Spiral- is it worth watching?

[Yamayo]

Ok so I've heard about this show (I'm French btw).
There was a thread here a few days ago about the new season and everyone seemed super excited.

So I downloaded the first series and watched the first episode last night... and what the hell???
Not only was it badly acted but it looked so... cheap?
Weird jaunty music at odd moments, clunky script, a weird side plot involving a school teacher (who sounded and acted demented) and parents approaching a public prosecutor to get her arrested on non-existent charges?

The whole thing was mind-boggingly awful.

Does it really get good? It looked like an 80s bad cop show.

The first series was the weakest imo.

My love for Spiral is intense though. I think it comes from years of caring about the main characters so much. I haven't watched the first series in a very very long time though (wasn't it 2005?) so it may be less good than I remembered, but I do remember it getting better.

The whole premise of Spiral is that things interconnect tighter and tighter as they move on, so lots of seemingly unconnected things start impacting and linking on other things, like sets of gears and cogs, until it's all very tense. I've loved finding out about the French legal system too, and how it all works together very differently to ours.

I'm watching series 5 and have also gone back to series 1, as the PP said, it's all about the interconnected storylines. I'm hoping it will help me improve my very rusty French.

I'm quite happy with interconnected storylines- there is a lot of that in shows like The Bridge.

It's just the bad acting, silly plot and cheapness?
I was so surprised. I was expecting gritty. Instead script was all over the place.

Spiral is amazing. We've watched every series. I think the acting is far superior to line of duty etc. You need to persevere.

I am struggling a bit too

I have come late to Spiral having seen folk rave about it for years.

Am on episode 7, first series. I am finding it exploitative (so many carved up naked female corpses), clunky, seems to have no flow and far fetched. I am finding it difficult to believe that in France they really have warring parties simply sat in front of a prosecutor's desk to duke it out.

If series 2 doesn't improve, I am out of here.

I think I started watching in series 3, and loved it. I then went back and watched 1&2 and thought it wasn't as good but enjoyed it - but maybe that was because I'd seen 3. I have absolutely LOVED it from 3 onwards though. The whole story arcs of Laure and Gilou, Josephine, Roban, Pierre... oof, my poor heart.

I came to this late and have just finished season 2 which was a lot better than the first. I am looking forward to the next 6 seasons!
I am finding the legal system in France confusing. It’s like the Crown Prosecution Service are acting as detectives.
I was just reading how everyone is watching calm, soothing relaxing tv during this pandemic. Errr do not watch Spiral if that’s what you want!

Series 1 is definitely the weakest. Persevere. Just finished the latest one and so sad there will be no more.

Series 1 - 3 were definitely of a lower standard, and a lot of over explicit violence.

Maybe those of us who aren't French and rely on subtitle dont know how the dialogue sounds to those who can understand.

Also we dont know if the depiction of how the police and legal system interact.

So what seems intersting / unusual to us may seem just silly, implausible to those who do know the system.

I dont think it is anything like the Bridge. It is far closer to the Wire which attempted to show social problems as a background to the pollice and legal system. The Bridge is that lonely heroine stuff and often implausible. There are no heroes or heroines in Spiral

And even those who love Spiral accept that they do not show the police as very adept or entirely honest.

If you can get through or even skip series 1-3, you might find it gets better.

But on the otherhand it must just be that for someone French it doesn't seem as intriguing as others do!

I think some of the script is quite elliptical, and I found that rewatching series 1-7 over the Christmas break that many what I thought were throw away lines were in fact links to plot and character development.

There is an existing thread set up pre series 8 to discuss the earlier series but it probably has spoiler for anyone who is starting from series 1. www.mumsnet.com/Talk/telly_addicts/4099550-spiral-fans

And for the real fanatics these are the links to the threads set up at the time of the other series when they were broadcast! www.mumsnet.com/SearchArch?mustmatch=Spiral&dontmatch=&nickname=&src_displ_option=s_t_d_t&fromDate=&toDate=&topicmode=chs&chosentops=2000

Thread for series 8 week by week no spoilers! www.mumsnet.com/Talk/telly_addicts/4123429-Spiral-Series-8-BBC-4-from-2-January-2020-Week-by-week-no-spoilers-please

And without wishing to appear disloyal to mumsnet the guardian always does a series recap when everyone gets exasperated by the "blunder cops" and many French people come on the thread and explain lots of things we Brits just dont grasp, as well as details about locations and ...

So far they just seem to jump through potentially horrific storylines in a very cavalier fashion.
Second episode involves a murdered baby- they've now jumped to the prosecutor randomly shagging his estranged wife in the middle of the day (shouldn't he be at work) and they're now working on a deaf keyring gang thing?
Do they start 50 cases at once?
It just has a 80s B series vibe- and the French dialogue is very clunky. The prosecutor-in-bed-with-his-wife made me cringe so hard.

But you'll be pleased to hear I will be persevering, I need to see how drastically it improves as it goes on.

Quick get out clause - it improved for me after series 3!

I think Spiral is unusual in that it's a multi series show where the 1st season is - by near univeral agreement - easily the weakest. The main plot wasn't very interesting - and I share the unease with naked female bodies - and all the 'mini-plots', many of which seemed designed to shock, were silly. I believe the production/writing team changed after the first season, and it's an improvement: no more 'crime of the week' and more coherent storylines.

Interesting to get a perspective from a French person, especially with regards to the 'clunky' dialogue as obviously that is lost on non French speakers. Maybe the same is true for the acting, which you have criticised but I think is excellent? Then there is the gorgous monsieur le procureur...worth watching for him alone!

It's worth watching for the raids alone. It takes until about series seven for them to work out you need to have someone at the back door to a property as you barge through the front.

But, result, in series 8 they have worked out that you can't pursue a moped/motorbike in a car in Paris and need a tracker. Those pesky bollards...

I miss Roban terribly. His French was so clear I could pretty well understand it without the subtitles.

And I miss grouch old Tintin.

It's worth watching for the raids alone. It takes until about series seven for them to work out you need to have someone at the back door to a property as you barge through the front.

I can't be the only one longing to put my hair in a plait, dig out my grungiest clothes (still looking gorgeous naturellement!) and shout "Bouge pas!" at all and sundry, while the suspects sneak out through the unguarded back door?

Can I?

But Laure no longer has the plait in series 8, IcedPurple and I miss it.

Either Ali has a drawer-full of those white v-neck t-shirts or he needs a gentle reminder that it's not good to wear the same one every day.

I'm glad you started this thread, OP.

Having been a very early adopter of European crime drama, I'd for some reason always missing starting Spiral. Put it on a few weeks ago and thought exactly the same as you: really badly acted and scripted and really gratuitous/anti-women. It seems sooo dated.

However, the comparison to The Wire mentioned up thread intrigues me and I might give it another shot.

I think we only started it from series 4. And, yes, I've wondered how the acting appears if you're French but I rate it highly. I think i like the French legal system - I miss Roban as well.

I'm new to it as well and still on series 1. Glad to hear it gets better but am enjoying it. Does anyone else think that Roban reminds them of the prosecutor in Fear of the Lake (Walter Presents) played by Juliette Plumecocq-Mech? A French series again but the actress wears men's suits and plays the role as a totally androgynous one. Roban has the same awkwardness and ill-fitting suits.

@oneglassandpuzzled the plait makes an appearance in series 8!

As I posted that I was doubting myself. Somehow it looked less jaunty.

I absolutely love Spiral. The two female leads are both amazing characters. I never watched series 1 though.

As others have said , the first series are the weakest.

I dont think it has aged well and doesn't shine a positive light on the french police.

Also I don't know any french people that like it.

Good for keeping up with Parisian slang

Love it! We are binge watching it again from the beginning. Great for learning lots of French slang and swearing 😂. Love Josephine and Laurie, both so beautiful and such strong female characters. I adore Rohan, have a real soft spot for Gilou and as for Pierre ................. 😍

Yes, you do have to suspend belief but I think it's pretty good telly!!

Laure 🤷‍♀️. Merde, le auto correct 😂😂