Maigret Season 2 Episode 3 Review: Are Chaotic Cases a Worrying Omen?

On Maigret Season 2 Episode 3, “Maigret’s Revolver, Part 1”, a young woman named Olga abruptly starts struggling in the water. She dies before her boyfriend can save her and her rich boss is soon suspected.

Olga was the nanny to the widowed doctor’s boys, and the man’s reputation spurs him to try and keep the case under the radar. This, along with his calm demeanor about both this and the death of his ex-wife, just makes him look more suspicious.

The detectives soon learn that Olga was pregnant. Though they prove her boyfriend is the father, Maigret’s team continue to circle their horses until a higher up has a member of his team transferred to another department.

On a double date with friends of his and Louise, Jules is asked to look into Francois, another widower who has been acting paranoid since his own wife’s death. Sure enough, when confronted, he accuses Maigret of attacking him.

At the same time, the brother of a missing politician approaches our DI to ask him to look for the man, claiming he only ever served the public good. Jules assumes the man is already dead. Indeed, his body is soon found in a large suitcase.

Francois is tied somewhat haphazardly into the case through a strip club both men went to. Maigret puts him at the top of his suspect list, but it’s Francois’s fifteen-year-old son who manages to steal a gun gifted to Jules by the FBI.

There is a lot going on in this episode. Two cases is already a lot to pack into an episode but given how erratic Francois’s behavior is from the first time Maigret meets him, it feels like three well before the latter two start to tie together.

Olga’s murder does stand more or less on its own, and between her being well-liked and her boyfriend’s grief and guilt, we are at least given enough substance to identify with her as a victim. Our main suspect is a little more questionable.

He’s certainly acting like every rich man who thinks the law can’t touch him, but there are also major red herring vibes and, though we spend almost as much time with him as we do our main characters, we’re given few hints as to which way he’ll turn.

Add in a random guy trying to pry into Maigret’s life, friends we’ve barely seen before, and more harassment of his team, and we barely get to know the kind of missing man who would otherwise make headlines and be a lead case.

I am certainly curious as to what’s going on with Francois and hopeful that Maigret can stop either him or his son before they do something they regret, but everything is just moving too quickly for me to connect with anyone before the cliffhanger.

Finally, of course, we have to deal with how the threats of consequences for the people we actually care about are starting to play out. True, Maigret is able to take steps to resolve losing a member of his team this time, but what might be next?

Hopefully the falling action in the second half of this story will be a bit more evenly paced. The overload may also be setting up the last two episodes if the season. Whatever episodic plots remain, the stakes for Maigret and his team have never been higher.

---

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!