitely that kind of victim, the show does the best it can.

While the mistress’s testimony and Maigret’s own guilt offer at least some empathy, we’re pretty matter of fact about most people’s feelings. Victor’s actions are condemned, but he’s rightfully humanized as much as the man he kills.

The red herring, however, just feels like twisting the knife. A man so ridden by guilt over accidentally taking a child’s life that he winds up taking his own life? All we learn from it is that Fumal was a man who treated even this tragedy with mockery.

I also wish Leila’s case had retained its prominence from the prior episode. On one hand, it’s an unconventional ending that speaks to social media culture and influencer parents. On the other, it feels like an easy way to end her plot quickly.

Similarly, after having time to celebrate the pregnancy news with Jules and Louise, to see it come to a grinding halt and then be left in such a state of indecision is disappointing—but it is also probably true to the feelings of couples in their place.

This irresolution is also likely to be an important background element of the final episodes and case of the season. While I hope we don’t bring much angst into this healthy marriage, I do look forward to closing with something a bit more personal.

---

What did you think of this episode of Maigret? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and don’t forget to leave your own rating!

Critic Rating:

Audience Rating:

 

Maigret airs Sundays at 9/8c on PBS. 

Check out our latest TV recommendations, updated weekly!

Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!